English Verb tenses

English Verb Tenses

A summary by Hugo Sousa

Index

1. What are verb tenses?

2. Simple tenses

3. Continuous tenses

4. Perfect tenses

5. Perfect Continuous tenses

What are verb tenses?

Verb tenses are changes or additions to verbs to show when the action took place: in the past, present, or future. The phrase verb tense is also used for grammatical aspects, which show how long an action occurs.

Simple tenses

Past

Present

Future

inf. / inf. + s walk / walks

will + inf. will walk

infinitive + -ed walked

do / does not + inf. don't walk

will not + inf. won't walk

did not + inf. didn't walk

do / does + s. + inf. Does she walk

will + s. + inf. Will she walk

did + subject + inf. Did she walk

Continuous tenses

Future

Past

Present

to be + ger. is walking

will + to be + ger. will be walking

to be + gerund was walking

to be + ger. aren't walking

won't + to be + ger. won't be walking

to be + gerund were not walking

to be + ger. am I walking

will + s. + to be + ger. Will she be walking

to be + s. + ger. were you walking

Perfect tenses

Past

Present

Future

to have + past part. have / has walked

to have + past part. had walked

will + to have + past part. will have walked

to have + past part. haven't / hasn't walked

to have + past part. hadn't walked

will + to have + past part. won't have walked

to have + past part. Has she walked

to have + past part. Had she walked

will + to have + past part. Will she have walked

Perfect Continuous tenses

Past

Present

Future

will + have + been + ger. will have been walking

to have + been + ger. have/ has been walking

to have + been + gerund had been walking

will + have + been + ger. won't have been walking

to have + been + ger. hadn't been walking

to have + been + ger. haven't / hasn't been walking

to have + been + ger. Has she been walking

to have + been + ger. Had she been walking

will + have + been + ger. Will she have been walking