English Verb Tenses: Structure and Usage
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Present Simple
Describes habitual actions, facts, and general truths.
Formulas:
- (+) Affirmative: Subject + Base Verb (+s/es for he/she/it) + Complement
- Example: I play tennis. She cooks dinner.
- (-) Negative: Subject + do/does + not + Base Verb + Complement
- Example: I don't play tennis. She doesn't cook dinner.
- Note: The 's' is not added to the verb when 'does' is used.
- (?) Interrogative: Do/Does + Subject + Base Verb + Complement?
- Example: Do I play tennis? Does she cook dinner?
Present Continuous
Describes actions happening now or around the present moment.
Formulas:
- (+) Affirmative: Subject + Verb to be (is/are/am) + Gerund (-ing) + Complement
- Example: We are writing in English class.
- (-) Negative: Subject + Verb to be (is/are/am) + not + Gerund (-ing) + Complement
- Example: You are not playing.
- (?) Interrogative: Verb to be (is/am/are) + Subject + Gerund (-ing) + Complement?
- Example: Are you listening?
Spelling Rules for -ing Verbs:
- If a verb has one vowel and ends with a consonant, double the final consonant before adding '-ing'.
- Example: Swim - Swimming
- If a verb ends in 'e', drop the 'e' and add '-ing'.
- Example: Drive - Driving
- If a verb ends in 'ie', change 'ie' to 'y' and add '-ing'.
- Example: Die - Dying
Present Perfect
Describes actions in the past that are important or have a result in the present.
Formulas:
- (+) Affirmative: Subject + have/has + Past Participle + Complement
- Example: I have studied at UTC since 2015.
- (-) Negative: Subject + have/has + not + Past Participle + Complement
- Example: She hasn't worked at Magna for 3 years.
- (?) Interrogative: Have/Has + Subject + Past Participle + Complement?
- Example: Have you studied at UTC? Yes, I have. No, I haven't.
Regular Verb Past Tense Rules:
Regular verbs form their past tense and past participle by adding '-ed'.
- Most verbs: Add -ed (e.g., walk - walked)
- Verbs ending in -e: Add -d (e.g., love - loved)
- Verbs ending in consonant + -y: Change -y to -i and add -ed (e.g., study - studied)
- Verbs ending in a single vowel + single consonant (except w, x, y): Double the consonant and add -ed (e.g., stop - stopped)
Simple Past
Describes completed actions in the past.
Formulas:
- (+) Affirmative: Subject + Past Tense Verb + Complement
- Example: I ate an apple yesterday.
- (-) Negative: Subject + did not + Base Verb + Complement
- Example: She didn't eat an apple yesterday.
- (?) Interrogative: Did + Subject + Base Verb + Complement?
- Example: Did she eat an apple? Yes, she did.
- (?) Wh-Questions: Wh-word + did + Subject + Base Verb + Complement?
- Example: Why did she eat an apple?
Verb "to be" in Simple Past:
- is becomes was
- are becomes were
Past Continuous
Describes actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past.
Formulas:
- (+) Affirmative: Subject + was/were + Gerund (-ing) + Complement
- (-) Negative: Subject + was/were + not + Gerund (-ing) + Complement
- (?) Interrogative: Was/Were + Subject + Gerund (-ing) + Complement?
Subject-Verb Agreement (Past Continuous):
Subject | Verb to be (Past) | Gerund |
---|---|---|
I | was | playing |
You | were | |
He | was | |
She | was | |
It | was | |
We | were | |
They | were |
For negative forms, simply add not (e.g., wasn't, weren't).
Future Tense: Will & Going To
Describes actions that will happen in the future.
Formulas for 'Will':
- (+) Affirmative: Subject + will + Base Verb + Complement
- Example: We will play on Saturday.
- (-) Negative: Subject + will + not + Base Verb + Complement
- Example: We will not visit Cuba.
- Contraction: won't (will not)
- (?) Interrogative (Wh-Questions): Wh-word + will + Subject + Base Verb + Complement?
- Example: Why will we play on Saturday?