Overview of English Verb Tenses Present Simple
Present Continuous
Past Simple
Past Continuous
Future
Present Perfect
Usag Usage: e:
gene genera rall act actio ion, n, habi habitu tual al acti action on,, gen gener eral al trut truth h
Exam Exampl ple: e:
I work ork in a hosp hospit ital al..
Usage:
ongoing or temporary action
Example:
Sorry, I can’t talk right now. I am working.
Usage:
completed ac action or or co condition
Exam Exampl ple: e:
I wor worke ked d for for ten ten hour hours s yes yeste terd rday ay..
Usag Usage: e:
past past ongo ongoin ing g act actio ion, n, past past inte interr rrup upte ted d act actio ion n
Examp Example: le:
I was was work workin ing g on my proj project ect when when you you call called ed..
Usage sage::
plan lanned or un unplan lanned futu future re acti actio on
Examp Example: le:
I will will work work at at the the main main branch branch next next week. week. action that happened at an indefinite time in the past and continues to the present
Usage: Examp Example: le:
Past Perfect
Usage: Example:
Future Perfect
Usage: Example:
Present Perfect Continuou Continuous s
Usage: Example:
Past Perfect Continuou Continuous s
Usage: Example:
Future Perfect Continuous
Usage: Example:
I hav have e work worked ed at the bank bank for three three years years.. past action that happened before another past action. I had already worked for several years before I got married. future action that will happen before another future action I will have worked here for five years next July. past action that started in the past and continues to the present I have been working on that project for the last two weeks. past ongoing action that was completed before some other past action I had been sleeping at my desk when my boss fired me. future ongoing action that will occur before another action I will have been working here for ten years tomorrow, so we’re having a party.
Examples of English Verb Tenses Verb Tense Present Simple Present Continuous Present Progressive Past Simple Past Continuous Past Progressive
PASSIVE
ACTIVE I work.
The work is done.
I am working.
The work is being done.
I worked.
The work was done.
I was working.
The work was being done.
I will work.
The work will be done.
I’m going to work.
The work is going to be done.
Present Present
I have worked.
The work has been done.
Past Perfect
I had worked.
The work had been done.
I will have worked.
The work will have been done.
I have been working.
–
I had been working.
–
I will have been working.
–
Future
Future Perfect
Present Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect Continuous
Future Perfect Continuous
Common Time Expressions for English Verb Tenses Verb Tense
ACTIVE
Time Clues
Present Simple
I work.
every day / morning / night,always,rarely,sometimes,never,usually,fre quently,seldom
Present Continuous
I am working.
now,right now,at the present time,this weekend
Past Simple
I worked.
yesterday,last night,last week / month / year,last summer / winter
Past Continuous
I was working.
Future
I will work.
tomorrow,next week / month /year,in the future,soon
Present perfect
I have worked.
since,so far/ already/ just,ever,until now,up till now/ yet,never,for two hours / days / months/many times
Past Perfect
I had worked.
already,by the time,till then,till that time
Future Perfect
by the time…
The work will have been done.
Present Perfect Continuous
while,when
for the past four years last two
Past Perfect Continuous Future Perfect Continuous
I had been working. I will have been working.
before, all the day,all the month/since,all the year/for three hours / days / weeks
by the time,for six months / years