Verbs

Selecting the correct verb tense and conjugating verbs correctly is tricky in English. Click on the verb tense to read more about how to form this tense and how it is used, or select a time to see the full list of tenses and references on that time.

Present tenses in English Examples
Simple present tense They walk home.
Present continuous tense They are walking home.
Past tenses in English  
Simple past tense Peter lived in China in 1965.
Past continuous tense I was reading when she arrived.
Perfect tenses in English  
Present perfect tense I have lived here since 1987.
Present perfect continuous I have been living here for years.
Past perfect We had been to see her several times before she visited us.
Past perfect continuous He had been watching her for some time when she turned and smiled.
Future perfect We will have arrived in the States by the time you get this letter.
Future perfect continuous By the end of your course, you will have been studying for five years.
Future tenses in English  
Simple future tense They will go to Italy next week.
Future continuous tense I will be travelling by train.
Conditional tenses in English  
Zero conditional If ice gets hot it melts.
Type 1 conditional If he is late I will be angry.
Type 2 conditional If he was in Australia he would be getting up now.
Type 3 conditional She would have visited me if she had had time.
Mixed conditional I would be playing tennis if I hadn't broken my arm.
The -ing forms in English  
Gerund I like swimming.
Present participle She goes running every morning.
Infinitives  
Passive voice