Download ENGLISH VERB TENSES Verb Tense or Form Example: forgive

English
ENGLISH VERB TENSES
Verb Tense or Form
Example: forgive
Infinitive
to forgive
Simple Present, Past, and Future
Present
forgive/forgives
past
forgave
future
will forgive
Perfect Tenses
past participle
forgiven
present perfect
have/has forgiven
past perfect
had forgiven
future perfect
will have forgiven
Conditional Tenses
conditional
would forgive
conditional perfect
would have forgiven
Progressive/Continuous Forms of Tenses
present participle
forgiving
present progressive/continuous
am/is/are forgiving
past progressive/continuous
was/were forgiving
future progressive/continuous
will be forgiving
present perfect progressive/continuous
have/has been forgiving
past perfect progressive/continuous
had been forgiving
future perfect progressive/continuous
will have been forgiving
conditional progressive/continuous
would be forgiving
conditional perfect progressive/continuous
would have been forgiving
English
Descriptions and Uses of Tenses, Forms, and Participles
1. The Infinitive Form
1.1. the unconjugated “to” form of a verb
1.2. can be used with other (conjugated) verbs.
1.2.1. Ex: He wants to help. (“Wants” is conjugated; “to help” is in the infinitive form.)
1.3. can be used as a noun
1.3.1. Ex: To win a gold medal is every Olympic athlete’s goal. (“To win” is a “goal,” a
noun.)
2. The Present Tense
2.1. used to refer to actions that happen now or regularly
2.1.1. Ex: He wants to help. (“Wants” is conjugated in the present tense.)
2.1.2. Ex: We always eat at seven o’ clock. (“Eat” is conjugated in the present tense.)
3. The Past Tense
3.1. used to refer to actions that happened in the past
3.1.1. Ex: She rang the bell. (“Rang” is conjugated in the past tense.)
3.1.2. Ex: I used to go to bed early. (“Used” is conjugated in the past tense.)
4. The Future Tense
4.1. used to refer to actions that will happen in the future
4.1.1. Ex: I will call you later. (“Will call” is conjugated in the future tense.
5. The Past Participle
5.1. the “-ed” form of a verb, except in irregular cases, such as “brought” (to bring), “swum”
(to swim), “taken” (to take), and others
5.2. not a verb conjugation, although in most cases it resembles the past tense
5.3. can be used with the perfect tenses
5.3.1. Ex: I have brought you some soup to help you feel better. (“Brought” is the past
participle of the verb “to bring.”)
5.4. can be used in the passive voice
5.4.1. Ex: The jewel was stolen between midnight and three o’ clock. (“Stolen” is the
past participle of the verb “to steal.”)
5.5. can be used as an adjective
5.5.1. Ex: Wanted for bank robbery in several states, Bonnie Parker and Clyde
Barrow were finally caught. (“Wanted” modifies the nouns “Bonnie Parker” and
“Clyde Barrow.” Therefore, “wanted” works as an adjective.)
6. The Perfect Tenses
6.1. All perfect tenses are formed using a conjugation of the verb “to have” and the past
participle of a verb.
6.2. The perfect tenses are named based on which tense “to have” is conjugated in.
6.3. The Present Perfect Tense
6.3.1. the “have/has” form of a verb
6.3.2. used to refer to actions which began in the past but continue in the present (and
may continue into the future)
6.3.2.1.
Ex: He has been a teacher for twenty-five years. (“Has been” is
conjugated in the present perfect tense. This tense is appropriate if he is still a
teacher and is likely to continue as one.)
6.4. The Past Perfect Tense
6.4.1. the “had” form of a verb
6.4.2. used to refer to actions which began in the past before other past actions
6.4.2.1.
Ex: By the time the prison guards learned of the escape plot, the convict
had broken out of his cell. (“Had broken” is conjugated in the
English
past perfect tense. This tense is appropriate because the convict broke out
before the prison guards learned of the plot.)
6.5. The Future Perfect Tense
6.5.1. the “will have” form of a verb
6.5.2. used to refer to actions which will begin before other future actions
6.5.2.1.
Ex: By the time he leaves the party, he will have introduced himself to
everyone. (“Will have introduced” is conjugated in the future perfect tense.
This tense is appropriate because he will introduce himself to everyone before
leaving.)
7. The Conditional Tenses
7.1. the “would” or “would have” form of a verb
7.2. used to refer to actions that would take place under certain conditions
7.3. often used in “if” statements
7.4. The Conditional Tense
7.4.1. the “would” form of a verb
7.4.2. When forming an “if” statement using the conditional tense, conjugate the
condition in the past tense (subjunctive voice) and the result in the conditional
tense (If + past subjunctive, conditional).
7.4.2.1.
Ex: If I were a rich man, I would visit every place I have ever wanted to.
(“Were” is conjugated in the past tense (subjunctive voice); “would visit” is
conjugated in the conditional tense.)
7.5. The Conditional Perfect Tense
7.5.1.the “would have” form of a verb
7.5.2. When forming an “if” statement using the conditional perfect tense, conjugate the
condition in the past perfect tense (subjunctive voice) and the result in the
conditional perfect tense (If + past perfect subjunctive, conditional perfect).
7.5.2.1.
Ex: If I had known that we had to leave early, I would have hurried
to get ready. (“Had known” is conjugated in the past perfect tense (subjunctive
voice); “would have hurried” is conjugated in the conditional perfect tense.)
8. The Present Participle
8.1. the “-ing” form of a verb
8.2. not a verb conjugation
8.3. can be used in the progressive form
8.3.1. Ex: I am waiting. (“Waiting” is the present participle of the verb “to wait.”)
8.4. can be used as a noun — when used as a noun, it is called a “gerund”
8.4.1. Ex: Collecting stamps is a rare hobby nowadays. (“Collecting” is a “hobby,” a
noun.)
9. The Progressive Form
9.1. used to refer to action in progress (ongoing action)
9.2. not a particular tense—can be applied to any tense
9.2.1. Ex: She would have been waiting up when he got home. (“Would have been
waiting” is conjugated in the progressive form of the conditional perfect tense.)