English Verb Tenses

Refers to the time of an action (past, present, future).

Describes how an action is happening (simple, continuous, perfect, perfect continuous).

Used for habits, routines, facts, and scheduled future events.

Used for actions that happened in the past and are finished.

Combines 'have' with the past participle to show an action that started in the past and continues to the present.

Used for actions that will happen in the future with certainty.

Used for actions happening right now and not yet finished.

Words like 'always', 'usually', 'sometimes', 'rarely', and 'never' that indicate frequency.

Shows the duration of an action using 'for' or a specific period of time.

Indicates a starting point for an action using 'since' and a specific point in time.

A completed action in the past, often with unknown details.

A recently completed action.

Used to describe temporary situations or habits.

Used to express annoyance or frustration.

Describes future actions that are already planned or arranged.

Used to describe continuous actions happening at a specific time in the past.

Used to refer to actions happening at the same time in the past.

Used to describe a change in a previous plan or intention.

Used to describe continuous actions happening at a specific time in the future.

Used to refer to actions happening at the same time in the future (one action while another is happening).

Used to describe actions that started in the past and are still continuing in the present.

Used to describe actions that just finished recently or are still ongoing in the present.

Used to describe two actions in the past, one happening before the other.

Used to describe actions that started in the past and continued to another point in the past.

Used to describe two actions that happen in the future, one before the other.

Used to describe an action that happens in the future and continues to another point in the future.

Used to talk about actions that happen regularly or habitually.

Used to express something that was happening at a specific time in the past.

Used to describe something happening now and it's a factual statement.

Used to discuss future plans or predictions.

A grammatical voice that emphasizes the action rather than the doer of the action.

A grammatical voice that emphasizes the doer of the action.

Changing a sentence from active to passive voice, where the object becomes the subject and the verb changes to be in the passive form.

The part of a sentence that tells what the subject does or is. It includes the verb and any related words.

The part of a sentence that receives the action of the verb.

A verb that describes an action done to someone or something else, often using 'by' or 'with'.

A form of a verb that shows completion of an action.

Using the causative verb 'have' to express a request or command for someone else to do something.

Using the causative verb 'get' to express a request or command for someone else to do something.

Using the causative verb 'make' to express forcing someone to do something.

Using the causative verb 'let' to express giving permission to someone to do something.

Using the causative verb 'help' to express assistance with an action.

A sentence structure where the main verb is followed by an object and then the infinitive (to + base verb).

Using the infinitive (to + base verb) after a verb that describes a request, command, or suggestion.

A verb that requires an object to complete its meaning.

A verb that doesn't need an object to complete its meaning.

The part of a sentence that tells us what the subject is doing.

A phrase that shows where or when something happens.

A word that describes an action or a verb.

A sentence structure that highlights the action over the performer of that action.

Using the passive voice to focus on the object or the recipient of the action.

Using the passive voice when the performer of the action is unknown or irrelevant.

Using the passive voice when the performer is obvious or unimportant.

Using the passive voice to create a formal, objective tone.

Changing a sentence from active to passive by moving the object to the subject position.

Using the correct verb tense and auxiliary verbs like 'be' and 'have' to form a passive sentence.

A word that describes why something happens.

The verb 'have' used to show that someone makes something happen by paying, asking or convincing.

Structure used when the object of the causative 'have' is a person.

Structure used when the object of the causative 'have' is a thing.

The verb 'get' used to show that someone makes something happen by asking, convincing or paying.

Structure used when the object of the causative 'get' is a person.

Structure used when the object of the causative 'get' is a thing.

The verb 'make' used to show that someone makes something happen, often by force or command.

The verb 'let' used to show that someone allows another to do something.

The verb 'help' used to show that someone assists another in doing something.

The subject of the causative sentence is causing something to happen.

The subject in a causative sentence is not directly doing the action.

The focus of the causative sentence is on the result, not on who is performing the action.

Causative sentences can be used to discuss situations where someone is paying for something.

The object is moved to the beginning, followed by the verb "to be" in the same tense as the active verb, then the past participle of the main verb, ending with "by" and the subject.

