1. Verb Tenses

2. 3 distinctions in time
Past
Present
Future

3. 4 types of actions for each tense
Simple: basic actions
Perfect: completed or “perfected” actions
Progressive: on-going actions
Perfect-Progressive: usually describes on-going actions that end or are stopped by another action

4. Simple Tenses: Basic Actions
“simple” usually means no helping verbs, just the verb conjugated in past, present, or future tense.
Simple Past Tense: -ed form of the Main Verb
*The past tense form of irregular verbs like “Break” do not end in “-ed”
Base Form
Fill
Trim
Splatter
*Break
Simple Past Tense
Filled
Trimmed
Splattered
*Broke

5. Simple Tenses Continued
Simple Present Tense: base or -s form of the Main Verb
Depends on subject: I live there vs. she lives there
Simple Present Tense
Start/Starts
Amuse/Amuses
Evolve/Evolves
Choose/Chooses
Base Form
Start
Amuse
Evolve
Choose

6. Simple Tenses Continued
Simple Future Tense: will + base form of Main Verb
Base Form
Involve
Fly
Absorb
Peek
Simple Future Tense
Will Involve
Will Fly
Will Absorb
Will Peek

7. Perfect Tense Used to describe a completed/“perfected” action.
Implies that an action has been completed before another (unnamed) action takes place

8. Past Perfect Tense had + Past Participle (-en/-ed) form of Main Verb
Base Form Past Perfect Tense
Fill had filled
Trim had trimmed
Splatter had splattered
Broke had broken

9. Present Perfect Tense has/have + -en/-ed form of Main Verb
Base Form
Start
Amuse
Evolve
Choose
Present Perfect Tense
has/have started
has/have amused
has/have evolved
has/have chosen

10. Future Perfect Tense will + have + -en/-ed form of Main Verb
Base Form
Involve
Fly
Absorb
Peek
Future Perfect Tense
will have involved
will have flown
will have absorbed
will have peeked

11. Past Progressive Tense
Describes on-going or continuous actions
Sometimes called “continuous tense”
Past Progressive Tense:
was/were + -ing form of Main Verb
Base Form
Fill
Trim
Splatter
Break
Past Progressive Tense
was/were filling
was/were trimming
was/were splattering
was/were breaking

12. Progressive Tenses continued
Present Progressive Tense:
Am/Is/Are + -ing form of Main Verb
Base Form
Start
Amuse
Evolve
Choose
Present Progressive Tense
am/is/are starting
am/is/are amusing
am/is/are evolving
am/is/are choosing

13. Progressive Tenses continued
Future Progressive Tense:
will + be + -ing form of Main Verb
Base Form
Involve
Fly
Absorb
Peek
Future Progressive Tense
will be involving
will be flying
will be absorbing
will be peeking

14. Perfect-Progressive Tenses
Describes a completed on-going action.
Implies that another action follows it
an on-going action completed before another action

15. Perfect-Progressive Tenses
Past Perfect-Progressive Tense: describes an on-going past action that is completed before another past action, or ended by another past action
had + been + -ing form of Main Verb
Base Form
Fill
Trim
Splatter
Break
Past Perfect-Progressive Tense
had been filling
had been trimming
had been splattering
had been breaking

16. Perfect-Progressive Tenses Cont.
Present Perfect-Progressive Tense: usually describes something you recently felt or were doing up through the present moment.
Can also be used to describe an on-going action when you want to emphasize the duration of time.

17. Perfect-Progressive Tenses Cont.
Present Perfect-Progressive Tenses: -have/has + been + -ing form of Main Verb
Base Form
Start
Amuse
Evolve
Choose
Present Perfect-Progressive Tense
have/has been starting
have/has been amusing
have/has been evolving
have/has been choosing

18. Perfect-Progressive Tenses Cont.
Future Perfect-Progressive Tense:
will + have + been + -ing form of Main Verb
Base Form
Involve
Fly
Absorb
Peek
Future Perfect-Progressive Tense
will have been involving
will have been flying
will have been absorbing
will have been peeking