English Verb Tenses: A Comprehensive Guide
English Verb Tenses
Present Simple
Form: S + V (base form) / S + do/does + not + V (base form)
Usage:
- Habits or routines
- General facts or scientific truths
- Schedules and programs (e.g., The train leaves at 9 o’clock)
Adverbs of Frequency: always, once, every + …, in the + parts of day, at + time / at night, on + days, how often?
Present Continuous
Form: S + am/is/are + Ving / S + am/is/are + not + Ving
Usage:
- Actions happening at the moment of speaking
- Prolonged actions happening in a broader present
- Expressing future plans with certainty
Time Expressions: At the moment, at present, today, now, right now, this/these + …, future: tonight, later, tomorrow, this/these + next + …
Past Simple
Form: S + V2/ed / S + did + not + V (base form)
Usage:
- Past actions that happened at a specific time
- Consecutive actions in the past
- Describing how something was in the past
- A short action that happened while a longer one was in progress
Time Expressions: Yesterday, last + …, … ago, in + date, when, then
Past Continuous
Form: S + was/were + Ving / S + was/were + not + Ving
Usage:
- Incomplete action at a specific moment in the past
- Incomplete action interrupted by another (longer) action
- Two incomplete actions in progress at the same time in the past (joined by ‘while’ or ‘as’)
Time Expressions: Last + …, at + …, when, and, while, as
Present Perfect
Form: S + have/has + V3/ed / S + have/has + not + V3/ed
Usage:
- Experiences
- Actions in the past with consequences in the present
- Actions beginning in the past and continuing in the present
- Actions that began in the past and just finished
Time Expressions: Ever, never, yet, just, already, recently, lately, how long…?, since, for
Present Perfect Continuous
Form: S + have/has + been + Ving / S + have/has + not + been + Ving
Usage:
- Actions that started in the past and are ongoing at the moment (to emphasize duration)
- Recently completed actions with an obvious result
Time Expressions: For + …, since + date, how long…?, all + …
Past Perfect
Form: S + had + V3/ed / S + had + not + V3/ed
Usage: A past action that happened before another one also in the past (one action happens before another expressed in Past Simple)
Time Expressions: Already, by the time, after, before, until, never, just
Past Perfect Continuous
Form: S + had + been + Ving / S + had + not + been + Ving
Usage: Something we had been doing (a process) when another action interrupted it
Time Expressions: For hours, since + date, all + …, when, until, before
Future Simple
Form: S + will + V (base form) / S + will + not + V (base form)
Usage:
- Predictions (no evidence)
- Spontaneous decisions made while speaking
- Promises, offers, requests, speculation
- Timetables (present simple)
- Talking about an established schedule
Time Expressions: This + …, later, soon, next + …, at + times, in an hour, in a few + …, tomorrow, on + dates, in the future
Going to
Form: S + am/is/are + going to + V (base form) / S + am/is/are + not + going to + V (base form)
Usage:
- Predictions (with evidence)
- Intentions and plans for the near future
- Something that is going to happen because there are indications
Time Expressions: This + …, later, next + …, soon, at + times, in an hour, in a few + …, tomorrow, on + dates, in the future
Future Continuous
Form: S + will + be + Ving / S + will + not + be + Ving
Usage:
- An action that will be taking place at a certain time in the future
- To emphasize the duration of an action in the future
Time Expressions: At this time + …, on + days, in the next decades
Future Perfect
Form: S + will + have + V3/ed / S + will + not + have + V3/ed
Usage: Future actions that will be completed at a specific time in the future
Time Expressions: By this time next + …, by + time, by then, by + months, in two months
Modals
Can
- Expresses ability or capacity
- Used to make requests, give and ask for permission
- Indicates possibility
- Used to make suggestions
Example: You can use my violin tonight.
Be able to
- Has the same meaning as ‘can’, but while ‘can’ can only be used in Present Simple, in other verb tenses we use ‘be able to’
Can’t
- Is the negative form of ‘can’
- Expresses prohibition and negative deduction or certainty that something is impossible
Could
- Expresses ability or capacity in the past
- Used to make more polite requests than with ‘can’
- Indicates a more remote possibility than with ‘can’
- Used to make less direct suggestions than with ‘can’
May / Might
- Express possibility (more remote when using ‘might’) that something will happen
- ‘May’ is also used to give, ask for, or deny permission or to make more formal requests than with ‘can’
Should / Ought to
- Both are used to give advice and make recommendations
- ‘Ought to’ is rarely used in the negative or interrogative
- ‘Should’ is the most frequent
Need to
- Can be conjugated and therefore can be used in all verb tenses
- Expresses obligation or necessity
Have to
- Has the same functions as ‘must’, although the obligation it expresses is not as strong
- Since ‘must’ can only be used in Present Simple, in other verb tenses we use ‘have to’
Must
- Expresses obligation or necessity, especially when imposed by law or someone in authority
- Also expresses a logical conclusion “mus”,”shoul”)
Mustn’t
- Indicates prohibition
Don’t have to
- Means”don’t have to, don’t need t”, that is, absence of obligation and necessity (like ‘needn’t’)
Needn’t
- Indicates that there is no obligation or need to do something (same as ‘don’t have to’)
Would
S’utilitza per demanar o oferir alguna cosa de manera educada.