The following chart shows the positive, negative and interrogative (question) forms of all the principle tenses in English with a brief description of the principle usage. Please note that for a better understanding of the tense forms you should follow the links to pages focusing on the specific tense. This chart is principally for comparison purposes.
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TENSE
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POSITIVE
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NEGATIVE
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QUESTION
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USE
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Simple Present
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I play tennis on Mondays.
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They don't (do not) work in New York.
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Does she know him?
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Habitual activities - States More
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Simple Past
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She went to Paris last week.
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They didn't (did not) drive to work.
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Where did she get that hat?
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Actions happening at a defined moment in the past. More
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Simple Future
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I'll (will) meet you at the airport tomorrow.
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He won't (will not) be able to come.
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Will they visit us soon?
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Decisions made at the moment about the future, future predictions, future promises More
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Present Continuous
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He's (is) working at the moment.
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They aren't (are not) coming this evening.
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What are you doing?
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Actions happening at the present moment. Near future intention and scheduling. More
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Past Continuous
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I was watching TV when you called.
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He wasn't (was not) working when she arrived.
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What were you doing when I called?
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Interrupted past action, action happening at a specific moment in time in the past. More
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Future Continuous
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I'll (will) be cooking dinner when you arrive.
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They won't (will not) be living in Paris this time next year.
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What will you be doing next week at this time?
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Future action at a specific moment in the future. More
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Future with Going to
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He's (is) going to fly to Boston next week.
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They're (are) not going to invite the Browns.
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Where are you going to stay?
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Future intent or planned action More
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Present Perfect
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I've (have) seen Mick three times this week.
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She hasn't (has not) been to New York.
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How long have you worked at Smith's?
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1)To express an action that was begun in the past and continues into the present. 2) To express an action that happened in the UNspecified past. 3) To express a recent action that has a present effect. More
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Past Perfect
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I'd (had) already eaten before they came.
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She hadn't (had not) been to Rome before that trip.
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Had you ever seen such a crazy lady before that?
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To express an action that happens before another action in the past. More
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Future Perfect
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We'll (will) have lived here for twenty years by 2005.
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She won't (will not) have finished her homework by the time we arrive.
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How long will you have lived in France by the end of next year?
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To express what will have happened or how long something will have happened up to a certain point in the future. More
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Present Perfect Continuous
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She's (has) been waiting for over three hours.
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They haven't (have not) been studying for long.
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How long have you been working on that problem?
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To express the duration of a continuous activity begun in the past and continuing into the present. More
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Past Perfect Continuous
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She'd (had) been waiting for three hours when he finally arrived.
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I hadn't (had not) been sleeping for long when I heard the doorbell ring.
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How long had you been playing tennis when she arrived?
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To express the duration of a continuous activity begun before another activity in the past. More
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Future Perfect Continuous
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He'll (will) have been sleeping for a few hours by the time we arrive.
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She won't (will not) have been working for long by 5 o'clock.
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How long will you have been driving by 6 o'clock?
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To express the duration of an activity up to a point of time in the future. More
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