Verb Tenses CheatSheet

positive

negative

question

present simple

subject + verb (+ s )

I eat.
She eats toast.

subject + do / does + not + verb

I don’t eat toast. She doesn’t eat fish.

(question word +) do / does + subject + verb?
Do you eat breakfast every day?
When does she eat lunch?

present simple with ‘be’

subject + am / is / are

I am hungry. She is in a cafe.

subject + am / is / are + not

I’m not hungry. She isn’t happy.

(question word +) am / is / are + subject…?
Is he at home?
Why are you hungry?

present continuous

subject + am / is / are + verb-ing

She’s eating toast.
They are eating lunch now.

subject + am / is / are + not + verb- ing
He isn’t eating.
We are not eating at home.

(question word +) am / is / are + subject + verb-ing?
When are they eating?
Is he eating now?

present perfect

subject + have / has + past participle
I’ve eaten breakfast.
He has eaten lunch.

subject + have / has + not + past participle
We haven’t eaten yet.
She hasn’t eaten the chocolate.

(question word +) have / has + subject + past participle?
What have you eaten today?
Has she eaten lunch?

present perfect continuous

subject + have / has + been + verb- ing
I’ve been eating.
She’s been eating biscuits all day.

subject + have / has + not + been + verb-ing
They haven’t been eating.
He has not been eating toast.

(question word +) have / has + subject + been + verb-ing?
What has she been eating?
Have they been eating breakfast?

past simple

subject + past simple (verb +ed)

I ate an apple. She ate some rice.

subject + did + not + verb

She didn’t eat anything. They did not eat breakfast.

(question word +) did + subject + verb?

Did you eat the chocolate? What did they eat for lunch?

past simple with ‘be’

subject + was / were

I was hungry.
They were in a restaurant.

subject + was / were + not

We weren’t hungry. She wasn’t at home.

(question word +) was / were + subject…?
Why was she hungry?
Were you hungry?

past continuous

subject + was / were + verb-ing

I was eating.
They were eating lunch.

subject + was / were + not + verb- ing
You weren’t eating.
She wasn’t eating a sandwich.

(question word +) was / were + subject + verb-ing?
Where were you eating?
Was she eating an apple?

past perfect

subject + had + past participle

I had eaten.
She’d eaten lunch.

subject + had + not + past participle

We hadn’t eaten.
He had not eaten an apple.

(question word +) had + subject + past participle
Why had you eaten?
Had they eaten fish before?

past perfect continuous

subject + had + been + verb-ing

I had been eating chocolate all day. She’d been eating breakfast.

subject + had + not + been + verb- ing
I hadn’t been eating.
She hadn’t been eating an apple.

(question word +) had + subject + been + verb-ing?
Why had he been eating?
Had they been eating enough fruit?

future simple

subject + will + verb

I will eat later.
She will eat at home.

subject + will + not + verb

We won’t eat anything tonight. He will not eat fish.

(question word +) will + subject + verb?
What will you eat for lunch?
Will she eat meat?

future continuous

subject + will + be + verb-ing

I will be eating at 8pm.
She will be eating a sandwich.

subject + will + not + be + verb-ing

They won’t be eating.
He will not be eating anything.

(question word +) will + subject + be + verb-ing?
What will you be eating?
Will they be eating at 6pm?

future perfect

subject + will + have + past participle
I will have eaten lunch by 3 o’clock. She’ll have eaten all the chocolate.

subject + will + not + have + past participle
He won’t have eaten lunch yet. They will not have eaten their sandwiches.

(question word +) will + subject + have + past participle?
When will you have eaten?
Will she have eaten dinner by nine?

future perfect continuous

subject + will + have + been + verb-ing
They will have been eating fruit. We’ll have been eating all day.

subject + will + not + have + been + verb-ing
I won’t have been eating fish.
They will not have been eating lunch.

(question word +) will + subject + have + been + verb-ing?
What will she have been eating?
Will you have been eating chocolate?