The Tenses in English Grammar - Reference

One sentence is put into different tenses. You can see how the meaning changes.
The words in green are signal words. They tell you which tense you have to use.
Tense

Example

Explanation

Simple
Present

I play football every

week.

Here you want to say that it happens regularly.

Present
Progressive

I'm playing football now.

Here you want to say that it is happening at the

moment.

Simple Past

I played football
yesterday.

You did it yesterday, it happened in the past.

Past
Progressive

I was playing football the

whole evening.

You were doing it in the past. It's not sure whether

the action was finished or not.

Present
Perfect

I have just played

football.

You have just finished it. So it has a connection to the

present. Maybe your clothes are dirty.

Present
Perfect
Progressive

I have been playing

football for 2 hours.

You want to say how long you have been doing it.
(You started in the past and it continues up to the
present.

Past Perfect

I had played football

before Susan came.

The two actions are related to each other: you had

finished to play football and after that the girl arrived.

Past Perfect
Progressive

I had been
playing football for two
hours when Susan came.

Here you want to point out how long you had been
doing it before the girl came.

will-future

I will play football next

week.

This is a prediction, you can probably do something

else.

going tofuture

I'm going to play football

this afternoon.

This is a plan you've made.

Future
Progressive

I will be playing football

next Sunday.

You do it every Sunday (as usual)

Future
Perfect

I will have played football

You will have done it before tomorrow.
by tomorrow.

Conditional
Simple

I would play football.

You'll probably do it.

Conditional
Progressive

I would be
playingfootball.

You'll probably do it. Here you concentrate more on

the progress of the action.

Conditional
Perfect

I would have
playedfootball.

You'll probably have finished playing football at a

special time in the future. Here you concentrate on
the fact (football).

Conditional
Perfect
Progressive

I would have been

playing football.

You'll probably have finished playing football at a

special time in the future. Here you concentrate on
the progress of playing (football).

Negations of the sentences

Tense

Example

Simple Present

I do not play football every week.

I don't play football every week.

Present Progressive

I am not playing football now.

I'm not playing football now.

Simple Past

I did not play football yesterday.

I didn't play football yesterday.

Past Progressive

I was not playing football yesterday.

I wasn't playing football yesterday.

Present Perfect

I have not played football.

I haven't played football.
I've not played football.

Present Perfect Progressive

I have not been playing football.

I haven't been playing football.
I've not been playing football.

Past Perfect

I had not played football.

I hadn't played football.
I'd not played football.

Past Perfect Progressive

I had not been playing football.

I hadn't been playing football.
I'd not been playing football.

will-future

I will/shall not play football next week.

I won't play football next week.

going to-future

I am not going to play football this afternoon.

I'm not going to play football this afternoon.

Future Progressive

I will/shall not be playing football.

I won't be playing football.

Future Perfect

I will/shall not have played football.

I won't have played football.

Conditional Simple

I would not play football.

I'd not play football.

Conditional Progressive

I would not be playing football.

I wouldn't be playing football.
I'd not be playing football.

Conditional Perfect

I would not have played football.

I wouldn't have played football.
I'd not have played football.

Conditional Perfect Progressive

I would not have been playing football.

I wouldn't have been playing football.
I'd not have been playing football.

Questions
Tense

Example

Simple Present

Do you play football?

Present Progressive

Are you playing football?

Simple Past

Did you play football?

Past Progressive

Were you playing football?

Present Perfect

Have you played football?

Present Perfect Progressive

Have you been playing football?

Past Perfect

Had you played football?

Past Perfect Progressive

Had you been playing football?

will-future

Will you play football?

going to-future

Are you going to play football?

Future Progressive

Will you be playing football?

Future Perfect

Will you have played football?

Conditional Simple

Would you play football?

Conditional Progressive

Would you be playing football?

Conditional Perfect

Would you have played football?

Conditional Perfect Progressive

Would you have been playing football?