Rules For Tenses

Simple Present Tense

Singular

Plural

Rule: Subject + V1 + s/es + Object

Rule: Subject + V1 + Object

Positive: The boy plays a guitar

Positive: They fight with friends.

Negative: The boy does not play a guitar

Negative: They don’t fight with friends.

Question: Is the boy playing the guitar?

Question: Do they fight with friends?

Present Continuous Tense

Rule: Subject + is/am/are + V1 + ing + object

Singular

Plural

Positive: He is listening to a pop song.

Positive: We are listening to a pop song.

Negative: He isn’t listening to a pop song.

Negative: We aren’t listening to a pop song.

Question: Is he listening to a pop song?

Question: Are we listening to a pop song?

Present Perfect Tense

Rule: Subject + has + V3 + Object

Rule: Subject + have + V3 + Object

Singular

Plural

Positive: He has polished my shoes

Positive: They have bought a book.

Negative: He hasn’t polished my shoes

Negative: They haven’t bought a book.

Question: Has he polished my shoes?

Question: Have they bought a book?

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Rule: Subject + has been + V1 + ing + Object

Rule: Subject + have been + V1 + ing + Object

Singular

Plural

Positive: I have been combing my hair.

Positive: They have been feeling hungry.

Negative: I haven’t been combing my hair.

Negative: They haven’t been feeling hungry.

Question: Have I been combing my hair?

Question: Have they been feeling hungry?

Simple Past Tense

Rule: Subject + V2 + Object (Verb is in the second form)

Positive: Paul ran away.

Negative: Paul did not run away.

Question: Did Paul run away?

Past Continuous Tense

Singular

Plural

Rule: Subject + was + V1 + ing + Object

Rule: Subject + were + V1 + ing + Object

Positive: I was feeding her dog.

Positive: They were feeling hungry.

Negative: I wasn’t feeding her dog.

Negative: They weren’t feeling hungry.

Question: Was I feeding her dog?

Question: Were they feeling hungry.

Past Perfect Tense

Rule: Subject + had + V3 + Object

Singular

Plural

Positive: I had fed her dog.

Positive: They had bought a new car.

Negative: I hadn’t fed her dog.

Negative: They hadn’t bought a new car.

Question: Hadn’t I fed her dog?

Question: Had they bought a new car?

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Rule: Subject + had been + V1 + ing + Object

Singular

Plural

Positive: I had been combing my hair.

Positive: They had been reading books since yesterday.

Negative: I hadn’t been combing my hair.

Negative: They had not been reading books since yesterday.

Question: Had I been combing my hair?

Question: Had they been reading books since yesterday?

Simple Future Tense

Rule: Subject + will/shall + V1 + Object

Positive: I will comb her hair.

Negative: I will not comb her hair.

Question: Will I comb her hair?

Future Continuous Tense

Singular

Plural

Rule: Subject + will be/shall be + V1 + ing + Obj

Rule: Subject + will be/shall be + V1 + ing + Obj

Positive: I will be feeding her dog.

Positive: They were feeling hungry.

Negative: I will not be feeding her dog.

Negative: They weren’t feeling hungry.

Question: Will I be feeding her dog?

Question: Were they feeling hungry.

Future Perfect Tense

Rule: Subject + had + V3 + Object

Singular

Plural

Positive: I will have fed her dog.

Positive: They will have bought a new car.

Negative: I won’t have fed her dog.

Negative: They won’t have bought a new car.

Question: Will I have fed her dog?

Question: Won’t have they bought a new car?

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Rule: Subject + will have been + V1 + ing + Object

Singular

Plural

Positive: I will have been combing my hair.

Positive: They will have been feeling hungry for two hours.

Negative: I will not have been combing my hair.

Negative: They will not have been feeling hungry for two hours.

Question: Will I have been combing my hair?

Question: Will They have been feeling hungry for two hours?