The action is emphasized, making the object the center of attention.

The actor is deliberately hidden or unknown.

The action is unknown or indefinite.

To convey a formal, polite or impersonal tone.

The subject pronoun in the active sentence changes to an object pronoun when making it passive.

The object (receiving the action) becomes the subject (performing the action) in the passive sentence.

The verb "to be" must be in the same tense as the active verb.

The past participle of the main verb is used in the passive voice.

Used to indicate that someone/something has been brought to a particular state.

Used to represent an action that was completed at an unspecified time in the past.

The past participle of the main verb is used in the passive voice.

The verb 'to be' must agree with the new subject in the passive voice (singular/plural).

Adding "by..." to the end of the passive sentence identifies the actor.

Omitting "by..." in the passive voice can conceal the performer of the action.

To allow someone to do something.

To assist someone in completing a task.

The indefinite article 'a' or 'an' is used for the first mention of a noun, while the definite article 'the' is used for subsequent mentions.

Use 'the' when referring to a noun that is the only one of its kind or is assumed to be unique.

Use 'the' when referring to specific countable nouns that are already defined or understood by the context.

Use 'the' when referring to specific uncountable nouns that are already defined or understood by the context.

Use 'the' before superlative adjectives (the best, the biggest, the worst, etc.)

To force someone or something to do something.

To get someone to do something for you.

Fine-tuning your understanding and use of the English language, avoiding common mistakes.

A word that precedes a noun and specifies whether the noun is singular, plural, definite, or indefinite.

A word that is used to connect words, phrases, or clauses.

A word that represents a person, place, or thing.

Describes a person's enduring qualities, traits, or characteristics.

Describes a temporary feeling of disinterest or lack of stimulation.

Words that describe a state of being, often expressing feelings or emotions.

Words that describe a person's characteristics, qualities, or traits.

Describing actions that continue over a period of time.

Used before superlative adjectives to indicate the highest degree of a quality.

Used before ordinal numbers to indicate position in a sequence.

Used with clauses introduced by 'only' to specify exclusivity.

Used to refer to specific decades, such as the 1960s or the 70s.

Used with collective nouns to identify a group of people, such as the French or the elderly.

Used with the names of rivers, such as the Amazon or the Nile.

Used with names of mountain ranges, such as the Rockies or the Andes.

Used with names of oceans, such as the Atlantic or the Pacific.

Used with names of deserts, such as the Sahara or the Mojave.

Used with certain points on the globe, such as the North Pole, the South Pole, and the equator.

Used with names of islands, especially when referring to a group, such as the Bahamas or the Hawaiian Islands.

Used with countries that have plural names, such as the Philippines or the Netherlands.

Used with countries that include a type of state in their name, like Kingdom or Republic, such as the United States or the United Kingdom.

Used with the names of newspapers, such as the New York Times or the Washington Post.

Used with the names of buildings or structures, such as the Empire State Building or the Great Wall of China.

A grammatical mood that expresses a wish, command, suggestion, or condition, often using the base form of the verb without conjugation.

A verb that indicates a request, command, suggestion, or expectation, often followed by a clause in the subjunctive mood.

A grammatical rule that ensures the verb agrees in number with its subject, particularly when using contractions with 'do' and 'not' in negative statements.

A common error where speakers incorrectly conjugate the helping verb 'do' in a negative sentence, particularly using 'don't' when the subject is singular (he, she, it).

A common error where learners mistakenly use the wrong type of adjective (Ed or ing) to describe a feeling, situation, or thing.

A common verb used in English that often implies a suggestion or recommendation, almost as if the 'should' is already included in the meaning.

A clause that functions as a noun, often used after certain verbs like 'believe,' 'insist,' and 'recommend.'

A modal verb (like 'should') that is often implied by the verb 'recommend,' suggesting that a certain action is expected or advised.

A common grammar mistake where learners incorrectly conjugate the verb in a noun clause after subjunctive mood verbs, particularly when the subject is 'he,' 'she,' or 'it.'

A verb used to express a request or command for someone else to do something, often using structures like 'have something done.'