English tenses cheat sheet

Choose tense below

PAST SIMPLE

Affirmative sentence

Person

verb + ed/d OR past form of irregular verb

rest of the sentence

Example:

I finished my history project last week.

She bought this jacket yesterday.

Negative sentence

Person

didn't

regular form of verb

rest of the sentence

Example:

You didn't walk to the cinema yesterday.

I didn't want to buy this car.

Questions

Did

person

regular form of verb

rest of the sentence

Example:

Did I eat this food?

Did you play chess?

PAST CONTINUOUS

Affirmative sentence

Person

was/were

verb + ing

rest of the sentence

Example:

I was making the dinner.

You were doing your homework.

Negative sentence

Person

wasn't/weren't

verb + ing

rest of the sentence

Example:

He wasn't playing football.

They weren't eating pizza.

Questions

Was/Were

person

verb + ing

rest of the sentence

Example:

Was he working?

Were you driving?

USED TO

Affirmative sentence

Person

used to

regular form of verb

rest of the sentence

Example:

We used to do a lot of experiments during our chemistry classes.

Negative sentence

Person

didn't use to

regular form of verb

rest of the sentence

Example:

I didn’t used to do my homework regularly when I was at primary school.

Questions

Did

person

use to

regular form of verb

rest of the sentence

Example:

Did you use to play computer when you were a child?

WHEN/WHILE

First type of sentences

Past simple

while

past continuous

Example:

The teacher came in while Jane was telling us all a joke.

Second type of sentences

Past continuous

when

past simple

Example:

I was doing my homework when you called.

Third type of sentences

Past continuous

while

past continuous

Example:

I was preparing the sauce while Ben was cutting up the vegetables.

PRESENT SIMPLE

Affirmative sentence

Person

regular form of verb (+es/s in 3rd singular person)

rest of the sentence

Example:

He loves coffee.

Footballers earn a lot of money.

Negative sentence

Person

don't/doesn't

regular form of verb

rest of the sentence

Example:

I don't like vegetables.

He doesn't play basketball.

Questions

person

regular form of verb

rest of the sentence

Example:

Do you drink tea?

Does he play chess?

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Affirmative sentence

Person

personal form of "to be" verb

verb + ing

rest of the sentence

Example:

I am playing computer games right now.

He is taking a shower.

Negative sentence

Person

personal form of "to be" verb + not

verb + ing

rest of the sentence

Example:

You aren't having launch.

She isn't having fun.

Questions

Personal form of "to be" verb

person

verb + ing

rest of the sentence

Example:

Is he joking?

Am I doing correct exercise?

FUTURE SIMPLE

Affirmative sentence

Person

will

regular form of verb

rest of the sentence

Example:

I'll go to the shops.

He will do it anyway.

Negative sentence

Person

won't

regular form of verb

rest of the sentence

Example:

I won't do it.

I hope he won't do something wrong.

Questions

Will

person

regular form of verb

rest of the sentence

Example:

Will you help me to clean up?

Will you give me an advice?

FUTURE CONTINUOUS

Affirmative sentence

Person

will be

verb + ing

rest of the sentence

Example:

At 3 pm this afternoon, I'll be playing tennis with Peter.

As usual, we will be arriving by train.

Negative sentence

Person

won't be

verb + ing

rest of the sentence

Example:

Next Sunday I won't be at the same place.

He will not be watching TV at 8 pm.

Questions

Will

person

verb + ing

rest of the sentence

Example:

Will you be using the photocopier later?

Will she be listening to the radio at five?

BE GOING TO

Person

personal form of "to be" verb

going to

regular form of verb

rest of the sentence

Example:

I'm going to buy a new car soon.

Look at the clouds, it's going to rain!

PRESENT SIMPLE / CONTINUOUS IN FUTURE

Present Simple (when we talk about routine)

Person

regular form of verb (+es/s in 3rd singular person)

rest of the sentence

Example:

The train leaves in a few minutes.

Present continuous (when we talk about planned activities for near future)

Person

personal form of "to be" verb

verb + ing

rest of the sentence

Example:

We're taking the train to Cracow tomorrow morning.

PAST PERFECT SIMPLE

Affirmative sentence

Person

had

verb + ed/d OR perfect form of irregular verb

rest of the sentence (usually past simple)

Example:

I had driven a car before I passed my driver’s licence test.

You told him after I had taken the exam.

Negative sentence

Person

hadn't

verb + ed/d OR perfect form of irregular verb

rest of the sentence (usually past simple)

Example:

I hadn't taken the shower before I fell asleep.

She hadn't done it before she talked to him.

Questions

Had

person

verb + ed/d OR perfect form of irregular verb

rest of the sentence (usually past simple)

Example:

Had I read a book before I went to bed?

Had you washed my hands before I ate dinner?

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Affirmative sentence

Person

had been

verb + ing

rest of the sentence (usually past simple)

Example:

I had been waiting for two hours when you finally came.

He won the prize because he had been working on the project for weeks.

Negative sentence

Person

hadn't been

verb + ing

rest of the sentence (usually past simple)

Example:

We hadn't been working together for long when we had to go on a business trip.

They had been going for 5 years before they decided to get married.

Questions

Had

person

been

verb + ing

rest of the sentence (usually past simple)

Example:

Had he been living on his own before he went to that boarding school last year?

What other lies had he been telling you all those years before you realised he was a crook?

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE

Affirmative sentence

Person

have/has

verb + ed/d OR perfect form of irregular verb

rest of the sentence

Example:

He has lost his job.

I've been a student at this school for six months.

Negative sentence

Person

haven't/hasn't

verb + ed/d OR perfect form of irregular verb

rest of the sentence

Example:

We haven't had a lot of problems this week.

I have not seen her before..

Questions

Have/Has

person

verb + ed/d OR perfect form of irregular verb

rest of the sentence

Example:

Have you done your homework yet?

Have you ever been to France?

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Affirmative sentence

Person

have/has been

verb + ing

rest of the sentence

Example:

They have been discussing the problems for over an hour.

Sarah has been going to ned late quite a lot in the last couple of weeks.

Negative sentence

Person

haven't/hasn't been

verb + ing

rest of the sentence

Example:

I haven't been running for 15 minutes.

She hasn't been waiting for the doctor since eight.

Questions

Have/Has

person

been

verb + ing

rest of the sentence

Example:

Have you been waiting for me?

What have you been doing all day?

FUTURE PERFECT SIMPLE

Affirmative sentence

Person

will have/has

verb + ed/d OR perfect form of irregular verb

rest of the sentence

Example:

They will have finished the bridge by the end of the month.

He will have sold the car by the time I collect enough money to buy it from him.

Negative sentence

Person

won't have/has

verb + ed/d OR perfect form of irregular verb

rest of the sentence

Example:

I won't have spent much by the end of my stay.

His German won't have improved by holiday if he misses so many classes.

Questions

Will

person

have/has

verb + ed/d OR perfect form of irregular verb

rest of the sentence

Example:

Will they have passed all the exams before July?

Will you have processed these data by tomorrow?

FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Affirmative sentence

Person

will

have/has been

verb + ing

rest of the sentence

Example:

By the end of May I'll have been working here for 5 years.

By this time next week they will have been travelling for 9 months.

Negative sentence

Person

won't

have/has been

verb + ing

rest of the sentence

Example:

I won't have been eating canned food by the end of summer.

They won't have been hunting this breed for almost 3 months before the end of the close season.

Questions

Will

person

have/has been

verb + ing

rest of the sentence