Tense

Explanation

Example

Simple Present

I play football every week.

Here you want to say that it

happens regularly.

Present
Progressive

I am playing football now.

Here you want to say that it is

happening at the moment.

Simple Past

I played football yesterday.

Past Progressive

You did it yesterday, it happened in

the past.
You were doing it in the past. It's
not sure whether the action was
finished or not.

I was playing football the

whole evening.

Present Perfect

You have just finished it. So it has a

I have just played football. connection to the present. Maybe
your clothes are dirty.

Present Perfect
Progressive

You want to say how long you have

I have been playing football been doing it. (You started in the
for 2 hours.
past and it continues up to the
present.

Past Perfect

The two actions are related to each

I had played football before other: you had finished to play
Susan came.
football and after that the girl
arrived.

Past Perfect
Progressive

I had been playing football

when Susan came.

will-future

Here you want to point out how long

you had been doing it before the girl
came.

I will play football next week.

This is a prediction, you can

probably do something else.

going to-future

I'm going to play football

this afternoon.

This is a plan you've made.

Future Progressive

I will be playing football

next Sunday.

You do it every Sunday (as usual)

Future Perfect
Conditional
Simple
Conditional
Progressive
Conditional
Perfect
Conditional
Perfect
Progressive

I will have played football

by tomorrow.
I would play football.

You will have done it before

tomorrow.
You will probably do it.

You will probably do it. Here you

I would be playing football. concentrate more on the progress of
the action.
I would have played
football.

You will probably have finished

playing football at a special time in
the future. Here you concentrate on
the fact (football).
You'll probably have finished playing

I would have been playing football at a special time in the future.

football.
Here you concentrate on the progress of

playing (football).

Negations of the sentences

Tense

Example

Simple Present

I do not play football every week.

I don't play football every week.

Present Progressive

I am not playing football now.

I'm not playing football now.

Simple Past

I did not play football yesterday.

I didn't play football yesterday.

Past Progressive

I was not playing football yesterday.

I wasn't playing football yesterday.

Present Perfect

I have not played football.

I haven't played football.
I've not played football.

Present Perfect Progressive

I have not been playing football.

I haven't been playing football.
I've not been playing football.

Past Perfect

I had not played football.

I hadn't played football.
I'd not played football.

Past Perfect Progressive

I had not been playing football.

I hadn't been playing football.
I'd not been playing football.

will-future

I will/shall not play football next week.

I won't play football next week.

going to-future

I am not going to play football this afternoon.

I'm not going to play football this afternoon.

Future Progressive

I will/shall not be playing football.

I won't be playing football.

Future Perfect

I will/shall not have played football.

I won't have played football.

Conditional Simple

I would not play football.

I'd not play football.

Conditional Progressive

I would not be playing football.

I wouldn't be playing football.
I'd not be playing football.

Conditional Perfect

I would not have played football.

I wouldn't have played football.
I'd not have played football.

Conditional Perfect
Progressive

I would not have been playing football.

I wouldn't have been playing football.
I'd not have been playing football.

Questions
Tense

Example

Simple Present

Do you play football?

Present Progressive

Are you playing football?

Simple Past

Did you play football?

Past Progressive

Were you playing football?

Present Perfect

Have you played football?

Present Perfect Progressive

Have you been playing football?

Past Perfect

Had you played football?

Past Perfect Progressive

Had you been playing football?

will-future

Will you play football?

going to-future

Are you going to play football?

Future Progressive

Will you be playing football?

Future Perfect

Will you have played football?

Conditional Simple

Would you play football?

Conditional Progressive

Would you be playing football?

Conditional Perfect

Would you have played football?

Conditional Perfect
Progressive

Would you have been playing football?