{{Short description|none}} {{redirect|Past Progressive|the 2019 album|Past Progressive (album)}} {{more citations needed|date=July 2025}} {{English grammar}} Modern standard [[English language|English]] has various [[verb]] forms, including: * [[Finite verb]] forms such as ''go'', ''goes'' and ''went'' * [[non-finite verb|Nonfinite]] forms such as ''(to) go'', ''going'' and ''gone'' * Combinations of such forms with [[auxiliary verb]]s, such as ''was going'' and ''would have gone'' They can be used to express [[grammatical tense|tense]] (time reference), [[grammatical aspect|aspect]], [[grammatical mood|mood]], [[modality (grammar)|modality]] and [[Voice (grammar)|voice]], in various configurations.
For details of how inflected forms of verbs are produced in English, see [[English verbs]]. For the grammatical structure of clauses, including word order, see [[English clause syntax]]. For non-standard or archaic forms, see individual dialect articles and [[thou]].
==Inflected forms of verbs== A typical English verb may have five different [[inflection|inflected]] forms: *The base form or plain form (''go'', ''write'', ''climb''), which has several uses—as an [[#Infinitive|infinitive]], [[#Imperative|imperative]], present [[#Subjunctive|subjunctive]], and present [[indicative]] except in the [[grammatical person|third-person]] singular *The ''-s'' form (''goes'', ''writes'', ''climbs''), used as the present indicative in the third-person singular *The [[#Simple past|past tense]] or [[preterite]] (''went'', ''wrote'', ''climbed'') *The [[#Past participle|past participle]] (''gone'', ''written'', ''climbed'') – identical to the past tense in the case of regular verbs and some [[English irregular verbs|irregular]] ones (here the first two verbs are irregular and the third regular), it may also used as a (de)verbal adjective *The ''[[-ing]]'' form (''going'', ''writing'', ''climbing''), used as a [[#Present participle|present participle]], [[#Gerund|gerund]], [[#Deverbal uses|(de)verbal noun]], and sometimes (de)verbal adjective
The verb ''be'' has a larger number of different forms (''am'', ''is'', ''are'', ''was'', ''were'', etc.), while the [[English modal verbs|modal verbs]] have a more limited number of forms. Some forms of ''be'' and of certain other [[auxiliary verb]]s also have [[English contractions|contracted]] forms (''{{'}}s'', '' 're'', '' 've'', etc.).
For full details of how these inflected forms of verbs are produced, see [[English verbs]].
==Verbs in combination== In English, verbs frequently appear in combinations containing one or more [[auxiliary verb]]s and a [[#infinitive|nonfinite]] form (infinitive or participle) of a main (lexical) verb. For example: ::The dog '''was barking''' very loudly. ::My hat '''has been cleaned'''. ::Jane '''does''' not really '''like''' us. The first verb in such a combination is the [[finite verb]], the remainder are [[non-finite verb|nonfinite]] (although constructions in which even the leading verb is nonfinite are also possible – see {{slink||Perfect and progressive nonfinite constructions}} below). Such combinations are sometimes called [[catena (linguistics)|verb catenae]]. As the last example shows, the words making up these combinations do not always remain consecutive.
For details of the formation of such constructions, see [[English clause syntax]]. The uses of the various types of combination are described in the detailed sections of the present article. (For another type of combination involving verbs – items such as ''go on'', ''slip away'' and ''break off'' – see [[Phrasal verb]].)
==Tenses, aspects and moods== As in many other languages, the means English uses for expressing the three categories of [[grammatical tense|tense]] (time reference), [[grammatical aspect|aspect]] and [[grammatical mood|mood]] are somewhat conflated (see [[tense–aspect–mood]]). In contrast to languages like [[Latin]], though, English has only limited means for expressing these categories through verb [[grammatical conjugation|conjugation]], and tends mostly to express them [[periphrasis|periphrastically]], using the verb [[#Verbs in combination|combinations]] mentioned in the previous section. The tenses, aspects and moods that may be identified in English are described below (although the terminology used differs significantly between authors). In common usage, particularly in [[English language teaching]], particular tense–aspect–mood combinations such as "present progressive" and "conditional perfect" are often referred to simply as "tenses".
