English Verb Tenses and Structures Overview
English Verb Tenses and Structures
Present Tenses
Present Simple
Use: Habits, routines, schedules
- Affirmative: INF or INF + s/es (he/she/it)
- Negative: DON’T or DOESN’T (he/she/it)
- Interrogative: DO or DOES (he/she/it)
Present Continuous
Use: Actions happening at this moment
- Affirmative: AM/ARE/IS + V + ING
- Negative: AM NOT/AREN’T/ISN’T + V + ING
- Interrogative: AM/ARE/IS + S + V + ING
Past Tenses
Past Simple
Use: Completed actions in the past
- Affirmative: V in 2nd Column (Past Simple Form)
- Negative: DIDN’T + INF
- Interrogative: DID + S + INF
Past Continuous
Use: Actions in progress at a specific time in the past
- Affirmative: WAS/WERE + V + ING
- Negative: WASN’T/WEREN’T + V + ING
- Interrogative: WAS/WERE + S + V + ING
Perfect Tenses
Present Perfect
Use: Actions that started in the past and continue to the present
- Affirmative: S + HAS/HAVE + 3rd COL. (Past Participle) + COMPL.
- Negative: S + HASN’T/HAVEN’T + 3rd COL. + COMPL.
- Interrogative: HAS/HAVE + S + 3rd COL. + COMPL.
Past Perfect
Use: A past action that happened before another past action
- Affirmative: S + HAD + 3rd COL. + COMPL.
- Negative: S + HADN’T + 3rd COL. + COMPL.
- Interrogative: HAD + S + 3rd COL. + COMPL.
Future Tenses
Be Going To
Use: Plans, intentions, and predictions based on evidence
- Affirmative: S + TO BE + GOING TO + INF + COMPL.
- Negative: S + TO BE (Negative Form) + GOING TO + INF + COMPL.
- Interrogative: TO BE + S + GOING TO + INF + COMPL.
Will
Use: Predictions, spontaneous decisions
- Affirmative: S + WILL + INF + COMPL.
- Negative: S + WON’T + INF + COMPL.
- Interrogative: WILL + S + INF + COMPL.
Future Continuous
Use: Actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future
- Affirmative: S + WILL BE + V + ING + COMPL.
- Negative: S + WON’T BE + V + ING + COMPL.
- Interrogative: WILL + S + BE + V + ING + COMPL.
Passive Voice
The passive voice is used when the focus is on the action rather than the doer of the action.
| Tense (Active) | Example (Active) | Example (Passive) |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | People make Toyota cars in Japan. | Toyota cars are made in Japan. |
| Present Continuous | They are cooking lunch. | Lunch is being cooked. |
| Past Simple | Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. | Hamlet was written by Shakespeare. |
| Past Continuous | They were painting the house. | The house was being painted. |
| Present Perfect | They have discovered the secret. | The secret has been discovered. |
| Will | They will find the treasure. | The treasure will be found. |
| Be Going To | They are going to build a house. | A house is going to be built. |
Modal Verbs
Can / Can’t
Use: Ability / Inability
- Affirmative: I can swim.
- Negative: I can’t swim.
- Interrogative: Can I swim?
Could / Couldn’t
Use: Past Ability / Past Inability
- Affirmative: I could swim.
- Negative: I couldn’t swim.
- Interrogative: Could I swim?
Should / Shouldn’t
Use: Advice / Recommendation (OUGHT TO is a synonym)
- Affirmative: You should eat more fruit.
- Negative: You shouldn’t eat more fruit.
- Interrogative: Should you eat fruit?
Must / Mustn’t
Use: Obligation / Prohibition
- Affirmative: I must do my homework.
- Negative: I mustn’t talk during the class.
- Interrogative: NO QUESTIONS
Have To / Need To
Use: Obligation / Necessity
- Affirmative: I have to do my homework.
- Negative: You don’t need to go to school at the weekend. (No obligation to do something)
- Interrogative: Do I have to do this exercise?
May / Might
Use: Possibility
- Affirmative: It might rain this afternoon.
- Negative: He might not come.
- Interrogative: NO QUESTIONS
Conditionals
Zero Conditional
Use: Real and factual situations (If it rains, you get wet)
Structure: IF + S + PRESENT SIMPLE + , + S + PRESENT SIMPLE + COMPL.
Example: If you arrive early, you get a better seat.
First Conditional
Use: Likely or possible situations in the future
Structure: IF + S + PRESENT SIMPLE + , + S + WILL/WON’T + INF + COMPL.
Example: If you study hard, you will pass the exam.
Second Conditional
Use: Unlikely or hypothetical situations in the present or future
Structure: IF + S + PAST SIMPLE + , + S + WOULD/WOULDN’T + INF + COMPL.
Example: If you won the lottery, you would buy a car.
Third Conditional
Use: Hypothetical situations in the past (imagining a different past)
Structure: IF + S + PAST PERFECT + , + S + WOULD/WOULDN’T + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE + COMPL.
Example: If you had arrived earlier, you would have seen the film.
Note: With all conditionals, if they start with IF, a comma is needed. If they start with the second part of the sentence, no comma is needed.