VERB TENSES CHART
TENSE FORM AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE INTERROGATIVE USES
Present Simple Verb (+ -s/-es) I eat I don’t eat Do you eat? Habitual actions
[except to be] He eats He doesn’t eat Does he eat? + usually, generally, often…
Present Continuous To be (present) + V- I am eating I’m not eating Am I eating? - Actions that are happening
ing at the moment of speaking.
- Future + later, tomorrow…
Past Simple Reg. Verb + -ed I played /ate I didn’t eat / play Did you eat / play? Something that happened in
Irregul. Verbs (ate)/to the past.
be!
Past Continuous Was/were + V-ing I was eating I wasn’t eating Was I eating? Continous actions in the
past.
Present Perfect Have/has + Participle I have played /eaten I haven’t played/eaten Have I played/eaten? Unfinished actions
(Reg. V+-ed / Irreg. Past actions with consequences
Verbs – eaten) in the present
Actions that have just finished
+ yet, already, just…
Present Perf. Cont. Have/has been + V- I have been eating I haven’t been eating Have I been eating? An activity that has recently
ing stopped
Actions repeated over a period
of time
Past Perfect Had + Participle I had played / eaten I hadn’t played/eaten Had I played/eaten? An action in the past that
happened before another
action in the past
Past Perfect Cont. Had been + V-ing I had been playing I hadn’t been playing Had I been playing? Continuous action that
happened before something
else happened
Future with WILL Will + Verb I will eat I will not/won’t eat Will you eat? Future actions
Predictions
Instant decisions
Future with be going To be going to + I’m going to eat I’m not going to eat Am I going to eat? Intentions
to Verb Planned decisions
Future evidence
Future continuous Will be + V-ing I will be eating I won’t be eating Will I be eating? Action in progress at a given
time in the future
Future perfect Will have + Participle I will have eaten I won’t have eaten Will I have eaten? Action that will already be
complete in a future moment
Conditional Would + verb I would play I wouldn’t play Would I play? Conditions (type 2)
Perfect Conditional Would have + I would have I wouldn’t have Would I have Conditions (type 3)
Participle played played played?
Imperative Verb Play! Don’t play! Orders
