English Verb Tenses and Grammar Essentials

Posted on Mar 19, 2025 in English

Present Tenses

  • Simple Present:
    • Affirmative: S + base verb (s/es for third person singular)
    • Negative: S + do/does + not + base verb
    • Question: Do/Does + S + base verb?
  • Present Continuous:
    • Affirmative: S + am/is/are + verb(-ing)
    • Negative: S + am/is/are + not + verb(-ing)
    • Question: Am/Is/Are + S + verb(-ing)?
  • Present Perfect:
    • Affirmative: Subject + have/has + past participle
    • Negative: Subject + have/has + not + past participle
    • Question: Have/Has + subject + past participle?
  • Present Perfect Progressive:
    • Affirmative: Subject + have/has + been + verb(-ing)
    • Negative: Subject + have/has + not + been + verb(-ing)
    • Question: Have/Has + subject + been + verb(-ing)?

Past Tenses

  • Simple Past:
    • Affirmative: Subject + past verb
    • Negative: Subject + did + not + base verb
    • Question: Did + subject + base verb?
  • Past Progressive:
    • Affirmative: Subject + was/were + verb(-ing)
    • Negative: Subject + was/were + not + verb(-ing)
    • Question: Was/Were + subject + verb(-ing)?
  • Past Perfect:
    • Affirmative: Subject + had + past participle
    • Negative: Subject + had + not + past participle
    • Question: Had + subject + past participle?
  • Past Perfect Continuous:
    • Affirmative: Subject + had + been + verb(-ing)
    • Negative: Subject + had + not + been + verb(-ing)
    • Question: Had + subject + been + verb(-ing)?

Future Tenses

  • Simple Future:
    • Affirmative: Subject + will + base verb
    • Negative: Subject + will + not + base verb
    • Question: Will + subject + base verb?
  • Future Continuous:
    • Affirmative: Subject + will + be + verb(-ing)
    • Negative: Subject + will + not + be + verb(-ing)
    • Question: Will + subject + be + verb(-ing)?
  • Future Perfect:
    • Affirmative: Subject + will + have + past participle
    • Negative: Subject + will + not + have + past participle
    • Question: Will + subject + have + past participle?
  • Future Perfect Continuous:
    • Affirmative: Subject + will + have + been + verb(-ing)
    • Negative: Subject + will + not + have + been + verb(-ing)
    • Question: Will + subject + have + been + verb(-ing)?

Verb Types

  • Transitive Verb: Takes an object. S + transitive verb + direct object. (e.g., He kicked the ball).
  • Intransitive Verb: Does not take an object. S + intransitive verb. (e.g., He runs every morning).
  • Linking Verb: Connects the subject to a noun or adjective that describes or renames it. (e.g., appear, remain, feel, become, smell, taste).


Agreement Examples

  1. I’m happy. I’m happy too.
  2. I don’t like to go shopping. I don’t like to go shopping either.
  3. I’m thirsty. So am I. (So + do/will/… + I)
  4. Neither + can’t/did/… + I.

Irregular Verbs and Comparisons

  • Irregular Verbs:
    • Go – went – gone
    • See – saw – seen
    • Write – wrote – written
    • Buy – bought – bought
    • Give – gave – given
  • Comparative: (-er/more) + than
  • Superlative: the + (-est/most)
  • Irregular Comparisons:
    • Bad – worse – worst
    • Little – less – least

Passive Voice

Examples of Active to Passive Voice transformation:

  • Mary helps the boy. The boy is helped by Mary.
  • Mary is helping the boy. The boy is being helped by Mary.
  • Mary has helped the boy. The boy has been helped by Mary.
  • Mary helped the boy. The boy was helped by Mary.
  • Mary was helping the boy. The boy was being helped by Mary.
  • Mary had helped the boy. The boy had been helped by Mary.
  • Mary will help the boy. The boy will be helped by Mary.
  • Mary is going to help the boy. The boy is going to be helped by Mary.
  • Mary will have helped the boy. The boy will have been helped by Mary.

Formula for Modals in Passive Voice: S + M + be + past participle

Modal Verbs

  • Can: Ability, permission, possibility, request, offer, prohibition.
  • Could: Polite request, suggestion, past ability, possibility, imaginary situation.
  • May: Permission, possibility, wish, or hope.
  • Might: Possibility, suggestion.
  • Should: Advice, expectation.
  • Must: Obligation, deduction, prohibition.
  • Will: Future action, promise, offer, prediction, spontaneous decision.
  • Would: Polite offer, polite request, past habit, unreal situation, future in the past, reported speech.
  • Have to: Strong obligation.
  • Used to: Action in the past that is no longer true.