THE USES AND FORMATION OF THE ENGLISH VERB TENSES

The Uses of the English Tenses

Type of TenseType of Action Expressed
Simple- actions occurring at regular intervals
 - general truths, or situations existing for a period of time
 - non-continuous actions
  
Continuous- continuous, ongoing actions
  
Perfect- non-continuous actions completed before a certain time
  
Perfect Continuous- continuous, ongoing actions completed before a certain time

 

The Formation of the Indicative Mood of the Active Voice

TenseAuxiliaryVerb Form
Simple Presentdo/does *bare infinitive **
Present Continuousam/is/arepresent participle
Present Perfecthave/haspast participle
Present Perfect Continuoushave/has  beenpresent participle
   
Simple Pastdid *bare infinitive ***
Past Continuouswas/werepresent participle
Past Perfecthadpast participle
Past Perfect Continuoushad beenpresent participle
   
Simple Futurewill (shall) ****bare infinitive
Future Continuouswill (shall) bepresent participle
Future Perfectwill (shall) havepast participle
Future Perfect Continuouswill (shall) have beenpresent participle

 

The Formation of the Subjunctive Mood of the Active Voice

TenseAuxiliaryVerb Form
Simple Presentdo *bare infinitive
Present Continuousbepresent participle
Present Perfecthavepast participle
Present Perfect Continuoushave beenpresent participle
   
Simple Pastdid *bare infinitive ***
Past Continuouswerepresent participle
Past Perfecthadpast participle
Past Perfect Continuoushad beenpresent participle

 

The Formation of the Indicative Mood of the Passive Voice

TenseAuxiliaryVerb Form
Simple Presentam/is/arepast participle
Present Continuousam/is/are beingpast participle
Present Perfecthave/has beenpast participle
Present Perfect Continuoushave/has been beingpast participle
   
Simple Pastwas/werepast participle
Past Continuouswas/were beingpast participle
Past Perfecthad beenpast participle
Past Perfect Continuoushad been beingpast participle
   
Simple Futurewill (shall) **** bepast participle
Future Continuouswill (shall) be beingpast participle
Future Perfectwill (shall) have beenpast participle
Future Perfect Continuouswill (shall) have been beingpast participle

 

The Formation of the Subjunctive Mood of the Passive Voice

TenseAuxiliaryVerb Form
Simple Presentbepast participle
Present Continuousbe beingpast participle
Present Perfecthave beenpast participle
Present Perfect Continuoushave been beingpast participle
   
Simple Pastwerepast participle
Past Continuouswere beingpast participle
Past Perfecthad beenpast participle
Past Perfect Continuoushad been beingpast participle

 
* In the Simple Present and Simple Past tenses of the Active Voice, the auxiliaries are used only for emphasis, and for the formation of questions and negative statements. Auxiliaries are never used with the Simple Present or Simple Past of the verb to be.

** When used without the auxiliary, the third person singular of the Simple Present, in the Indicative Mood of the Active Voice, has the ending s.

*** When used without the auxiliary, the Simple Past form of the verb is used. For regular verbs, and for many irregular verbs, the Simple Past has the same form as the past participle.

**** The other modal auxiliaries could, may, might, must, should and would form conjugations in the same way as will and shall.

 

THE ACTIVE VOICE OF THE VERB TO SHOW

Simple Past: showed
Past Participle: shown


INDICATIVE MOOD

Simple PresentSimple Past
I showI showed
you showyou showed
he showshe showed
she showsshe showed
it showsit showed
we showwe showed
they showthey showed
  
  
Present ContinuousPast Continuous
I am showingI was showing
you are showingyou were showing
he is showinghe was showing
she is showingshe was showing
it is showingit was showing
we are showingwe were showing
they are showingthey were showing
  
  
Present PerfectPast Perfect
I have shownI had shown
you have shownyou had shown
he has shownhe had shown
she has shownshe had shown
it has shownit had shown
we have shownwe had shown
they have shownthey had shown
  
  
Present Perfect ContinuousPast Perfect Continuous
I have been showingI had been showing
you have been showingyou had been showing
he has been showinghe had been showing
she has been showingshe had been showing
it has been showingit had been showing
we have been showingwe had been showing
they have been showingthey had been showing
  
  
Simple FutureSimple Conjugation with Would
I will (shall) showI would show
you will showyou would show
he will showhe would show
she will showshe would show
it will showit would show
we will (shall) showwe would show
they will showthey would show
  
  
Future ContinuousContinuous Conjugation with Would
I will (shall) be showingI would be showing
you will be showingyou would be showing
he will be showinghe would be showing
she will be showingshe would be showing
it will be showingit would be showing
we will (shall) be showingwe would be showing
they will be showingthey would be showing
  
  
Future PerfectPerfect Conjugation with Would
I will (shall) have shownI would have shown
you will have shownyou would have shown
he will have shownhe would have shown
she will have shownshe would have shown
it will have shownit would have shown
we will (shall) have shownwe would have shown
they will have shownthey would have shown
  
  
Future Perfect ContinuousPerfect Continuous Conjugation with Would
I will (shall) have been showingI would have been showing
you will have been showingyou would have been showing
he will have been showinghe would have been showing
she will have been showingshe would have been showing
it will have been showingit would have been showing
we will (shall) have been showingwe would have been showing
they will have been showingthey would have been showing

 
SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD

Simple PresentSimple Past
I showI showed
you showyou showed
he showhe showed
she showshe showed
it showit showed
we showwe showed
they showthey showed
  
  
Present ContinuousPast Continuous
I be showingI were showing
you be showingyou were showing
he be showinghe were showing
she be showingshe were showing
it be showingit were showing
we be showingwe were showing
they be showingthey were showing
  
