Page 1 of 3

1st Form Present Tense

2nd Form Past Tense
3rd Form Past Participle
1st Form +
ing Present Participle

Present Past Future

Subject + Verb (1st Subject + Verb (2nd Subject + will + Verb

Simple
Form) Form) (1st Form)

Subject + (am/is/are) Subject + (was/were) Subject + will + be +

Continuous
+ Present Participle + Present Participle Present Participle

Subject + (have/has) Subject + had + Past Subject + will + have +

Perfect
+ Past Participle Participle Past Participle

Subject + (have/has) Subject + will + have +

Perfect Subject + had + been
+ been + Present been + Present
Continuous + Present Participle
Participle Participle

Usage Present Past Future


1. For Repeated actions
(Always, Everyday, Often,
sometimes etc)
2. Universal truths/General
events
Simple 3. Scheduled events/Fixed
arrangements. Eg: The train
leaves at 8
3. Instructions. Eg: Open your
books, Don't watch too much
TV
1. We mainly use this tense to
speak about an event right now
2. Can also be used to speak
about temporary situations,
although they aren't taking
place right now. Eg: I am
reading a great book
Continuo
us
3. To show temporary or
normal habits that have been
taking place for sometime. Eg:
You're eating too much
nowadays
4. To show habits that are not
regular, but happen very often.
Eg: You're forever losing your
keys.
5. At times also used to show a
future happening. Eg: I'm
meeting the director tomorrow
1. To show an action finished in
the past (single or repeated)
Eg: She watched TV last night.
2. To show a series of
completed actions in the past.
Eg: He got up late and left in a
hurry.
3. To show the action that
interrupted the past continuous
action in the past. Eg: He was
studying when you rang the
bell
1. Used to describe an
unfinished action in progress in
the past that was interrupted by
another event in the past
2. To express a change of
mind. Eg: He was going to ask
me for the car but decided to
take the bike instead
Page 2 of 3
1. To predict a future event
2. To express a decision or
willingness to do something
3. To give orders. Eg: You will
do exactly as I say
4. In the interrogative form to a)
Make a suggestion, b) ask for
advice or suggestion, c) to offer
an invitation
1. Is used to describe an
unfinished work which will be in
progress at some time after
now
2. When combined with still, the
future continuous refers to
events that are already
happening now and that we
expect to continue some time
into the future. Eg: He will still
be riding when you call him in
an hour
3. In the interrogative form, the
future continuous can be used
to ask politely for information
about the future. Eg: Will you
be bringing her along to the
party?
4. For suppositions in the
future. Eg: I guess he'll be
bringing someone along
 Page 3 of 3

The future perfect tense refers

It Is used to describe two
1. To talk about incidents that
events that took place in the
started in the past and continue
past. The incident that
into the present. Eg: He has
happened first will be spoken in
worked here all his life
the past perfect.
to a completed action in the
future. When we use this tense
we are projecting ourselves
forward into the future and
looking back at an action that
will be completed some time
later than now. It is most often
used with a time expression.

NB: The order doesn't matter.

2. To show a repeated action in
Perfect
an unspecified period between
the past and now. Eg: I have
visited England twice this year
3. To show the recent
completion of an incident. Eg:
The cook has just made the
souffle.
4. To show an achievement.
Eg: a) Man has landed on
moon, b) Our team has won the
trophy.
Eg: 1) By the time you read this
The sentence that is in the past
I will have left. 2) She will have
perfect will automatically be
completed the report when you
assumed to be the incident that
call her at 8
happened first.
Eg: 1) The Prinicpal had
already left the building by the
time I arrived. 2) Before the
computer crashed I had saved
the files.

1. The past perfect continuous Like the future perfect simple,

corresponds to the present this form is used to project
perfect continuous, but with ourselves forward in time and to
1. Mainly used to show an
reference to a time earlier than look back. It refers to events or
action that started in the past
'before now'. As with the actions in a time between now
and is still continuing
present perfect continuous, we and some future time are
are more interested in the unfinished. It is most often used
process. with a time expression.
Perfect 2. To show actions that have
Continuo just finished and where the
us results matter. Eg: He has been Is mostly used in reported Eg: 1) I will have been waiting
writing the program since last speech. here six hours by 6 O'clock
night (we would like to see if it
works)
NB: There are some verbs that
cannot be used in the
continuous tense, such as,
Know, hear, hate, love etc. In
this case use the Present
Perfect Tense instead