Verb forms and tenses in the active voice

Basic verb forms

regular verb help irregular verb give irregular verb be*
base form help give be
past tense helped gave was, were
past participle helped given been
present participle helping giving being
-s form helps gives is

*Be also has the forms am and are, which are used in the present tense.

Verb tenses commonly used in the active voice

Simple tenses

For general facts, states of being, habitual actions

Simple present Base form or -s form

general facts

 College students often study late at night.

states of being

 Water becomes steam at 100 degrees centigrade.

habitual, repetitive actions

 We donate to a different charity each year.

scheduled future events

 The train arrives tomorrow at 6:30 p.m.
Simple past Base form + -ed or -d or irregular form

completed actions at a specific time in the past

 The storm destroyed their property. She drove to Montana three years ago.

facts or states of being in the past

 When I was young, I usually walked to school with my sister.

Simple future

 will + base form

future actions, promises, or predictions

 I will exercise tomorrow. The snowfall will begin around midnight.

Simple progressive forms

For continuing actions

Present progressive am, is, are + present participle

actions in progress at the present time, not continuing indefinitely

 The students are taking an exam in Room 105. The valet is parking the car.

future actions (with leave, go, come, move, etc.)

 I am leaving tomorrow morning.
Past progressive was, were + present participle

actions in progress at a specific time in the past

 They were swimming when the storm struck.

was going to, were going to for past plans that did not happen

 We were going to drive to Florida for spring break, but the car broke down.

NOTE: Some verbs are not normally used in the progressive: appear, believe, belong, contain, have, hear, know, like, need, see, seem, taste, understand, and want.

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Perfect tenses

For actions that happened before another present or past time

Present perfect has, have + past participle
repetitive or constant actions that began in the past and continue to the present I have loved cats since I was a child. Alicia has worked in Kenya for ten years.
actions that happened at an unknown or unspecific time in the past Stephen has visited Wales three times.
Past perfect had + past participle
actions that began or occurred before another time in the past She had just crossed the street when the runaway car crashed into the building.

Perfect progressive forms

For continuous past actions before another present or past time

Present perfect progressive has, have + been + present participle
continuous actions that began in the past and continue to the present Yolanda has been trying to get a job in Boston for five years.
Past perfect progressive had + been + present participle
actions that began and continued in the past until another past action By the time I moved to Georgia, I had been supporting myself for five years.