Verb Formation

The following chart shows the positive, negative and interrogative (question) forms of all the principle tenses in English with a brief description of the principal usage. Please note that for a better understanding of the tense forms you should follow the links to pages focusing on the specific tense. This chart is principally for comparison purposes.
TENSE Simple Present POSITIVE NEGATIVE QUESTION USE Ha it!al a"ti#ities $ States More '"tions happenin& at a de(ined moment in the past. More

They don't (do I play tennis on Does she not) work in New Mondays. know him? York. They didn't (did She went to not) dri#e to Paris last week. work. I'll (will) meet yo! at the airport tomorrow. He won't (will not) e a le to "ome. %here did she &et that hat?

Simple Past

Simple )!t!re

De"isions made at the %ill they #isit moment a o!t the (!t!re* !s soon? (!t!re predi"tions* (!t!re promises More '"tions happenin& at the %hat are yo! present moment. Near doin&? (!t!re intention and s"hed!lin&. More Interr!pted past a"tion* a"tion happenin& at a spe"i(i" moment in time in the past. More

He's (is) They aren't (are Present workin& at the not) "omin& this +ontin!o!s moment. e#enin&.

%hat were I was wat"hin& He wasn't (was Past yo! doin& T, when yo! not) workin& +ontin!o!s when I "alled. when she arri#ed. "alled? I'll (will) e )!t!re "ookin& dinner +ontin!o!s when yo! arri#e. They won't (will not) e li#in& in Paris this time ne-t year.

%hat will yo! e doin& ne-t )!t!re a"tion at a spe"i(i" week at this moment in the (!t!re. More time? )!t!re intent or planned a"tion More 0)To e-press an a"tion that was e&!n in the past and "ontin!es into the present. 1) To e-press an a"tion that happened in the 2Nspe"i(ied past. 3) To e-press a re"ent

He's (is) &oin& They're (are) not %here are )!t!re with to (ly to /oston &oin& to in#ite yo! &oin& to .oin& to ne-t week. the /rowns. stay?

Present Per(e"t

I'#e (ha#e) seen Mi"k three times this week.

How lon& She hasn't (has ha#e yo! not) een to New worked at York. Smith's?

a"tion that has a present e((e"t. More I'd (had) already eaten Past Per(e"t e(ore they "ame. She hadn't (had Had yo! e#er To e-press an a"tion that not) een to seen s!"h a happens e(ore another 4ome e(ore that "ra5y lady a"tion in the past. More trip. e(ore that? How lon& will yo! ha#e li#ed in )ran"e y the end o( ne-t year? To e-press what will ha#e happened or how lon& somethin& will ha#e happened !p to a "ertain point in the (!t!re. More

)!t!re Per(e"t

She won't (will %e'll (will) not) ha#e (inished ha#e li#ed here her homework y (or twenty the time we years y 1667. arri#e.

She's (has) Present een waitin& Per(e"t (or o#er three +ontin!o!s ho!rs.

How lon& To e-press the d!ration o( a They ha#en't ha#e yo! "ontin!o!s a"ti#ity e&!n in (ha#e not) een een workin& the past and "ontin!in& into st!dyin& (or lon&. on that the present. More pro lem? How lon& had yo! een playin& tennis when she arri#ed? To e-press the d!ration o( a "ontin!o!s a"ti#ity e&!n e(ore another a"ti#ity in the past. More

She'd (had) I hadn't (had not) een waitin& Past Per(e"t een sleepin& (or (or three ho!rs +ontin!o!s lon& when I heard when he (inally the door ell rin&. arri#ed. He'll (will) ha#e She won't (will )!t!re een sleepin& not) ha#e een Per(e"t (or a (ew ho!rs workin& (or lon& +ontin!o!s y the time we y 7 o'"lo"k. arri#e.

How lon& will To e-press the d!ration o( yo! ha#e an a"ti#ity !p to a point o( een dri#in& time in the (!t!re. y 8 o'"lo"k?