ENGLISH TENSES TIMELINE CHART

This timeline tenses chart provides a handy reference sheet to English

tenses and their relationship to one another and the past, present and future.
Conjugated verbs are highlighted in bold. Tenses which are rarely used in
everyday conversation are marked by an asterik (*).

TIMELINE

(PROGRESSIVE) (PROGRESSIVE)
SIMPLE SIMPLE
CONTINUOUS CONTINUOUS
ACTIVE PASSIVE
ACTIVE PASSIVE
PAST
TIME
^
|
|
|
|

The painting ^ The house had been

She had
had been | I had been waiting being painted for over
already
sold twice PAST for four hours when a month before they
eaten when
before it was PERFECT he finally arrived. began to decorate the
I arrived.
destroyed. | interior. *
|
The book
was ^
I bought a The problem was
written in | I was watching TV
new car last being solved when I
1876 by PAST when she arrived.
week. arrived late for class.
Mark |
Garland. |
The
company
^
She has has been She has been
| The students have
lived in managed working at
PRESENT been being taught for
Somerset for by Neil Countdown for six
PERFECT the last four hours. *
many years. Haines for months.
|
the last two
|
years.
He works Those shoes I am working at the The work is being
five days a are made in ^ moment. done by Radek.
week. Poland. |
 PRESENT
|
|

|
|
PRESENT
MOMENT
|
|
|
The reports are going
FUTURE They are going to
to be completed by
INTENTION fly to London
the marketing
| tomorrow.
department.
|
V

|
The food
The sun will FUTURE He will be teaching
will be The bread rolls will be
shine SIMPLE tomorrow at six
brought being baked at two. *
tomorrow. | o'clock.
later.
|
V
The
I will have
translation |
completed She will have been The house will have
will have FUTURE
the course working here for been being built for
been PERFECT
by the end two years by the end six months by the time
finished by |
of next of next month. they finish. *
tomorrow |
week.
afternoon. V
FUTURE
TIME
|
|
|
|
V

An overview of the FIVE most important tenses in the English

language

It is important to know when to use each tense and also how to make
the tenses. Heres some help with the most commonly used tenses in
English:
 Present Past Simple Future Present Present
Simple Simple Perfect Continuous
(I went)
(I go) (I will go) (I have gone) (I am going)

When do I Used for Used for Used for Used for Used for
use this present facts completed future actions, actions which temporary
tense? and repeated actions in the even if they started in the actions going
actions. past. are only a few past and are on now.
seconds in the still true now.
future.

Words that every (day, Yesterday, last Tomorrow, Since, for, Now, at the
signal use week, month, (week, month, next (week, ever (with moment,
of the year, etc.), year, etc.), month, year, questions), up today, this
tense: always, when I was a etc.), in the to now, how week,
usually, often, child, this future, when I long (with presently, etc.
sometimes, morning (if it is retire, when I questions),
etc. no longer get home, etc. etc.
morning), etc.

How do I The first form The second The Future The Present The Present
make the of the verb is form of the Simple is Perfect is Continuous is
tense? used to make verb is used formed with formed with formed with
the Present for the Past the helping the helping the helping
Simple. Simple. verb will and verb have (or: verb to be
the first form has) and the (am, are, is)
For questions However, of the verb. third form of and the "-ing"
and negatives when making the verb. form of the
the helping questions and verb.
verb (do / negatives in
does) is used the Past
with the first Simple, we
form of the use the
verb. helping verb
"did" and
An important leave the main
rule with the verb in its
Present infinitive form
Simple is: (1st form).
Dont forget
the "s" with
he, she & it!
Which do / does did will have / has to be (am, are,
helping is)
verb do I
use?

ENGLISH IRREGULAR VERB CHART

base form past simple past participle

arise a rose arisen

awake awoke awoken

be was/were been

bear bore born(e)

beat beat beaten

become became become

begin began begun

bend bent bent

bet bet bet

bind bound bound

bite bit bitten

bleed bled bled

blow blew blown

 break broke broken

breed bred bred

bring brought brought

broadcast broadcast broadcast

build built built

burn burnt/burned burnt/burned

burst burst burst

buy bought bought

can could (been able)

catch caught caught

choose chose chosen

cling clung clung

come came come

cost cost cost

creep crept crept

cut cut cut

deal dealt dealt

dig dug dug

do did done

draw drew drawn

dream dreamt/dreamed dreamt/dreamed

drink drank drunk

drive drove driven

eat ate eaten

fall fell fallen

feed fed fed

feel felt felt

fight fought fought

find found found

fly flew flown

forbid forbade forbidden

forget forgot forgotten

forgive forgave forgiven

freeze froze frozen

get got got

give gave given

go went gone

grind ground ground

grow grew grown

hang hung hung

have had had

 hear heard heard

hide hid hidden

hit hit hit

hold held held

hurt hurt hurt

keep kept kept

kneel knelt knelt

know knew known

lay laid laid

lead led led

lean leant/leaned leant/leaned

learn learnt/learned learnt/learned

leave left left

lent lent lent

lie (in bed) lay lain

lie (to not tell the truth) lied lied

light lit/lighted lit/lighted

lose lost lost

make made made

may might
 mean meant meant

meet met met

mow mowed mown/mowed

must had to

overtake overtook overtaken

pay paid paid

put put put

read read read

ride rode ridden

ring rang rung

rise rose risen

run ran run

saw sawed sawn/sawed

say said said

see saw seen

sell sold sold

send sent sent

set set set

sew sewed sewn/sewed

shake shook shaken

shall should

shed shed shed

shine shone shone

shoot shot shot

show showed shown

shrink shrank shrunk

shut shut shut

sing sang sung

sink sank sunk

sit sat sat

sleep slept slept

slide slid slid

smell smelt smelt

sow sowed sown/sowed

speak spoke spoken

spell spelt/spelled spelt/spelled

spend spent spent

spill spilt/spilled spilt/spilled

spit spat spat

spread spread spread

 stand stood stood

steal stole stolen

stick stuck stuck

sting stung stung

stink stank stunk

strike struck struck

swear swore sworn

sweep swept swept

swell swelled swollen/swelled

swim swam swum

swing swung swung

take took taken

teach taught taught

tear tore torn

tell told told

think thought thought

throw threw thrown

understand understood understood

wake woke woken

wear wore worn

weep wept wept

will would

win won won

wind wound wound

write wrote written