The Verb System of English

The verb system of English is based on tenses. The form of the tenses usually tells the listener
when the sentence's action took place. Verbs often contain an auxiliary in addition to the main
verb. Auxiliary verbs in English are various forms of to be, to do, and to have.
I am going. Do you study much? Have you ever gone?

Verbs always have the following forms: the infinitive or simple form, present participle, simple past
and past participle:

infinitive simple present participle simple past past participle

to go go going went gone

12 Basic Tenses
In English there are 12 basic tenses. In the active voice, they are formed as follows:

Present Simple: I eat. (base form of the verb)

Present Continuous: I am eating. (be + present participle)

Present Perfect: I have eaten. (have + past participle)

Present Perfect Continuous: I have been eating. (have + been + present participle)

Past Simple: I ate. (past simple form of verb)

Past Continuous: I was eating. (past of ‘be’ + present participle)

Past Perfect: I had eaten. (had + past participle)

Past Perfect Continuous: I had been eating. (had + been + present participle)

Future Simple: I will eat. (will + base verb)

Future Continuous: I will be eating. (will + be + present participle)

Future Perfect: I will have eaten. (will + have + past participle)

Future Perfect Continuous: I will have been eating. (will + have + been + present participle)