Talking about the present

Talking about the past

Talking about the passive voice

a single action (usually future) or a state (now) He should go.

a finished action (usually past) He should have gone.

Passive voice (present) He should be told.

an action in progress (usually now) She might be sleeping.

an action in progress in the past She might have been sleeping then.

Past passive voice He should have been told.

Modal + be + -ing Modal + have been + ing Modal + have + past participle Modal + be + past participle (e.g. done, gone, been) Modal + have been + past participle

Expresses an action in progress now Expresses an action in progress iin the past Expresses a complete action in the past Expresses passive voice Expresses past passive voice

She may be sleeping. She might have been sleeping then. You could have taken it. He should be told. He should have been told.