English Verb Tenses and Essential Irregular Verbs

English Verb Tenses: Structure and Examples

This section outlines the 12 core English verb tenses, detailing their affirmative and negative structures using the verb to eat as an example. (Note: Base refers to the infinitive without 'to', V2 is the Past Simple form, and V3 is the Past Participle form.)

1. Present Simple Tense

   Affirmative: Subject + Base / Subject + Base + s (for 3rd person singular)
   Negative: Subject + do/does not + Base
   Example: I eat / I do not eat

2. Present Continuous Tense

   Affirmative: Subject + am/is/are + Verb + ing
   Negative: Subject + am/is/are not + Verb + ing
   Example: I am eating / I am not eating

3. Present Perfect Tense

   Affirmative: Subject + have/has + V3
   Negative: Subject + have/has not + V3
   Example: I have eaten / I have not eaten

4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense

   Affirmative: Subject + have/has been + Verb + ing
   Negative: Subject + have/has not been + Verb + ing
   Example: I have been eating / I have not been eating

5. Past Simple Tense

   Affirmative: Subject + V2 / Subject + Verb + ed (for regular verbs)
   Negative: Subject + did not + Base
   Example: I ate / I did not eat

6. Past Continuous Tense

   Affirmative: Subject + was/were + Verb + ing
   Negative: Subject + was/were not + Verb + ing
   Example: I was eating / I was not eating

7. Past Perfect Tense

   Affirmative: Subject + had + V3
   Negative: Subject + had not + V3
   Example: I had eaten / I had not eaten

8. Past Perfect Continuous Tense

   Affirmative: Subject + had been + Verb + ing
   Negative: Subject + had not been + Verb + ing
   Example: I had been eating / I had not been eating

9. Future Simple Tense

   Affirmative: Subject + will + Base
   Negative: Subject + will not + Base
   Example: I will eat / I will not eat

10. Future Continuous Tense

    Affirmative: Subject + will be + Verb + ing
    Negative: Subject + will not be + Verb + ing
    Example: I will be eating / I will not be eating

11. Future Perfect Tense

    Affirmative: Subject + will have + V3
    Negative: Subject + will not have + V3
    Example: I will have eaten / I will not have eaten

12. Future Perfect Continuous Tense

    Affirmative: Subject + will have been + Verb + ing
    Negative: Subject + will not have been + Verb + ing
    Example: I will have been eating / I will not have been eating

Essential Irregular Verbs List (A-R)

This list provides 38 common irregular verbs, showing the Base Form, Past Simple (V2), and Past Participle (V3).