English

Tense
System

or

Welcome to your worst nightmare!

PRESENT SIMPLE FORM

+
?

SUBJECT

MAIN VERB

I YOU WE THEY

INFINITIVE
(PLAY, GO, TRY)

HE SHE IT

INFINITIVE + S/ES
(PLAYS, GOES, TRIES)

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY VERB

I YOU WE THEY

DONT

HE SHE IT

DOESNT

AUXILIARY VERB

SUBJECT

DO

I YOU WE THEY

DOES

HE SHE IT

PRESENT SIMPLE USAGE

MAIN VERB
INFINITIVE
(PLAY, GO, TRY)

MAIN VERB
INFINITIVE
(PLAY, GO, TRY)

 for established facts and things in general.

"A banana is never quite straight."

for habitual activities or routines.

"The President gets up at five and starts work at seven."

with verbs of perception: sound, seem, appear, smell, taste, look, feel etc.
"This French bread smells quite fresh, tastes delicious, feels very soft, and looks just great."

with hear and see.

"I hear footsteps. Quick, someone's coming!"

with state verbs: agree, believe, cost, depend, disagree, understand, hate, know,

like, loathe, love, etc. "Some people believe in UFOs, but I think they're misguided."
with performative verbs: accept, acknowledge, admit, advise, apologize, assume,
deny etc.

"He admits he made a big mistake and acknowledges full responsibility."

for schedules drawn up by others.

"The next train leaves at half-past six."

preferred in newspaper headlines for succinctness where space is at a premium.

"Iraq Invades Kuwait"

PRESENT CONTINUOUS FORM

+
?

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY VERB

AM

YOU WE THEY

ARE

HE SHE IT

IS

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY VERB

AM NOT

YOU WE THEY

ARENT

HE SHE IT

ISNT

AUXILIARY VERB

SUBJECT

AM

ARE

YOU WE THEY

IS

HE SHE IT

PRESENT CONTINUOUS USAGE

MAIN VERB
INFINITIVE + ING
(PLAYING, CUTTING,
MAKING)

MAIN VERB
INFINITIVE + ING
(PLAYING, CUTTING,
MAKING)

MAIN VERB
INFINITIVE + ING
(PLAYING, CUTTING,
MAKING)

 for temporary actions or events going on at or around the time of speaking.

"It's snowing."

for self-made schedules, generally for the not too distant future.
"Dan and Crystal are getting married in June."

for longer-term enterprises.

"He's studying hard to become a doctor."

with adverbs of (high) frequency to express disproval of annoying habits.

"He is always complaining."

The present continuous of to be is used to react to behavior perceived as uncharacteristic for

someone.
"He really is being stupid" (meaning this person is normally more sensible).
COMPARE: "He really is stupid" (meaning he is stupid all the time).

must be used with have when it is an action verb.

"She is having another baby / filet steak for dinner / a shower / a heart attack / etc."

REMEMBER that state verbs cannot be used in continuous tense forms.

"She

is having

has a lot of money."

PAST SIMPLE FORM

SUBJECT

MAIN VERB

+
?

INFINITIVE + ED/D
(PLAYED, STOPPED, ARRANGED, TRIED)
or
IRREGULAR VERBS II COLUMN
(MADE, CUT...)

I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY VERB

MAIN VERB

I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

DIDNT

INFINITIVE
(PLAY, TRY, MAKE)

AUXILIARY VERB

SUBJECT

MAIN VERB

DID

I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

INFINITIVE
(PLAY, TRY, MAKE)

PAST SIMPLE USAGE

for activities or events completed at a specific time in the past (which is either understood or
indicated by a time expression).

"Manchester United thrashed Chelsea 4:1."

 for two or more completed past activities or events that occurred in sequence rather than in
parallel.
"I went into town, booked my holiday, ate lunch, saw the new Bond film, and arrived home in time for
tea at four."

with adverbs of frequency to talk about repeated actions or events in the past; would and
used to are also used to talk about past habits and routines.
"Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher often slept only four hours a night. "
"She would go to bed at one in the morning and get up at five to read the morning papers."

with verbs of perception: sound, seem, appear, smell, taste, look, feel etc.
"The bread smelt fresh, tasted delicious, felt very soft and looked just great."

always used for state verbs such as agree, approve of, believe, belong to, consider etc.
"The minister agreed to resign, even though he wasn't thinking didn't think he was needing needed

to."

usually preferred with performative verbs: accept, acknowledge, admit, advise,

apologize, assume etc.

"Although the rich sheik promised her ten million dollars in cash, a

Mercedes, and a house in Palm Beach, her lawyer advised her

not to

marry him."

PAST CONTINUOUS FORM

+
?

