CHART OF VERB TENSES

Simple

Present

Time marker

write/writes

every, always,

do/does not
Do/Does.?

Progressive
is/are/am writing

Time marker

Perfect

Time marker

now, right now, at

has/have

already, ever,

usually, often,

present, at this

written

never, just, yet, for,

sometimes, seldom,

time, at the

once a..., etc

moment, Look !,

Perfect
Progessive

Time marker

has/has been writing

for, since

had been writing

when, after, before

since

Listen !, etc

Past

Future

wrote

yesterday, last

was/were writing

did not + V1

, . ago, in

at this time last

Did ?

1990, etc

week, when, while

will write

tomorrow, next

will not

.., to go,

Will ?

etc.

will be writing

at 8.00 yesterday,

had written

before, after, when

for, since

at 9.00 tomorrow,

will have

by next year, by the

right away, etc

written

end of March

will have been writing

when, by the time

you arrive, etc.

Designed by : Mulyarman, S.Pd

Notes : There are five forms of verbs in general ; (1) present verb go, come, like, etc. (2) verb s/-es goes, comes, loves, etc. (3) past/verb 2 went, came, liked, etc. (4) past
participle/verb 3 gone, seen, studied, etc. (5) present participle/verb ing going, coming, running, etc.
There are two types of verbs ; 1 Regular Verbs ; ending in d/-ed
2 Irregular Verbs ; see the List

EXAMPLES OF VERB TENSES

Simple
- I always go to school on foot

Progressive

Perfect

Simple- They are playing football right now

- I dont always go to school on foot

- They arent playing football right now
am, is, are
- Do you always go to school on foot ?
- Are they playing football right now ?
- She usually drinks tea in the morning

Perfect
- I have
already eaten lunch
- I havent eaten lunch yet
have been, has been
- Have you eaten lunch ?

- We have been living here for ten years

- We havent been living here for a long time
- Have you been waiting here long ?

- He is listening to radio at the moment

- Jack has ever seen a ghost

- She has been crying since an hour ago

- He isnt listening to radio at the moment

- Liz has never seen a ghost

- The man hasnt been working since yesterday

- Does she drink tea in the evening ?

- Is he listening to radio at the moment ?

- Has Tom ever seen a ghost ?

- Has he been sleeping since two oclock ?

- What do you usually do in the morning

- Look ! What is he doing ?

- How long have you known her ?

- How long have you been waiting for the bus ?

- What has he just done ?

been
- I Had
had eaten
breakfast before I went to

- What has he been doing since this morning ?

- Mr. Rahmat had been teaching here for four years

Present - She doesnt drink tea in the afternoon

Present

- Why doesnt she drink coffee ?

- What are you looking for ?
Was, were
- They bought many things yesterday
- I was watching TV at 9 last night
- We didnt buy anything last week

- He wasnt sleeping at this time yesterday

- Did you buy anything last Sunday ?

- Were you working at 10 last Sunday ?

Past Past- The boys played chess three days ago

- We were studying when she came

- The boys didnt play domino last night

- They werent doing homework when I went

- Did they play games yesterday ?

- Was she reading while you were typing ?

- What did you do last holiday ? Will be - What were you doing at 5 yesterday ?
- Why didnt he come to the meeting ?
- I will go to Bandung next holiday
- She will get married next month
Future

- He is going to have an exam tomorrow.

Future

Perfect Progressive

- Where was he waiting for us ?

- I will be teaching English at 4 tomorrow
- Tom will be making a presentation at this
time next week

- We wont attend the meeting anymore

- We wont be playing games when you come

- James isnt going to sell his car

- Will you be staying home at 7 tonight ?

- Will you invite them to your party ?

- What will you be doing at 9 a.m tomorrow?

school
- His grandfather had died before he was
born
- Nancy got dressed after she had taken a
bath
- Hadhave
you met
him before you began the
Will
been
experiment ?
- I will have finished the exercise by
lunch time
- Jane will have graduated from the
university by the end of next semester
- What will you have done by the year of
2020 ?

- Are you going to join the contest ?

- What will you do tonight ?
- When is he going to go to Mecca ?
Designed by : Mulyarman

EXAMPLES OF TENSES WITH BE

before he moved to the other city.

- We had been waiting for the plane for an hour
before you arrived.
- What had you been doing when I saw you ?
- How long had they been playing when it began to
rain ?
- I will have been waiting for you by the time you
arrive at the airport
- He will have been fixing his car when you come to
his house tomorrow afternoon
- What will you have been doing from 2 to 4
tomorrow afternoon ?