Below shows how the different tenses of English verbs are formed.
It also shows in brackets how the negative form of each tense is used.
The words ‘continuous’ and ‘progresssive’ are both used in the names of
tenses because both words are used in teaching.
In all the examples below, the regular verb ‘help’ is used for all tenses so that you can compare the endings.
Present Simple
used for actions in the present, for things that are always true or that happen regularly, and for opinions and beliefs
I/we/you/they help (do not help)
he/she/it helps (does not help)
Present Continuous/Progressive
used for actions or events that are happening or developing now, for future plans, or to show that an event is repeated
I am helping (am not helping)
we/you/they are helping (are not helping)
he/she/it is helping (is not helping)
Present Perfect
used to show that an event happened or an action was completed at some time before the present
I/we/you/they have helped (have not helped)
he/she/it has helped (has not helped)
Present Perfect Continuous/Progressive
used for actions or events that started in the past but are still
happening now, or for past actions which only recently finished and
whose effects are seen now
I/we/you/they have been helping (have not been helping)
he/she/it has been helping (has not been helping)
Past Simple
used for completed actions and events in the past
I/we/you/they helped (did not help)
he/she/it helped (did not help)
Past Continuous/Progressive
used for actions or events in the past that were not yet ?nished or that were interrupted
I was helping (was not helping)
we/you/they were helping (were not helping)
he/she/it was helping (was not helping)
Past Perfect (or ‘Pluperfect’)
usually used to show that an event happened or an action was completed before a particular time in the past
I/we/you/they had helped (had not helped)
he/she/it had helped (had not helped)
Past Perfect Continuous/Progressive
used for actions or events that happened for a period of time but were completed before a particular time in the past
I/we/you/they had been helping (had not been helping)
he/she/it had been helping (had not been helping)
Future Simple
used for actions and events in the future
I/we/you/they will help (will not help)
he/she/it will help (will not help)
Future Continuous/Progressive
used for actions or events in the future that will continue into the future
I/we/you/they will be helping (will not be helping)
he/she/it will be helping (will not be helping)
Future Perfect
used to show that something will be completed before a particular time in the future
I/we/you/they will have helped (will not have helped)
he/she/it will have helped (will not have helped)
Future Perfect Continuous/Progressive
used for actions or events that will already be happening at a particular time in the future
I/we/you/they will have been helping (will not have been helping)
he/she/it will have been helping (will not have been helping)
Subjunctive
This is fairly unusual and often sounds formal. It is often used to express possibilities, doubts or wishes.
I/we/you/they help (not help)
he/she/it help (not help)