  
Present PerfectPast Perfect
I have shownI had shown
you have shownyou had shown
he have shownhe had shown
she have shownshe had shown
it have shownit had shown
we have shownwe had shown
they have shownthey had shown
  
  
Present Perfect ContinuousPast Perfect Continuous
I have been showingI had been showing
you have been showingyou had been showing
he have been showinghe had been showing
she have been showingshe had been showing
It have been showingit had been showing
we have been showingwe had been showing
they have been showingthey had been showing

 

THE VERB TO BE AND THE PASSIVE VOICE OF THE VERB TO SHOW

INDICATIVE MOOD

Simple PresentSimple Present
I amI am shown
you areyou are shown
he ishe is shown
she isshe is shown
it isit is shown
we arewe are shown
they arethey are shown
  
  
Present ContinuousPresent Continuous
I am beingI am being shown
you are beingyou are being shown
he is beinghe is being shown
she is beingshe is being shown
it is beingit is being shown
we are beingwe are being shown
they are beingthey are being shown
  
  
Present PerfectPresent Perfect
I have beenI have been shown
you have beenyou have been shown
he has beenhe has been shown
she has beenshe has been shown
it has beenit has been shown
we have beenwe have been shown
they have beenthey have been shown
  
  
Present Perfect ContinuousPresent Perfect Continuous
have been beingI have been being shown
you have been beingyou have been being shown
he has been beinghe has been being shown
she has been beingshe has been being shown
it has been beingit has been being shown
we have been beingwe have been being shown
they have been beingthey have been being shown
  
  
Simple PastSimple Past
I wasI was shown
you wereyou were shown
he washe was shown
she wasshe was shown
it wasit was shown
we werewe were shown
they werethey were shown
  
  
Past ContinuousPast Continuous
I was beingI was being shown
you were beingyou were being shown
he was beinghe was being shown
she was beingshe was being shown
it was beingit was being shown
we were beingwe were being shown
they were beingthey were being shown
  
  
Past PerfectPast Perfect
I had beenI had been shown
you had beenyou had been shown
he had beenhe had been shown
she had beenshe had been shown
it had beenit had been shown
we had beenwe had been shown
they had beenthey had been shown
  
  
Past Perfect ContinuousPast Perfect Continuous
I had been beingI had been being shown
you had been beingyou had been being shown
he had been beinghe had been being shown
she had been beingshe had been being shown
it had been beingit had been being shown
we had been beingwe had been being shown
they had been beingthey had been being shown
  
  
Simple FutureSimple Future
I will (shall) beI will (shall) be shown
you will beyou will be shown
he will behe will be shown
she will beshe will be shown
it will beit will be shown
we will (shall) bewe will (shall) be shown
they will bethey will be shown
  
  
Future ContinuousFuture Continuous
I will (shall) be beingI will (shall) be being shown
you will be beingyou will be being shown
he will be beinghe will be being shown
she will be beingshe will be being shown
it will be beingit will be being shown
we will (shall) be beingwe will (shall) be being shown
they will be beingthey will be being shown
  
  
Future PerfectFuture Perfect
I will (shall) have beenI will (shall) have been shown
you will have beenyou will have been shown
he will have beenhe will have been shown
she will have beenshe will have been shown
it will have beenit will have been shown
we will (shall) have beenwe will (shall) have been shown
they will have beenthey will have been shown
  
  
Future Perfect ContinuousFuture Perfect Continuous
I will (shall) have been beingI will (shall) have been being shown
you will have been beingyou will have been being shown
he will have been beinghe will have been being shown
she will have been beingshe will have been being shown
It will have been beingit will have been being shown
we will (shall) have been beingwe will (shall) have been being shown
they will have been beingthey will have been being shown

 
SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD

Simple PresentSimple Present
I beI be shown
you beyou be shown
he behe be shown
she beshe be shown
it beit be shown
we bewe be shown
they bethey be shown
  
  
Present ContinuousPresent Continuous
I be beingI be being shown
you be beingyou be being shown
he be beinghe be being shown
she be beingshe be being shown
it be beingit be being shown
we be beingwe be being shown
they be beingthey be being shown
  
  
Present PerfectPresent Perfect
I have beenI have been shown
you have beenyou have been shown
he have beenhe have been shown
she have beenshe have been shown
it have beenit have been shown
we have beenwe have been shown
they have beenthey have been shown
  
  
Present Perfect ContinuousPresent Perfect Continuous
I have been beingI have been being shown
you have been beingyou have been being shown
he have been beinghe have been being shown
she have been beingshe have been being shown
it have been beingit have been being shown
we have been beingwe have been being shown
they have been beingthey have been being shown
  
  
Simple PastSimple Past
I wereI were shown
you wereyou were shown
he werehe were shown
she wereshe were shown
it wereit were shown
we werewe were shown
they werethey were shown
  
  
Past ContinuousPast Continuous
I were beingI were being shown
you were beingyou were being shown
he were beinghe were being shown
she were beingshe were being shown
it were beingit were being shown
we were beingwe were being shown
they were beingthey were being shown
  
  
Past PerfectPast Perfect
I had beenI had been shown
you had beenyou had been shown
he had beenhe had been shown
she had beenshe had been shown
it had beenit had been shown
we had beenwe had been shown
they had beenthey had been shown
  
  
Past Perfect ContinuousPast Perfect Continuous
I had been beingI had been being shown
you had been beingyou had been being shown
he had been beinghe had been being shown
she had been beingshe had been being shown
it had been beingit had been being shown
we had been beingwe had been being shown
they had been beingthey had been being shown