52839 all tenses useful chart

Past Simple

Past Perfect

Present Perfect

Present Simple

BEFORE YESTERDAY
Past action finished before
another past action

YESTERDAY
Unique past action at a
given time

BEFORE NOW
Undefined past action with
present result

NOW GENERALLY
Facts/Habits/Routines

Subject+HAD+Participle

Subject+Verb in Past (-ed /
or irregular)

Subject+HAVE/HAS
+Participle

Subject + Infinitive(-s)

I went to the opera last

He has just phoned.

I usually watch TV in the
evening.
The Earth moves around the
Sun.

I had just finished my

PAST

BEFORE TOMORROW
Future action that will
have been completed
before a future time.

TOMORROW
Future planned action
Subject+WILL/SHALL

We will go to a nice
restaurant tomorrow.
-OR-

Subject+ WILL HAVE
+Participle

BE ABOUT TO+INF
-immediate future
I am about to leave.

PRESENT

FUTURE

BEFORE AND AT/DURING A
MOMENT YESTERDAY
Past action begun before
another past action and
continuing until that one

YESTERDAY AT A
MOMENT
Action in progress at a
definite past time

BEFORE AND AT/DURING
THE MOMENT
Undefined past action that
continues up to now

NOW AT THE MOMENT
Action in progress

Subject+HAD BEEN+ING

Subject+Was/Were+ING

Subject+HAVE BEEN + ..ING

Subject+BE+….ING

BEFORE AND AT/DURING A
MOMENT TOMORROW
Future action in progress
happening before a future
action/moment

TOMORROW AT/DURING A
MOMENT
Action in progress at a
future moment

Subject+WILL HAVE
BEEN+ING

Subject+WILL BE+ING

I have been reading for 3

I had been waiting for him

Past Perfect Continuous

Future Simple

**Future Perfect
-rare use-

Past Continuous

Present Perfect Continuous

I shall/will be walking at

Present Continuous

**Future Perfect Continuous
- rare use-

Future Continuous