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY VERB

MAIN VERB

I YOU WE THEY

WAS

HE SHE IT

WERE

INFINITIVE + ING
(PLAYING, CUTTING,
MAKING)

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY VERB

MAIN VERB

I YOU WE THEY

WASNT

HE SHE IT

WERENT

INFINITIVE + ING
(PLAYING, CUTTING,
MAKING)

AUXILIARY VERB

SUBJECT

WAS

I YOU WE THEY

WERE

HE SHE IT

PAST CONTINUOUS USAGE

MAIN VERB
INFINITIVE + ING
(PLAYING, CUTTING,
MAKING)

 corresponds to the background, sets the scene for all the action reported in the past simple.

"I was leaning back in my armchair staring up at the night sky. The moon was beaming brightly. All the

stars were twinkling.

Then it came to me: I would have to get the roof fixed."

for temporary actions or events that were going on at or around a particular time in the past
when something of shorter duration occurred.

"While I was waiting for the ferry, I ate lunch in a sushi bar. And while I was wolfing down my sushi, one

piece of fish started

moving."

for two activities of similar duration that were going on in parallel.

"I was washing the car while my wife was cleaning the house."

REMEMBER that so called state verbs cannot be used in continuous tense forms.
"I was knowing knew Samantha very well."

PRESENT PERFECT FORM

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY
VERB

I YOU WE THEY

HAVE

HE SHE IT

HAS

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY
VERB

I YOU WE THEY

HAVENT

HE SHE IT

HASNT

MAIN VERB
past participle:
INFINITIVE + ED/D
(PLAYED, STOPPED, ARRANGED)
or
IRREGULAR VERBS III COLUMN
(MADE, SEEN...)

MAIN VERB
past participle:
INFINITIVE + ED/D
(PLAYED, STOPPED, ARRANGED)
or
IRREGULAR VERBS III COLUMN
(MADE, SEEN...)

AUXILIARY VERB

SUBJECT

MAIN VERB

HAVE

I YOU WE THEY

past participle:
INFINITIVE + ED/D

HAS

HE SHE IT

(PLAYED, STOPPED, ARRANGED)

or
IRREGULAR VERBS III COLUMN
(MADE, SEEN...)

PRESENT PERFECT USAGE

The present perfect connects the recent past with the present. It explains the impact of a
recent activity or occurrence on present circumstances.
"I've lost my passport (hence I can't leave the country)."

The present perfect is used with already, just, since, for, and yet.

"Samantha has already left, but Cindy has just arrived, so I guess the party hasn't finished yet."

It is used to refer to a person's entire life experience since they were born.
"Dan has traveled a great deal, but he has never been to Greenland."

It is used with ever to question a person's entire life experience of something in particular.
"Have you ever seen a straight banana?"

The present perfect is also used to quantify something done, or progress made so far.
"Harry has driven 200 miles since breakfast."

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS FORM

+
?

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY
VERB

I YOU WE THEY

HAVE BEEN

HE SHE IT

HAS BEEN

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY
VERB

I YOU WE THEY

HAVENT BEEN

HE SHE IT

HASNT BEEN

MAIN VERB
INFINITIVE + ING
(PLAYING, CUTTING, MAKING)

MAIN VERB
INFINITIVE + ING
(PLAYING, CUTTING, MAKING)

AUX.
VERB

SUBJECT

AUX.
VERB

MAIN VERB

HAVE

I YOU WE THEY

BEEN

INFINITIVE + ING
(PLAYING, CUTTING, MAKING)

HAS

HE SHE IT

BEEN

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS USAGE

to emphasize activities that were in progress right up to or shortly before the time of
speaking and so have a direct influence on the current situation.

"She has been using a computer all day (so her eyes are now bloodshot)."
"Someone has been eating my sandwiches (so half of them are missing)."

with for or since to say how long an ongoing or continuing activity has been in progress.
"Harry has been driving for three hours."
"Meg has been saving for her BMW since last summer."

can be exchanged for the present perfect simple, although when the latter is chosen one
tends to feel that change might be in the offing.
"I've been living here for ten years (in other words, I feel almost like a native)."
"I have lived here for ten years (so perhaps it's about time I moved on to pastures greener)."

REMEMBER that so called state verbs cannot be used in continuous tense forms.
"I have

been knowing

known Samantha for 19 years."

PAST PERFECT FORM

AUXILIARY
VERB

MAIN VERB

I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

HAD

past participle:
INFINITIVE + ED/D
(PLAYED, STOPPED, ARRANGED)
or
IRREGULAR VERBS III COLUMN
(MADE, SEEN...)

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY
VERB

MAIN VERB

HADNT

past participle:
INFINITIVE + ED/D
(PLAYED, STOPPED, ARRANGED)
or
IRREGULAR VERBS III COLUMN
(MADE, SEEN...)

