Verb Tenses
The Major Tenses in English
Present | I jump on my brother's bed. |
Present Progressive | I am jumping on my brother's bed. |
Past | I jumped on my brother's bed. |
Past Progressive | I was jumping on my brother's bed |
Present Perfect |
I have jumped on my brother's bed since I was five years old.
|
Past Perfect |
I had jumped on my brother's bed when I heard my brother screaming from underneath it.
|
Future |
I will jump on my brother's bed.
|
Future Perfect |
By five o' clock tomorrow, I will have jumped on my brother's bed.
|
Usage:
Present: Present tense is used to designate an action that is ocurring presently.
Now I talk; then you can talk.
Present tense also can be used to designate something that generally happens.
He talks too much.
Present Progressive (Continuous): Present progressive is used to designate an action that currently is ongoing. It suggests that this action has duration.
I am fixing the faucet that leaked.
Past: Past tense is used to designate an action that occurred sometime in the past, but now it is over and completed.
Johnson miraculously ate the whole el grande burrito, but now he is hungry again.
Past Progressive (Continuous): Past progressive is used to designate a past event that has occurred over a considerable period of time (and shows duration).
He was learning how to write his name in cursive on a brick wall.
Present Perfect: Present perfect is most often used to designate an action that began in the past but has not been completed; it remains unfinished in the present (or is currently ongoing).[Note: The subordinating conjunctions "since" and "already" are associated with this form of present perfect.]
I have played the spoons since I was seven years old.
The present perfect designates actions that took place at an unspecified time in the past.
I have been to Tokyo before.
The present perfect designates actions that have been repeated several or many times in the past.
Jerry has left has toys his toys on the floor many times before.
Past Perfect: Past perfect is used when two actions take place in the past. The present perfect is used to designate the one that was completed first (and usually the second just uses simple past tense.)
She had opened the can of tuna when the cat jumped up on the countertop.
One can also use the past perfect to designate an action that occurred to another point in time.
Edison had invented the light bulb before 1920.
Future: Future tense is used to designate an action that will occur in the future.
Next Tuesday Job will finally throw a fit about the stain on the carpet.
Future Progressive: Future progressive is used to illustrate a future action of some duration.
For quite some time Jack will be telling his story about his escape from the kitchen at Christmas.
Future Perfect: Future perfect tense describes an action that at sometime in the future will be completed.
Some bureaucratic angel will have forgiven your sins by the time your ticket is punched while passing through the pearly gates.
Conjugation:
The following are two conjugations of two verbs. The first is a regular verb which follows the rule for making past tense and the participle. The second is an example of an irregular verb. Like the name suggests, there is no pattern for making the past tense and participle for these verbs.
Regular (Strong) |
Present simple form |
Present Progressive "to be" (present) + simple form + "ing" |
Past simple form + "ed" |
Past Progressive "to be" (past) + simple form + "ing" |
Present Perfect "to have" (present) + participle |
Past Perfect "to have" (past) + participle |
Future will + simple form |
Future Perfect will + present perfect |
Singular 1st person |
walk
|
am walking
|
walked
|
was walking
|
have walked
|
had walked
|
will walk
|
will have walked
|
2nd person
|
walk
|
are walking
|
walked
|
were walking
|
have walked
|
had walked
|
will walk
|
will have walked
|
3rd person
|
walks
|
is walking
|
walked
|
was walking
|
has walked
|
had walked
|
will walk
|
will have walked
|
Plural 1st person |
walk
|
are walking
|
walked
|
were walking
|
have walked
|
had walked
|
will walk
|
will have walked
|
2nd person
|
walk
|
are walking
|
walked
|
were walking
|
have walked
|
had walked
|
will walk
|
will have walked
|
3rd person
|
walk
|
are walking
|
walked
|
were walking
|
have walked
|
had walked
|
will walk
|
will have walked
|
Irregular (weak) |
Present simple form |
Present Progressive "to be" (present) + simple form + "ing" |
Past simple form + variable |
Past Progressive "to be" (past) + simple form + "ing" |
Present Perfect "to have" (present) + participle |
Past Perfect "to have" (past) + participle |
Future will + simple form |
Future Perfect will + present perfect |
Singular 1st person |
swim
|
am swimming
|
swam
|
was swimming
|
have swum
|
had swum
|
will swim
|
will have swum
|
2nd person
|
swim
|
are swimming
|
swam
|
were swimming
|
have swum
|
had swum
|
will swim
|
will have swum
|
3rd person
|
swims
|
is swimming
|
swam
|
was swimming
|
has swum
|
had swum
|
will swim
|
will have swum
|
Plural 1st person |
swim
|
are swimming
|
swam
|
were swimming
|
have swum
|
had swum
|
will swim
|
will have swum
|
2nd person
|
swim
|
are swimming
|
swam
|
were swimming
|
have swum
|
had swum
|
will swim
|
will have swum
|
3rd person
|
swim
|
are swimming
|
swam
|
were swimming
|
have swum
|
had swum
|
will swim
|
will have swum
|
Appendix (Irregular verbs): For most verbs in English, one needs to know three basic forms in order to make all tenses. These are the simple form, the simple past form, and the past participle.