Verb Tense Chart
VERB TENSE CHART
SIMPLE PAST Portrays an action or state of being that took place before the time when the sentence is written. I WAS I RAN I ATE HE SMILED PAST PERFECT Shows that the verb’s action was completed at some time before another past event. It consists of the word had plus the past participle of the verb. I HAD BEEN I HAD RUN I HAD EATEN HE HAD SMILED SIMPLE PAST PROGRESSIVE The past progressive is used to talk about an activity that was in progress at a specific point of time in the past. The emphasis is on the duration of the activity in the past. I WAS BEING I WAS RUNNING I WAS EATING HE WAS SMILING PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE This tense is used to emphasize the duration of an action that was completed before another action or event in the past. I HAD BEEN I HAD BEEN RUNNING I HAD BEEN EATING HE HAD BEEN SMILING SIMPLE PRESENT Used to describe an action or state of being that occurs at the time the sentence is written. I AM I RUN I EAT HE SMILES SIMPLE FUTURE Portrays an action or state of being that will occur sometime after the sentence is written. It is often formed with the word will. I WILL BE I WILL RUN I WILL EAT HE WILL SMILE FUTURE PERFECT Indicates that by the time of a specified future event, the verb’s action will have been completed. It is formed by adding the past participle of the verb to the words will have. I WILL HAVE BEEN I WILL HAVE RUN I WILL HAVE EATEN HE WILL HAVE SMILED SIMPLE FUTURE PROGRESSIVE This tense is used to describe an event or action that will occur over a period of time at a specific point in the future. I WILL BE I WILL BE RUNNING I WILL BE EATING HE WILL BE SMILING FUTURE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE This tense describes an action that has been in progress for a duration of time before another event or time in the future. I WILL HAVE BEEN I WILL HVE BEEN RUNNING I WILL HAVE BEEN EATING HE WILL HAVE BEEN SMILING
PRESENT PERFECT Indicates that the verb’s action began in the past and continued up until the time the
SIMPLE PAST Portrays an action or state of being that took place before the time when the sentence is written. I WAS I RAN I ATE HE SMILED PAST PERFECT Shows that the verb’s action was completed at some time before another past event. It consists of the word had plus the past participle of the verb. I HAD BEEN I HAD RUN I HAD EATEN HE HAD SMILED SIMPLE PAST PROGRESSIVE The past progressive is used to talk about an activity that was in progress at a specific point of time in the past. The emphasis is on the duration of the activity in the past. I WAS BEING I WAS RUNNING I WAS EATING HE WAS SMILING PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE This tense is used to emphasize the duration of an action that was completed before another action or event in the past. I HAD BEEN I HAD BEEN RUNNING I HAD BEEN EATING HE HAD BEEN SMILING SIMPLE PRESENT Used to describe an action or state of being that occurs at the time the sentence is written. I AM I RUN I EAT HE SMILES SIMPLE FUTURE Portrays an action or state of being that will occur sometime after the sentence is written. It is often formed with the word will. I WILL BE I WILL RUN I WILL EAT HE WILL SMILE FUTURE PERFECT Indicates that by the time of a specified future event, the verb’s action will have been completed. It is formed by adding the past participle of the verb to the words will have. I WILL HAVE BEEN I WILL HAVE RUN I WILL HAVE EATEN HE WILL HAVE SMILED SIMPLE FUTURE PROGRESSIVE This tense is used to describe an event or action that will occur over a period of time at a specific point in the future. I WILL BE I WILL BE RUNNING I WILL BE EATING HE WILL BE SMILING FUTURE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE This tense describes an action that has been in progress for a duration of time before another event or time in the future. I WILL HAVE BEEN I WILL HVE BEEN RUNNING I WILL HAVE BEEN EATING HE WILL HAVE BEEN SMILING
PRESENT PERFECT Indicates that the verb’s action began in the past and continued up until the time the