Verb 'Tenses' In English

  

 

ACTIVE

VERB TENSE

EXAMPLE

HOW TO FORM

Present 

I eat.

Base form (add -s for 3PS) 

Past

I ate.

Simple past 

Present Progressive

I am eating. 

Present form of 'be' + [base form + -ing]

Past Progressive

I was eating. 

Past form of 'be' + [base form + -ing]

Present Perfect

I have eaten. 

Present form of 'have' + past participle

Past Perfect

I had eaten. 

Past form of 'have' + past participle

Present Perfect Progressive

I have been eating. 

Present form of 'have' + been + [base form + -ing] 

Past Perfect Progressive

I had been eating. 

Past form of 'have' + been + [base form + -ing] 

Modal + Base Form

I will eat. 

Modal + base form

Modal Progressive

I will be eating. 

Modal + be + [base form + -ing]

Modal Perfect

I will have eaten. 

Modal + have + past participle

Modal Perfect Progressive

I will have been eating. 

Modal + have + been + past participle


   

 

PASSIVE 

(the verb 'to be' in its active form + the past participle of the verb) 

VERB TENSE

EXAMPLE

HOW TO FORM

Present 

The food is eaten. 

Present form of 'be' + past participle

Past

The food was eaten.

Past form of 'be' + past participle

Present Progressive 

The food is being eaten. 

Present form of 'be' + being + past participle 

Past Progressive

The food was being eaten. 

Past form of 'be' + being + past participle 

Present Perfect

The food has been eaten. 

Present form of 'have' + been + past participle 

Past Perfect

The food had been eaten 

Past form of 'have' + been + past participle 

Present Perfect Progressive

The food has been being eaten. 

Present form of 'have' + been + being + past participle 

Past Perfect Progressive

The food had been being eaten. 

Past form of 'have' + been + being + past participle 

Modal + Base Form

The food will be eaten. 

Modal + be + past participle

Modal Progressive

The food will be being eaten. 

Modal + be + being + past participle

Modal Perfect

The food will have been eaten. 

Modal + have + been + past participle

Modal Perfect Progressive

The food will have been being eaten. 

Modal + have + been + being + past participle 

 

 


 
 

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