Main English Tenses [draft #2: Maybe there are some mistakes, for that it’s a draft. Help me to correct it.]

Tense Present Past Future

Simple Actions happen usually or facts.

P: S + V + O. N: S + do* not + V + O. Q: Do* + S + V + O? T = always | every … | never | normally | often | seldom | sometimes | usually.

Actions happening at a defined moment in the past.

P: S + V2 + O + T. N: S + did not + V + O + T. Q: [WH] + Did + S + V + O + T? T = ago ... | in … | yesterday | last … |when ...

Will: quick decisions, future predictions or promises.

P: S + will + V + O + T. N: S + will not + V + O + T. Q: [WH] + will + S + V + O + T?

T = soon | next … Going to: future plans, scheduled events or intent.

P: S + is* + going to + V + O + T. N: S + is* not + going to + V + O + T. Q: [WH] + is* + S + going to + V + O + T?

T = next … | tomorrow | on …

Continues Actions are happening at the moment of speaking or around it or scheduled future events.

P: S + is* + V.ing + O + T. N: S + is* not + V.ing + O + T. Q: [WH] + is* + S + V.ing + O + T? T = at the moment | [right] now | today | this … | On … | next … | in ... | tomorrow.

Action happening at a specific moment in time in the past or interrupted past action.

P: S + was* + V.ing + O + T. N: S + was* not + V.ing + O + T. Q: [WH] + was* + S + V.ing + O + T? T = at … | when <simple past> | while <past continues>.

Future action at a specific moment in the future.

P: S + will + be + V.ing + O + T. N: S + will not + be + V.ing + O + T. Q: [WH] + will + S + be + V.ing + O + T? T = this time <tomorrow/next …> | <tomorrow/…> at … o'clock | in <number> <period> time.

P: S + is* + going to + be + V.ing + O. N: S + is* not + going to + be + V.ing + O. Q: [WH] + is* + S + going to + be + V.ing + O?

Prefect Action that was begun in the past and continues into the present, recent event that affect the present moment and action that happened in the unspecified past.

P: S + has* + [just | recently] + V3 + O + T. N: S + has* not + V3 + O + T. Q: [WH] + has* + S + [ever] + V3 + O + T? T = for <amount of time> | since <specific point in time> | just | yet | already | recently | twice/<number> times | ever | never

Action that happens before another action in the past.

P: S + had + V3 + O + T. N: S + had not + V3 + O + T. Q: [WH] + had + S + V3 + O + T? T = before <action>| already | once/twice/… times | by the time <action>.

What will have happened or how long something will have happened up to a certain point in the future.

P: S + will + have + V3 + O + T. N: S + will not + have + V3 + O + T. Q: [WH] + will + S + have + V3 + O + T? T = by <day/time> | by the time <action>.

P: S + is* + going to + have + V3 + O. N: S + is* not + going to + have + V3 + O. Q: [WH] + is* + S + going to + have + V3 + O?

Prefect Continues

To express the duration of a continuous activity begun in the past and continuing into the present.

P: S + has* + been + V.ing + O + T. N: S + has* not + been + V.ing + O + T. Q: [WH] + has* + S + been + V.ing + O + T? T = for <amount of time> | since <specific point in time>.

To express the duration of a continuous activity begun before another activity in the past.

P: S + had + been + V.ing + O + T. N: S + had not + been + V.ing + O + T. Q: [WH] + had + S + been + V.ing + O + T? T = since … when <action> | for … when <action>.

To express the duration of an activity up to a point of time in the future. It’s not commonly used in English.

P: S + will + have + been + V.ing + O + T. N: S + will not + have + been + V.ing + O + T. Q: [WH] + will + S + have + been + V.ing + O + T? T = by … | by the time <action>.

P: S + is* + going to + have + been + V.ing + O. N: S + is*not + going to + have + been + V.ing + O. Q: [WH] + is*+ S + going to + have + been + V.ing + O?

* Notes:

P = positive sentence, N = negative sentence, Q = question form, S = subject, V = base form of verb, V2 = past form of verb, V3 = past participle form of verb, O = object, is = am | is | are, was = was | were, do = do | does, has = has | have, V.ing = add -ing to end of verb, T = time expression, WH = what | when | where | which | who | whom | whose | why | how ...

Auxiliary verb Base form Present form Past form Gerund Past Participle

To be be am, is, are was, were being been

To do do do, does did doing done

To have have have, has had having had

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