Present Verb Forms in English
Simple Present / Present Progressive / Present Perfect / Present Perfect ProgressiveHow do you form it? / Add s for 3rd person singular to root form / [to be—present] + verb + ing / [to have—present] + past participle of verb / [to have—present] + been + verb + ing
Why do you use it? / To describe actions that are habitual:
I walk on Tuesdays. / To describe actions that are going on right now or in the near future:
I am walking home from school today. / To highlight things from the past in the present moment:
I have walked to school every day this year. / To describe things that started in the past and are still happening now:
I have been walking to school for 5 years.
How do you make a question with it? / Use a form of [do—present], then V1-S-V2:
Does he walk to school every day? / V1-S-V2
Are you walking home from school today? / V1-S-V2
Have you walked home every day this year? / V1-S-V2
How long have you been walking to school?
How do you make a negative with it? / Use [do—present] + not + root form of verb:
I don’t walk to school on Tuesdays. / Use not or never after V1:
I am not walking home from school today. / Use not or never after V1:
I have not walked to school for a year. / Use not after V1:
I have not been walking to school for a long time, just since last month.
I / walk / am walking / have walked / have been walking
You / walk / are walking / have walked / have been walking
He/She/It / walks / is walking / has walked / has been walking
We / walk / are walking / have walked / have been walking
They / walk / are walking / have walked / have been walking
Past Verb Forms in English
How do you form it? / verb + ed / [to be—past] + verb + ing / used to + verb / had + past participle of verb / had + been + verb + ing
Why do you use it? / To describe actions that happened once or are completed:
I walked home yesterday. / To describe actions that were in the process of happening:
I was walking home when I saw a gorilla! / To describe actions that happened habitually in the past:
I used to walk home when I lived near the metro. / To describe actions that happened before a specified time in the past (the “past past”):
John called me to offer me a ride from the metro, but I had already walked home. / To describe actions that were in the process of happening before a specified time in the past:
Before they opened the new metro stop, I had been walking to school for three years.
How do you make a question with it? / Use did + root form of verb:
Did you walk home yesterday? / Use [to be—past] + verb + ing:
Were you walking home yesterday when I saw you? / Use did + use to + verb:
Did you use to walk to school? / Use had + past participle of verb:
Had she walked to school before you called her? / Use had + been + verb + ing:
Had she been walking to school for a long time before the metro stop opened?
How do you make a negative with it? / Use did + not + root form of verb:
I did not walk home yesterday. / Use [to be—past] + not + verb + ing:
I was not walking home yesterday when you saw me; I was walking to the park. / Use did + not + use to + verb:
I didn’t use to walk to school when I was a kid. / Use had + not + past participle of verb:
She had not walked to school before you called her. / Use had + been + verb + ing:
She had not been walking to school for a long time before the metro stop opened.
I / walked / was walking / used to walk / had walked / had been walking
You / walked / were walking / used to walk / had walked / had been walking
He/She/It / walked / was walking / used to walk / had walked / had been walking
We / walked / were walking / used to walk / had walked / had been walking
They / walked / were walking / used to walk / had walked / had been walking
Future Verb Forms in English
How do you form it? / will + verb / [to be—present] + going to + verb / [to be—present] + verb + ing / Add s for 3rd person singular to root form / will + have + past participle of verb / will + have + been + verb + ing
Why do you use it? / To describe actions that will definitely happen in the future or predictions:
I will walk home tomorrow. / To describe actions that you want to do one day (unspecified time):
I’m going to walk home sometime instead of driving. / To describe arranged events or things in the near future:
I am walking home from school today. / To describe actions that are scheduled at a specific time:
I walk home at 3:30 today. / To describe actions that have happened at a specified time in the future (the “future past”):
I will have walked three miles by the time the day is over. / To describe actions that are in the process of happening after a specified time in the future:
I will have been walking for three hours by the time you come to pick me up.
I / walked / am going to walk / am walking / walk / will have walked / will have been walking
You / walked / are going to walk / are walking / walk / will have walked / will have been walking
He/She/It / walked / is going to walk / is walking / walks / will have walked / will have been walking
We / walked / are going to walk / are walking / walk / will have walked / will have been walking
They / walked / are going to walk / are walking / walk / will have walked / will have been walking
Modal Verb Forms in English
Modal + verb / can/could (present/past)
will/would (present/past)
may
Do you mind if [I] / should
had better
Why don’t/doesn’t + subject +
Why not / must / would rather
Modal + to + verb / be able to
/ might want to
ought to / have to
have got to
need to / (would) hate to
(would) like to
(would) love to
(would) prefer to
(would) want to
How do you make a question with it? / · Can/could you go to the movies with me?
· Will/would you go to the movies with me?
· May I go to the movies tomorrow?
· Do you mind if I go to the movies with you tonight instead of tomorrow? / · Should I go to the movies tonight?
· Why don’t we go to the movies tonight?
· Why not go to the movies tonight?
NO HAD BETTER QUESTIONS
NO MIGHT HAVE TO QUESTIONS
NO OUGHT TO QUESTIONS / · Must we go to the movies tonight?
· Do we have to go to the movies tonight?
· Do we need to go to the movies tonight?
NO HAVE GOT TO QUESTIONS / · Would you rather go to the movies tonight?
· Would you like to go to the movies tonight?
· Do you like to go to the movies? (in general)
· All other expressions in box above work the same way
How do you make a negative with it? / · I can’t/couldn’t go to the movies with you.
· I won’t/wouldn’t go to the movies with you.
· You may not go to the movies tomorrow.
· I don’t mind if you go to the movies tomorrow. / · I should not go to the movies tonight.
· I had better not go to the movies tonight.
· I might not want to go to the movies tonight.
· I ought not to go to the movies tonight. / · I mustn’t go to the movies tonight. (better as can’t)
· I don’t have to go to the movies tonight.
· I don’t need to go to the movies tonight.
NO HAVE GOT TO NEGATIVES / · I would rather not go to the movies tonight.
· I wouldn’t like to go to the movies tonight. OR
· I wouldn’t like going to the movies tonight.
· I don’t like to go to the movies. (in general)