SUBJECT

I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

AUXILIARY VERB

HAD

SUBJECT
I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

MAIN VERB
past participle:
INFINITIVE + ED/D
(PLAYED, STOPPED, ARRANGED)
or
IRREGULAR VERBS III COLUMN
(MADE, SEEN...)

PAST PERFECT USAGE

to talk about the pre-past, i.e. activities or events completed before (but relevant to)
subsequent activities or events referred to in the past simple.
"I had just prepared a candlelight dinner for two when the Jehovah's Witnesses called."
"Rosalind, who had climbed ten flights of stairs, was now quite breathless."
"Mandy had studied Finnish for 3 years before she emigrated to Finland."

If, however, the second action is a direct result of the first, then the past simple is used for
both.
"When the artist finally appeared on stage, everyone applauded."

The past perfect tense is used to report on past intentions that were sadly never realized.

"The boss had hoped to slip off to the golf course for the rest of the day, but head office wanted to

speak to him about sales figures."

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS FORM

+
?

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY
VERB

MAIN VERB

I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

HAD BEEN

INFINITIVE + ING
(PLAYING, CUTTING, MAKING)

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY
VERB

MAIN VERB

I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

HADNT BEEN

INFINITIVE + ING
(PLAYING, CUTTING, MAKING)

AUX.
VERB

SUBJECT

AUX.
VERB

MAIN VERB

HAD

I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

BEEN

INFINITIVE + ING
(PLAYING, CUTTING, MAKING)

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS USAGE

to report on an activity of interest or direct relevance that was still in progress up until or
immediately prior to a subsequent event in the past.
"When the chemistry teacher returned to the lab stopped smiling. Someone had been making a stink
bomb."
"Police arrested the chief executive whose chain of restaurants had been cooking the books."

REMEMBER that so called state verbs cannot be used in continuous tense forms.

"In 1994, I had already been knowing known Samantha for 10 years."

FUTURE GOING TO FORM

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY
VERB

AM

YOU WE THEY

ARE

HE SHE IT

IS

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY
VERB

AM NOT

YOU WE THEY

ARENT

HE SHE IT

ISNT

AUXILIARY
VERB

SUBJECT

AM

ARE

YOU WE THEY

MAIN VERB

GOING TO

INFINITIVE
(PLAY, CUT, MAKE)

MAIN VERB

GOING TO

INFINITIVE
(PLAY, CUT, MAKE)

MAIN VERB
GOING TO

INFINITIVE
(PLAY, CUT, MAKE)

IS

HE SHE IT

FUTURE GOING TO USAGE

to talk about plans already made before the time of speaking.

"I'm going to buy a new digital camera. My old one doesn't seem to produce sharp enough pictures."

when forecasting what is likely or inevitable because all the signs are there.
"Look over there. That crazy driver's lost control. He's going to crash!"
"I feel awful after that raw fish. I think I'm going to throw up."

difference between GOING TO and PRESENT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT CONTINUOUS: often used instead of GOING TO for self-made plans and voluntary
schedules, especially for the not too distant future.
"We're having a party on Friday night."
"She's leaving home right after breakfast and driving all the way up to Tallahassee in her grandma's
old car."

PRESENT CONTINUOUS: usually preferred to the GOING TO future with GO and COME.
"He is going to go to New York after he leaves Washington."

FUTURE SIMPLE FORM

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY
VERB

MAIN VERB

I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

WILL

INFINITIVE
(PLAY, CUT, MAKE)

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY
VERB

MAIN VERB

I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

WONT

INFINITIVE
(PLAY, CUT, MAKE)

AUXILIARY VERB

SUBJECT

MAIN VERB

WILL

I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

INFINITIVE
(PLAY, CUT, MAKE)

FUTURE SIMPLE USAGE

 to express pure futurity (i.e. without any element of willpower).

"The sun will rise tomorrow morning."

when making predictions based upon one's knowledge of a person's character.

"Linda will help you, I'm sure."

for plain, informal requests, as well as orders given to subordinates.

"Darling, will you post this letter for me?"

with emphasis to express irritation over the bad habits of others.

"My husband will always invite his friends round for a drink just as I'm trying to put the kids to bed!"

for spontaneous offers or plans made at the time of speaking, or to agree to something.
"If you do decide to buy this car model, sir, we'll include this sophisticated satellite navigation system."

for promises.

"Don't worry, I won't / shan't tell a soul!"

SHALL: sometimes used instead of WILL in the first person singular and plural in more formal
style to express futurity, especially in cases where the element of willpower is involved.
"We shall overcome!"

