VERB TENSE CHART

SIMPLE PAST SIMPLE PRESENT SIMPLE FUTURE

Portrays an action or state of Used to describe an action or Portrays an action or state of
being that took place before the state of being that occurs at the being that will occur sometime
time when the sentence is time the sentence is written. after the sentence is written. It is
written. I AM often formed with the word will.
I WAS I RUN I WILL BE
I RAN I EAT I WILL RUN
I ATE HE SMILES I WILL EAT
HE SMILED HE WILL SMILE

PAST PERFECT PRESENT PERFECT FUTURE PERFECT

Shows that the verb’s action was
completed at some time before
another past event. It consists of
the word had plus the past
participle of the verb.
I HAD BEEN
I HAD RUN
I HAD EATEN
HE HAD SMILED
SIMPLE PAST
PROGRESSIVE
The past progressive is used to
talk about an activity that was in
progress at a specific point of
time in the past. The emphasis is
on the duration of the activity in
the past.
I WAS BEING
I WAS RUNNING
I WAS EATING
HE WAS SMILING
PAST PERFECT
PROGRESSIVE
This tense is used to emphasize
the duration of an action that was
completed before another action
or event in the past.
I HAD BEEN
I HAD BEEN RUNNING
I HAD BEEN EATING
HE HAD BEEN SMILING
Indicates that the verb’s action Indicates that by the time of a
began in the past and continued specified future event, the verb’s
up until the time the sentence action will have been completed.
was written. It is formed by It is formed by adding the past
adding the word have. participle of the verb to the
words will have.
I HAVE BEEN
I HAVE RUN I WILL HAVE BEEN
I HAVE EATEN I WILL HAVE RUN
HE HAS SMILED I WILL HAVE EATEN
HE WILL HAVE SMILED
SIMPLE PRESENT SIMPLE FUTURE
PROGRESSIVE PROGRESSIVE
The present progressive can also This tense is used to describe an
be used to describe an action that event or action that will occur
is occurring in the present, but is over a period of time at a specific
temporary. point in the future.
I AM BEING I WILL BE
I AM RUNNING I WILL BE RUNNING
I AM EATING I WILL BE EATING
HE IS SMILING HE WILL BE SMILING
PRESENT PERFECT FUTURE PERFECT
PROGRESSIVE PROGRESSIVE
This tense is used to describe the This tense describes an action
duration of an action that began that has been in progress for a
in the past and continues into the duration of time before another
present. event or time in the future.
I HAVE BEEN I WILL HAVE BEEN
I HAVE BEEN RUNNING I WILL HVE BEEN RUNNING
I HAVE BEEN EATING I WILL HAVE BEEN EATING
HE HAS BEEN SMILING HE WILL HAVE BEEN
SMILING
 THE VERB – TO BE

TO BE past present future

First Person I was I am I will be

Second Person You were You are You will be

Third Person He, She, It was He, She, It is He, She, It will be

First Person Plural We were We are We will be

Second Person Plural You all were You all are You all will be

Third Person Plural They were They are They will be