English Verb Tenses and Grammar Summary
Verb Tenses
Present Tenses
Present Simple
Form: I work / I do not work / Do you work?
Usage: Habits, routines, general truths. Adverbs of frequency: always, usually, generally, regularly, occasionally, frequently, often, sometimes, rarely, seldom, never. Specific times: at 1 o'clock, at night, in the morning, on Fridays, every week, once a month. Asking how often...?
Present Continuous
Form: I am reading / I'm not reading / Am I reading?
Usage: Actions happening now. Time expressions: now, right now, at the moment, this year, at present, this evening, tonight, tomorrow, next Friday/week/year.
Past Tenses
Past Simple
Form: You visited / You didn't visit / Did you visit?
Usage: Completed actions in the past. Time expressions: yesterday, last week/year, two days ago, in 2007, in the 1980s, in the 18th century, when, then.
Past Continuous
Form: I was watching / I was not watching / Was I watching?
Usage: Actions in progress at a specific time in the past. Time expressions: last night/week/year, at 4 o'clock, when, while, as.
Future Tenses
Future Simple
Form: You will start / You will not start / Will you start?
Usage: Predictions, promises, spontaneous decisions. Time expressions: this evening, in an hour, at 3 o'clock, later, tomorrow, next month/year, soon, in a few weeks, in the future, on May 1st.
Be Going To
Form: I'm going to buy / I'm not going to buy / Am I going to buy?
Usage: Plans, intentions, predictions based on present evidence. Time expressions: this evening, later, in an hour, at 4 o'clock, tomorrow, soon, next month/year, in a few weeks, on May 8th.
Future Continuous
Form: You will be shopping / You will not be shopping / Will you be shopping?
Usage: Actions in progress at a specific time in the future. Time expressions: at this time, at this time next..., on Thursday, in the next decade.
Perfect Tenses
Present Perfect Simple
Form: You have talked / You have not talked / Have you talked?
Usage: Actions completed at an unspecified time in the past, or with a connection to the present. Time expressions: ever, never, yet, just, already, recently, lately, how long...?, for, since, in recent years.
Present Perfect Continuous
Form: You have been working / You have not been working / Have you been working?
Usage: Actions continuing up to the present. Time expressions: for a year, since 2002, how long...?, all night/morning/day/week.
Past Perfect Simple
Form: You had started / You had not started / Had you started?
Usage: Past action completed before another past action. Time expressions: already, by the time, after, before, until, never, just.
Past Perfect Continuous
Form: You had been traveling / You had not been traveling / Had you been traveling?
Usage: Past action continuing up to another point in the past. Time expressions: for hours, since last April, all morning, when, until, before.
Future Perfect Simple
Form: You will have finished / You will not have finished / Will you have finished?
Usage: Actions that will be completed by a specific time in the future. Time expressions: by this time next week, by 10 o'clock, by the end of..., by then, by August, in three months.
Indirect Speech
Changes in verb tense when reporting speech. Examples: work - worked, will work - would work, is working - was working.
Changes in time expressions: now - then, today - that day, here - there, this - that.
Conditional Sentences
- First Conditional: If + present simple → future simple, present simple, imperative.
- Second Conditional: If + past simple → would + infinitive, could/might + infinitive.
- Third Conditional: If + past perfect → would have + past participle, could/might have + past participle.
Modal Verbs
- Can: Ability, request, possibility, desire, disbelief.
- Be able to: Ability.
- Could: Past ability, polite request, possibility.
- May/Might: Possibility, polite request.
- Would: Polite request, offer.
- Must: Obligation, strong belief.
- Have to/Need to: Obligation, necessity.
- Should/Ought to: Advice, opinion.