English Verb Tenses and Modal Verbs: A Comprehensive Review
Present Simple
Affirmative (A): I go, She goes
Negative (N): I do not go, She does not go
Interrogative (I): Do I go?, Does she go?
Uses: Routines, common facts
Present Continuous
A: I am going, You are going, She is going
N: I am not going, You are not going, She is not going
I: Am I going?, Are you going?, Is she going?
Uses: To say something that will happen in the near future
Simple Past
A: I finished (ending -ed)
N: I did not finish
I: Did you finish?
Uses: To talk about things that happened at a specific time in the past
Past Continuous
A: I was writing, You were writing
N: I was not writing, You were not writing
I: Was I writing?, Were you writing?
Uses: To say that something was happening at a specific time in the past
Simple Past Perfect
A: I had stopped
N: I had not stopped
I: Had I stopped?
Uses: To indicate the first of two actions in the past
Present Perfect Simple
A: I have lived, I've lived
N: I have not lived, I haven't lived
I: Have I lived?, Have you lived?
Uses: For actions that began in the past and continue to the present
Simple Future
A: I will work
N: I will not work
I: Will you work?
Uses: Predictions, announcing future events
Be Going To
A: I am going to, He is going to, They are going to
N: I am not going to, He is not going to, They are not going to
I: Am I going to?, Is he going to?, Are they going to?
Uses: To indicate something is about to happen because we see signs
Future Perfect
A: I will have finished
N: I will not have finished
I: Will you have finished?
Uses: To indicate an action will be over at a specific time in the future
Future Continuous
A: I will be working
N: I will not be working
I: Will you be working?
Uses: To express that something will be happening at a particular time in the future
Modals
Modal + Infinitive
- Can: (can) - skill
- Can not: (cannot) - to know something is impossible
- Could: (could) - polite request
- Might: (might) - possibility
- Would: (would) - formal question
- Must: (must) - obligation
- Have to: (have to) - duty, necessity
- Must not: (must not) - prohibition
- May: (may) - ask politely, possibility
- Should: (should) - warning
Perfect Modals
Modals + Present Perfect
- Should have: (should have...)
- Must have: (must have...)
- Could have: (could have...)
- Might / May have: (might have...)
- Would have: (would have...)
Conditionals
- First Conditional: (sure thing) - If + Present Simple or unless, Simple Future / May / Might
- Second Conditional: (desire) - If + Past Simple or unless, Would + base form / Could / Might
- Third Conditional: (past condition) - If + Past Perfect or unless, Would have + past participle / Could have / Might have
Passive Voice
(Active) Conjugate the verb "to be" in the active tense and add the past participle (-ed) of the main verb.
- Simple Present: (studies) - are studied
- Present Continuous: (is studying) - are being studied
- Simple Present Perfect: (has studied) - have been studied
- Past Simple: (studied) - were/was studied
- Past Continuous: (was studying) - were being studied
- Simple Past Perfect: (had studied) - had been studied
- Future Simple: (will study) - will be studied
- Be Going To: (is going to study) - are going to be studied
- Modals: (should study) - should be studied
- Modal Perfects: (must have studied) - must have been studied
- Have To: (has to study) - have to be studied