ACTIVE VOICE
Simple
Past
Present
Future
An action that ended at a point in the past.
An action that exists, is usual, or is
repeated. A scientific fact
A plan for future action.
cook/cooks
will cook/ is going to cook
every morning, always, usually
tomorrow, tonight, next week
Third person singular (eat/ate)
You can also use simple present and present
progressive for future.
An action that is happening now.
An action that will be happening over time, in
the future, when something else happens.
am/ is / are cooking
will be cooking
now, right now, this week/minute
when, after, as soon as, before
An action that happened at an unspecified
time in the past or that started in the past
and is still continuing in the present.
An action that will end before another action
or time in the future.
has / have cooked
will have cooked
until now, since, ever, never
by the time you go/do, already,
An action occurring over time that started
in the past and continues into the present.
An action occurring over time, in the future,
before another action or time in the future.
has / have been cooking
will have been cooking
for the past year, up to now, since
by the time, for ten days, by
Example Form cooked
Time Clues* yesterday, last year, one month ago
Problems Irregular verbs do not follow the “ed”
pattern.
Progressive
be + main verb + ing
An action was in progress in the past when
another action occurred
Example Forms was/were cooking
Time Clues* while, when
Problems
Perfect
have + main verb
An action that ended before another
action or time in the past.
Ex ample Forms had cooked
Time Clues* before, already, by the time, after
Problems
Perfect Progressive
have +been + main
verb + ing
An action that happened over time, in the
past, before another time or action in the
past.
Example Forms had been cooking
Time Clues* before, for one week, since
Problems
*Time clues: these are words that give some information about when an action occurs.