Essential English Verb Tenses and Modal Verbs Reference

Posted on Oct 18, 2025 in Administration and Management

English Verb Tenses: Structures and Time Markers

Present Simple

Used for habits, facts, and scheduled events.

Common Time Expressions (Adverbs of Frequency)

  • ALWAYS, USUALLY, GENERALLY, REGULARLY, OCCASIONALLY, FREQUENTLY, OFTEN, SOMETIMES, RARELY, SELDOM, NEVER.
  • AT 1 O’CLOCK, AT NIGHT, IN THE MORNING, ON FRIDAYS, EVERY WEEK, ONCE A MONTH, HOW OFTEN…?

Present Continuous

Structure: (AM/IS/ARE + V-ING)

Example: AM SINGING / AM NOT SINGING / AM I SINGING?

Time Markers

  • NOW, RIGHT NOW, AT THE MOMENT, AT PRESENT, TODAY, THIS MONTH, THIS YEAR, THIS EVENING, TONIGHT.
  • (Used for future plans): TOMORROW, NEXT FRIDAY/WEEK/YEAR.

Past Simple

Structure: (V-ED / DIDN’T + V / DID + Subject + V?)

Example: FINISHED / DIDN’T FINISH / DID YOU FINISH?

Time Markers

  • YESTERDAY, LAST WEEK/YEAR, TWO DAYS AGO, IN 2007, IN THE 1980S, IN THE 18TH CENTURY, WHEN, THEN.

Past Continuous

Structure: (WAS/WERE + V-ING)

Example: WAS VISITING / WASN’T VISITING / WAS I VISITING?

Time Markers

  • LAST NIGHT/WEEK/YEAR (at a specific time), AT 4 O’CLOCK, WHEN, WHILE, AS.

Past Perfect Simple

Structure: (HAD + V-ED)

Example: HAD ARRIVED / HADN’T ARRIVED / HAD YOU ARRIVED?

Time Markers

  • ALREADY, BY THE TIME, AFTER, BEFORE, UNTIL, NEVER, JUST.

Present Perfect Simple

Structure: (HAVE/HAS + V-ED)

Example: HAVE LIVED / HAVEN’T LIVED / HAVE YOU LIVED?

Time Markers

  • NEVER, EVER, ALREADY, JUST, YET, RECENTLY, LATELY, HOW LONG…?, FOR, SINCE, IN RECENT YEARS.

Future Simple (Will)

Structure: (WILL + V)

Example: WILL ALLOW / WON’T ALLOW / WILL YOU ALLOW?

Time Markers

  • THIS EVENING, IN AN HOUR, AT 2 O’CLOCK, LATER, TOMORROW, NEXT MONTH/YEAR, SOON, IN A FEW WEEKS, IN THE FUTURE, ON THE 1ST OF MAY.

Future (Be Going To)

Structure: (AM/IS/ARE GOING TO + V)

Example: AM GOING TO BUY / AM NOT GOING TO BUY / AM I GOING TO BUY?

Time Markers

  • THIS EVENING, LATER, IN AN HOUR, AT 4 O’CLOCK, TOMORROW, SOON, NEXT MONTH/YEAR, IN A FEW WEEKS, ON THE 8TH OF MAY.

Future Perfect Simple

Structure: (WILL HAVE + V-ED)

Example: WILL HAVE EATEN / WON’T HAVE EATEN / WILL YOU HAVE EATEN?

Time Markers

  • BY THIS TIME NEXT WEEK, BY 3 O’CLOCK, BY THE END OF…, BY THEN, BY AUGUST, IN FOUR MONTHS.

Future Continuous

Structure: (WILL BE + V-ING)

Example: WILL BE TRAVELLING / WON’T BE TRAVELLING / WILL YOU BE TRAVELLING?

Time Markers

  • AT THIS TIME TOMORROW, AT THIS TIME NEXT WEEK/MONTH/YEAR, ON THURSDAY, IN THE NEXT DECADE.

Modal Verbs: Usage and Meaning

Primary Modals

  • CAN: Ability, Possibility, Informal Permission. (Example: Can I join?)
  • BE ABLE TO: Ability (especially in tenses where CAN cannot be used). (Example: I think they will be able to see a hurricane.)
  • CAN’T: Inability, Prohibition, Strong Deduction (Impossibility). (Example: That can’t be David, he’s in China.)
  • COULD: Past Ability, Polite Request, Possibility. (Example: I could run when I was little. Could you tell…?)
  • MAY/MIGHT: Possibility. (Example: The tourists may/might…)
  • MAY: Formal Permission. (Example: May I borrow… please?)
  • SHOULD/OUGHT TO: Advice, Opinion, Expectation. (Example: You should worry about them.)
  • NEED TO: Necessity. (Example: I need to know.)
  • HAVE TO: Obligation (often external). (Example: You will have to spend a lot of time in the car.)
  • MUST: Strong Obligation (internal), Strong Deduction. (Example: They must evacuate. He must be…)
  • MUSTN’T: Prohibition. (Example: You mustn’t go near.)
  • DON’T HAVE TO: Lack of Necessity. (Example: You don’t have to worry.)
  • NEEDN’T: Lack of Necessity. (Example: It is not necessary.)
  • WOULD: Polite Request, Offer. (Example: Would you open… please? Would you like more water?)

Modal Perfect Forms (Past Reference)

  • MUST HAVE: Conclusion/Strong Deduction about the past. (Example: He must have been…)
  • MAY/MIGHT HAVE: Possibility in the past. (Example: They may have…)
  • COULD HAVE: Unfulfilled possibility in the past. (Example: You could have hurt yourself.)
  • COULDN’T HAVE: Impossibility in the past. (Example: They couldn’t have…)
  • WOULD HAVE: Hypothetical action in the past (Conditional). (Example: I would have gone, but…)
  • SHOULD/OUGHT TO HAVE: Regret or criticism regarding a past action that did not happen. (Example: Something that should have happened.)
  • SHOULDN’T HAVE: Regret or criticism regarding a past action that did happen. (Example: You shouldn’t have…)
  • NEEDN’T HAVE: An action was performed, but it was unnecessary. (Example: You needn’t have…)

Verb Forms: Infinitive vs. Gerund

Verbs followed by either the TO-Infinitive or the -ING Gerund form.

Verbs Followed by the TO-Infinitive

  • AGREE, ASK, DECIDE, HELP, PLAN, HOPE, LEARN, WANT, WOULD LIKE, PROMISE, CAN AFFORD, MANAGE, PREPARE, DEMAND, CHOOSE, OFFER, WAIT, WOULD HATE/LOVE, SEEM, EXPECT, INTEND, PRETEND, REFUSE, TEND, WOULD PREFER, DESERVE, APPEAR, ARRANGE, CLAIM.

Verbs Followed by the -ING Gerund

  • ENJOY, FANCY, DISCUSS, DISLIKE, FINISH, MIND, SUGGEST, RECOMMEND, KEEP, AVOID, MISS, APPRECIATE, DELAY, POSTPONE, PRACTISE, CONSIDER, CAN’T STAND, CAN’T HELP, RISK, ADMIT, DENY, MENTION, IMAGINE, TOLERATE, UNDERSTAND, INVOLVE, COMPLETE, REPORT, ANTICIPATE, RECALL.