English Verbs
Conjugations and Examples

Present - Past - Future
Present Continuous - Past Continuous - Future Continuous
Present Perfect - Past Perfect - Future Perfect
Present Perfect Continuous - Past Perfect Continuous - Future Perfect Continuous

(Printable version of this page)

On this page, there are tables of regular verb forms. I use the verb "walk" in the tables as an example for the conjugations. To see a list of irregular verbs, click here.

If you're a beginner, don't be discouraged by so many verb forms. Some forms aren't very common. Focus on the simple forms first (simple present, simple past, simple future). Then, little by little, you can learn the other forms.

Present Tense

This form of the verb is used to talk about a habitual action in the present (something you do very often) or something that is continuous.

Examples:
I walk to school every day.
He works in a bank.
We sing with the choir.

Affirmative and Negative	Interrogative
I walk. You don't walk. They We	Do you walk? I they We
He walks. She doesn't walk. It	Does he walk? she it

NOTE: The word don't is a contraction of do and not, and doesn't is a contraction of does and not.

Present Tense Lesson

Past Tense

This form of the verb is used to talk about something that happened in the past.

Examples:
I walked to school.
He painted the house.
They cooked the food.

Affirmative and Negative	Interrogative
I walked. You didn't walk. We They He She It	Did you walk? I we they he she it

NOTE: The word didn't is a contraction of did and not.

Past Tense Lesson

Future

The simple future tense is used to talk about something that will happen in the future. You can also use the verb “to be” with “going to” to talk about the future.

Examples:
Next year I will study abroad.
He’ll help you with your homework.

NOTE: 'll is a contraction of will.

Affirmative and Negative	Interrogative
I will walk. You won't walk. We They He She It	Will you walk? I we they he she it

NOTE: The word won't is a contraction of will and not.

Future Tense Lesson

Present Continuous

The present continuous is used to talk about something that is happening in this moment.

Examples:
I’m studying English.
She’s driving the car.
They’re painting the house.

NOTE: 'm is a contraction of am. 's is a contraction of is, and 're is a contraction of are.

Affirmative and Negative	Interrogative
I am walking. I'm not walking.	Am I walking?
You are walking. We aren't walking. They	Are you walking? we they
He is walking. She isn't walking. It	Is he walking? she it

NOTE: The word aren't is a contraction of are and not, and isn't is a contraction of is and not.

Present Continuous Lesson

Past Continuous

The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was happening at a time in the past. This form is used to describe an action that was interrupted.

Examples:
I was reading at 8 PM last night.
To describe what was happening at a time in the past

I was reading when the phone rang.
Interrupted action - The reading was interrupted by the phone ringing.

Affirmative and Negative	Interrogative
I was walking. He wasn't walking. She It	Was I walking? he she it
You were walking. We weren't walking. They	Were you walking? we they

NOTE: The word wasn't is a contraction of was and not, and weren't is a contraction of were and not.

Past Continuous Lesson

Future Continuous

We use the future continuous to talk about something that will happen at some point in the future.

Examples:
At 2:00 PM I will be studying English.
When my uncle arrives, I will be working.

Affirmative and Negative	Interrogative
I will be walking. You won't be walking. We They He She It	Will you be walking? I we they he she it

Future Continuous Lesson

Present Perfect

We use the present perfect for an action that began in the past and continues in the present or that happened at an indefinite time in the past (we don't specify when).

Examples:
I’ve lived in California for 10 years.
Action that began in the past and continues in the present

They’ve visited Disneyland.
Something that happened at an indefinite time in the past

NOTE: 've is a contraction of have.

Affirmative and Negative	Interrogative
I have walked. You haven't walked. We They	Have you walked? I we they
He has walked. She hasn't walked. It	Has he walked? she it

NOTE: The words haven't are contraction of have and not, and hasn't are contraction of has and not.

Present Perfect Lesson

Past Perfect

The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that happened before a moment in the past.

Examples:
I had studied a little English before I moved to the United States.
He hadn’t tried Thai food until he went to that restaurant.

Affirmative and Negative	Interrogative
I had walked. You hadn't walked. We They He She It	Had you walked? I we they he she it

NOTE: The word hadn't is a contraction of had and not.

Future Perfect

The future perfect is used to express that something will have happened before a certain time in the future.

Examples:
Before graduating I will have studied English two years.
When he arrives, we will have finished painting the house.

Affirmativo and Negative	Interrogative
I will have walked. You won't have walked. We They He She It	Will you have walked? I we they he she it

Present Perfect Continuous

The present perfect continuous tense is used for an action that began in the past and has just ended or that continues in the present, and we are specifying the duration.

Examples:
I’ve been working at the bank but now I work at the hospital.
Example of an action that started in the past and has just ended

I’ve been studying English for six months.
Example of an action that continues in the present, and we are specifying the duration

Affirmative and Negative	Interrogative
I have been walking. You haven't been walking. We They	Have you been walking? I we they
He has been walking. She hasn't been walking. It	Has he been walking? she it

Past Perfect Continuous

We use the past perfect continuous to describe the duration of an action in the past (and that ended in the past) or the cause of something in the past.

Examples:
He had been reading for an hour when his sister arrived.
To describe the duration of an action completed in the past

She was tired because she had been working all day.
To describe the cause of something in the past

Affirmative and Negative	Interrogative
I had been walking. You hadn't been walking. We They He She It	Had you been walking? I we they he she it

Future Perfect Continuous

We use the future perfect continuous to describe the duration or cause of something in the future.

Examples:
At 9:00 he will have been working 8 hours without a rest.
To describe the duration of an activity in the future

He will be tired because he will have been working so long.
To describe the cause of something in the future

Affirmative and Negative	Interrogative
I will have been walking. You won't have been walking. We They He She It	Will you have been walking? I we they he she it