Guide to Verb Forms

Infinitive. ("to" + root verb). Perfect tenses.

We need to do something. Past perfect tense.
I had done something. The action happened in the past,
Participle. (past present participle verb, used as adjective or adverb) before something else that also happened in the past.
I submitted the written essay. (NOT I submitted the wrote essay.) (“had” + past participle verb)
I wrote about an interesting topic. Present perfect tense.
I have done something . The action is finished. The time is not specific nor
Gerund. ("ing" verb, used as noun) important. The focus is the impact on now.
Doing something is better than doing nothing. (“has/have” + past participle verb)
Future perfect tense.
Simple tenses. I will have done something. The action will be completed
Simple past tense. before another point in the future.
I did something. The action is finished. (will + “has/have” + past participle verb)
(past verb)
Simple present tense. Perfect continuous tenses.
I do something. Past perfect continuous tense.
(present verb) I had been doing something. The action was completed
Simple future tense. before another point in the past.
I will do something. (“had” + been + "ing" verb)
(will + root verb) (“is/are” + “going to” + root verb) Present perfect continuous tense.
I have been doing something . The action began in the past
Continuous tenses. and has been going on for some time.
Past continuous tense. (“has/have” + been + "ing" verb)
I was doing something. The action began and ended in the past. Future perfect continuous tense.
(“was/were” + "ing" verb) I will have been doing something. The action considers the duration of the action
Present continuous tense. in the past.
I am doing something now. The action is not yet complete. (will + “has/have” + been + "ing" verb)
The time is around now.
(“am/is/are” + "ing" verb) NOTES:
Future continuous tense. WILL/WOULD/… is always followed by a ROOT VERB.
I will be doing something. The action will start and will continue HAS/HAVE/HAD or DOES/DO/DID is always followed by a PAST PARTICIPLE.
from a point in the future.
(will + be + "ing" verb) (“is/are” + "going to" + be + "ing" verb) HAS/HAVE/HAD can be followed by BEEN + PAST or PRESENT PARTICIPLE.
WILL/WOULD/… can be followed by BE + PAST or PRESENT PARTICIPLE.