Chart for use of Tenses in sentences

PRESENT TENSE

Tense Subject Affirmative Negative Interrogative Interrogative

negative

Simple I, We, S + V1+ O S + don’t + V1 Do + S + V1 Do + S + not +

Present You, V1
They,
Plural
subject

Simple He,she, S + V1 (s/es) S + does not Does + S + Does + S +

Present it, any +O + V1 V1 not + V1
name,
singular
subject

Present I S+ Am + V1 S+ Am + not Am + S+ V1 Am + I + not +

Continuous (ing) + V1 (ing) (ing) V1 (ing)

Present We, S+ Are + V1 S+ Are + not are + S+ V1 Are + S+ not +

Continuous they, (ing) + V1 (ing) (ing) V1 (ing)
you,
plural
subject

Present He, she, S+ Is + V1 S+ Is + not + Is + S+ V1 Is + S+ not +

Continuous it, (ing) V1 (ing) (ing) V1 (ing)
singular
subject

Present I, We, S+ Have + V S+ Have + Have + S+ V Have + S +

perfect You, (Past not + V (Past (Past not+ V (Past
They, participle) participle) participle) participle)
Plural
subject

Present He,she, Has + V (Past S+ Has + not Has + S + V Has + S + not

perfect it, any participle) + + V (Past (past + V (Past
name, participle) participle) participle)
singular
subject

Present I, We, S+ Have been S+ Have not Have + S + Have + S +

Perfect You, + V1 (ing) been + V1 been + V1 not + been +
Continuous They, (ing) (ing) V1 (ing)
Plural
subject

Present He, she, S + Has been S+ Has not Has + S + Has + S + not
Perfect it, any + V1 (ing) been + V1 been +V1 + been + V1
Continuous name, (ing) (ing) (ing)
singular
subject

PAST TENSE

Tense Subject Affirmative Negative Interrogative Interrogative

negative

Simple Past S + V (Past S + did not + Did + S + V1 Did + S + not

form) V1 + V1

Past I, he, S+ was + V1 S + was + not Was + S + V1 Was + S + not

Continuous she, it, (ing) + V1 (ing) (ing) + V1 (ing)
singular
subject

Past You, S + were + V1 S + were + Were + S + Were + S +

Continuous we, (ing) not + V1 (ing) V1 (ing) not + V1 (ing)
they,
plural
subject

Past Perfect S + had + V S + had + not Had + S + V Had + S + not

(Past + V (Past (Past + V (Past
participle) participle) participle) participle)

Past Perfect S + had been S + had not Had + S + Had + S + Not

Continuous + V1 (ing) been + V1 been + V1 been+ V 1
(ing) (ing) (ing)

FUTURE TENSE

Tense Subject Affirmative Negative Interrogative Interrogative

negative

Simple S + will + V1 S+ will + not + Will + S + V1 Will + S + not+

Future V1 V1

Future S+ will be + S + will not be Will + S + be Will + S + not

Continuous V1 (ing) + V1 (ing) + V1 (ing) be+ V1 (ing)

Future S+ Will have + S+ Will not Will + S + Will + S + Not

Perfect V (Past have + V have + V have + V (Past
participle) (Past (Past participle)
Participle) participle)
Future S+ will have S + Will not Will + S + Will + S + not
Perfect been + V1 ( have been + have been + have been +
continuous ing) V1 ( ing) V1 (ing) V1 (ing)

S - Subject
V - Verb
O - Object