Overview of tenses

This is a review of the English tenses. The table is provided to help recall the form and use of the different English tenses.

Simple Present
Affirmative +	She drinks.
Negative -	She does not drink.
Interrogative ?	Does she drink?
Form	I, you we they play | he, she, it plays
Uses	action in the present taking place once, never or several times facts actions taking place one after another action set by a timetable or schedule

Present Progressive
+	He is reading.
-	He is not reading.
?	Is he reading?
Form	To be (in the simple present) + verb + ing
Uses	action taking place at the moment of speaking action arranged for the future

Simple Past
+	I cried.
-	I did not cry
?	Did I cry?
Form	Regular verbs: Verb + ed | Irregular verbs: forms differ and should be learned by heart.
Uses	action in the past taking place once, never or several times actions taking place one after another

Past Progressive
+	He was driving.
-	He was not driving.
?	Was he driving?
Form	to be (in the simple past) + verb + ing
Uses	action going on at a certain time in the past actions taking place at the same time action in the past that is interrupted by another action

Present Perfect Simple
+	They have slept.
-	They have not slept.
?	Have they slept?
Form	Have / has + past participle (past participle of regular verbs: verb + ed | Past participle of irregular verbs: forms differ and should be learned by heart. )
Uses	emphasis is on the result (not the duration) action that started in the past & is still going on action that stopped recently finished action that has an influence on the present

Present Perfect Progressive
+	He has been thinking.
-	He has not been thinking.
?	Has he been thinking?
Form	have or has + been + verb + ing
Uses	putting emphasis on the course or duration (not the result) action that recently stopped or is still going on finished action that influenced the present

Past Perfect Simple
+	She had won.
-	She had not won.
?	Had she won?
Form	had + past participle (past participle of regular verbs: verb + ed | Past participle of irregular verbs: forms differ and should be learned by heart)
Uses	action taking place before a certain time in the past sometimes interchangeable with past perfect progressive putting emphasis only on the fact (not the duration)

Past Perfect Progressive
+	He had been waiting.
-	He had not been waiting.
?	Had he been waiting?
Form	had + been + verb + ing
Uses	action taking place before a certain time in the past sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple putting emphasis on the duration or course of an action

Future Simple
+	I will open the door.
-	I will not open the door.
?	Will you open the door?
Form	will + verb
Uses	We use the simple future for instant decisions. We use the simple future when we predict a future situation We use the simple future in conditional sentences type one.

Future Plan (going to)
+	He is going to clean the car.
-	He is not going to clean the car.
?	Is he going to clean the car?
Form	to be (in the simple present) + going + to + verb
Uses	to express the future when we intend to do something or have decided to do something but did not arrange it. It is just an intention. to express predictions.

Future Plan (Present Progressive)
+	He is traveling to Egypt next week.
-	He is not traveling to Egypt next week.
?	Is he traveling to Egypt next week?
Form	to be (in the simple present) + verb + ing
Uses	when we say what we have planned and arranged to do at a specific time in the future. These are fixed plans with definite time and/or place.

Future  Progressive
+	She will be listening to music.
-	She will not be listening to music.
?	Will she be listening to music?
Form	will + be + verb + ing
Uses	action that is going on at a certain time in the future action that is sure to happen in the near future

Future Perfect
+	He will have spoken.
-	He will not have spoken.
?	Will he have spoken?
Form	will + have + past participle (past participle of regular verbs: verb + ed | Past participle of irregular verbs: forms differ and should be learned by heart.)
Uses	action that will be finished at a certain time in the future

Future Perfect Progressive
+	You will have been studying.
-	You will not have been studying.
?	Will you have been studying?
Form	will + have + been + verb + ing
Uses	action taking place before a certain time in the future putting emphasis on the course of an action

Conditional Simple
+	We would relax.
-	We would not relax.
?	Would we relax ?
Form	would + verb
Uses	action that might take place

Conditional Progressive
+	He would be writing.
-	He would not be writing.
?	Would he be writing?
Form	would + be + verb + ing
Uses	action that might take place putting emphasis on the course / duration of the action

Conditional Perfect
+	He would have written.
-	He would not have written.
?	Would he have written?
Form	would + have + past participle (past participle of regular verbs: verb + ed | Past participle of irregular verbs: forms differ and should be learned by heart)
Uses	action that might have taken place in the past

Conditional Perfect Progressive
+	She would have been sleeping.
-	She would not have sleeping speaking.
?	Would she have been sleeping?
Form	would + have + been + verb + ing
Uses	action that might have taken place in the past putting emphasis on the course / duration of the action