FUTURE CONTINUOUS FORM

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY
VERB

MAIN VERB

I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

WILL BE

INFINITIVE + ING
(PLAYING, CUTTING, MAKING)

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY
VERB

MAIN VERB

I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

WONT BE

INFINITIVE + ING
(PLAYING, CUTTING, MAKING)

AUX.
VERB

SUBJECT

AUX.
VERB

MAIN VERB

WILL

I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

BE

INFINITIVE + ING
(PLAYING, CUTTING, MAKING)

FUTURE CONTINUOUS USAGE

for actions or events forecast to be in progress at or around a particular time in the future.

"The kids will be sleeping when I get home."

for future events that are the result of previous arrangements or decisions.
"As you know, I'll be working overtime this evening."

can be used instead of the present continuous with future meaning.

"She'll be leaving home after breakfast."

to make extra polite enquiries about someone's future plans.

"Will you be needing your laptop at work today?"

REMEMBER that so called state verbs cannot be used in the continuous tense forms.
"The museum is well sign-posted, so you will be knowing know which way to go."

FUTURE PERFECT FORM

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY
VERB

MAIN VERB

I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

WILL HAVE

past participle:
INFINITIVE + ED/D
(PLAYED, STOPPED, ARRANGED)
or
IRREGULAR VERBS III COLUMN
(MADE, SEEN...)

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY
VERB

MAIN VERB

WONT HAVE

past participle:
INFINITIVE + ED/D
(PLAYED, STOPPED, ARRANGED)
or
IRREGULAR VERBS III COLUMN
(MADE, SEEN...)

I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

AUX.
VERB

WILL

SUBJECT
I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

AUX.
VERB
HAVE

FUTURE PERFECT USAGE

MAIN VERB
past participle:
INFINITIVE + ED/D
(PLAYED, STOPPED, ARRANGED)
or
IRREGULAR VERBS III COLUMN
(MADE, SEEN...)

 for activities or events forecast to be completed by a particular time in the future.

"No matter what their academic performance, many students at Japan's most prestigious universities
will have found a job one

whole year before they graduate."

to quantify progress forecast to have been made at a given time in the future.
"He smokes 20 a day, so by this time next year he will have puffed his way merilly through a further
584 meters of cigarette."

FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS FORM

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY
VERB

MAIN VERB

I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

WILL HAVE BEEN

INFINITIVE + ING
(PLAYING, CUTTING, MAKING)

SUBJECT

AUXILIARY
VERB

MAIN VERB

I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

WONT HAVE
BEEN

INFINITIVE + ING
(PLAYING, CUTTING, MAKING)

AUX.
VERB

SUBJECT

AUX.
VERB

MAIN VERB

WILL

I YOU WE THEY
HE SHE IT

HAVE BEEN

INFINITIVE + ING
(PLAYING, CUTTING, MAKING)

FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS USAGE

for activities forecast still to be in progress at some time in the future.

"By the end of 2023, we will have been flying in planes for 120 years."

REMEMBER that so called state verbs cannot be used in continuous tense forms.
"Next summer, I will have been knowing known Samantha for 20 years."

English
PassiveVoice
That thing you know how to make

but dont know the rules

VERB TO BE
PAST SIMPLE

am
is
are
was
were

FUTURE SIMPLE

will

PRESENT SIMPLE

PRESENT CONTINUOUS
PAST CONTINUOUS

am
is
are
was
were

be
being
being

PRESENT PERFECT
PAST PERFECT
FUTURE PERFECT

have
has

been

had

been

will have

been

future continuous, past perfect continuous

present perfect continuous, future perfect continuous

subject

verb

object

the rest of the

sentence

THEY or WORKERS

MAKE

CHOCOLATE

IN THIS FACTORY

object

verb

subject

the rest of the

sentence

CHOCOLATE

IS MADE

or BY WORKERS

IN THIS FACTORY

SWITCHING:

* subject and object switch places. If the subject is unknown or irrelevant, it disappears. It the
subject is known or relevant it takes the form of by -----
SHIFTING:
* verb

to be steals the tense from the main verb

* main verb takes the past participle form

TENSE SHIFTING
Someone

robbed the store last night. PAST SIMPLE TENSE

1. verb TO BE in PAST SIMPLE WAS / WERE

2. main verb ROB in PAST PARTICIPLE ROBBED
EQUASION:

1+2 = PASSIVE VOICE


WAS/WERE ROBBED

The store

was robbed last night. PAST SIMPLE PASSIVE

examples of active
passive

tense

ACTIVE

PASSIVE

PRESENT SIMPLE

They make chairs.

Chairs are made.

PAST SIMPLE

They made chairs.

Chairs were made.

FUTURE SIMPLE

They will make chairs.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

They are making chairs.

PAST CONTINUOUS

They were making

chairs.

PRESENT PERFECT

They have made chairs.

PAST PERFECT

They had made chairs.

FUTURE PERFECT

They will have made

chairs.

Chairs will be made.

Chairs are being
made.
Chairs were being
made.
Chairs have been
made.
Chairs had been
made.
Chairs will have been
made.