===Tenses=== Verb tenses are [[inflectional]] forms which can be used to express that something occurs in the past, present, or future.<ref>{{cite web |title=Verb Tenses: English Tenses Chart with Useful Rules & Examples |url=https://7esl.com/verb-tenses/ |website=7esl.com |date=15 May 2018 |publisher=7ESL |access-date=15 May 2018 |language=en}}</ref> In English, the only tenses are past and non-past, though the term "future" is sometimes applied to [[periphrastic]] constructions involving modals such as ''will'' and ''go''. Some verb tenses are [[Compound verb | compound]] and can combine different verb tenses to form another one.
====Present==== {{Main articles|Present tense#English}} [[Present tense]] is used, in principle, to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time (or over a period that includes the present time) and general truths (see [[gnomic aspect]]). However the same forms are quite often also used to refer to future circumstances, as in "He's coming tomorrow" (hence this tense is sometimes referred to as ''present-future'' or ''non-past''). For certain grammatical contexts where the present tense is the standard way to refer to the future, see [[#Conditional sentences|conditional sentences]] and [[#Dependent clauses|dependent clauses]] below. It is also possible for the present tense to be used when referring to no particular real time (as when telling a story), or when recounting past events (the [[historical present]], particularly common in [[headline language]]). The [[#Present perfect|present perfect]] intrinsically refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.
The present tense has two [[grammatical mood|moods]], indicative and subjunctive; when no mood is specified, it is often the indicative that is meant. In a present indicative construction, the finite verb appears in its base form, or in its ''-s'' form if its [[subject (grammar)|subject]] is [[grammatical person|third-person]] singular. (The verb ''be'' has the forms ''am'', ''is'', ''are'', while the [[English modal verbs|modal verbs]] do not add ''-s'' for third-person singular.) For the present subjunctive, see [[English subjunctive]]. (The present subjunctive has no particular relationship with present time, and is sometimes simply called the subjunctive, without specifying the tense.)
====Past==== {{Main articles|Past tense#English}} [[Past tense]] forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past, although they also have certain uses in referring to hypothetical situations (as in some [[#Conditional sentences|conditional sentences]], [[#Dependent clauses|dependent clauses]] and [[#Expressions of wish|expressions of wish]]). They are formed using the finite verb in its preterite (simple past) form.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Freeborn|first=Dennis|title=A Course Book in English Grammar|publisher=Palgrave, London|year=1995|isbn=978-1-349-24079-1|pages=149–150}}</ref>
Certain uses of the past tense may be referred to as [[subjunctive]]s; however the only distinction in verb conjugation between the past indicative and past subjunctive is the possible use of ''were'' in the subjunctive in place of ''was''. For details see [[English subjunctive]].
====Future==== {{Main articles|Future tense#English}} English lacks a morphological future tense, since there is no verb [[inflection]] which expresses that an event will occur at a future time.<ref name=":0" /> However, the term "future tense" is sometimes applied to [[periphrasis|periphrastic]] constructions involving modals such as ''[[English modal verbs#will|will]]'', ''shall'', and ''[[Going-to future|to be going to]]''.
::Don't go near that bomb! It '''will''' explode! (periphrastic future) ::Don't go near that bomb! It's '''going to''' explode!
The morphological present tense can be used to refer to future times, particularly in [[#Conditional sentences|conditional sentences]] and [[#Dependent clauses|dependent clauses]].
::If the world end'''s''' tomorrow, I won't be surprised. ::If next year '''is''' worse than this one, I will be surprised.
The morphologically past variants of future modals can be used to create a periphrastic ''[[future-in-the-past]]'' construction.<ref>For example, Jacqueline Morton, ''English Grammar for Students of French'', 6th Edition, Olivia and Hill Press, 2009, p. 82.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-03-18 |title=Talking about the past |url=https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/english-grammar-reference/talking-about-past |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=LearnEnglish |language=en}}</ref> Here the sentence as a whole refers to some particular past time, but ''would win'' refers to a time in the future relative to that past time. See {{slink|Future tense|Expressions of relative tense}}.
:::''She knew that she '''would win''' the game.''
===Aspects===
====Simple==== "Simple" forms of verbs are those appearing in constructions not marked for either [[#Progressive|progressive]] or [[#Perfect|perfect]] aspect (''I go'', ''I don't go'', ''I went'', ''I will go'', etc., but not ''I'm going'' or ''I have gone'').
Simple constructions normally denote a single action (perfective [[grammatical aspect|aspect]]), as in ''Brutus '''killed''' Caesar'', a repeated action (habitual aspect), as in ''I '''go''' to school'', or a relatively permanent state, as in ''We '''live''' in Dallas''. They may also denote a temporary state ([[imperfective aspect]]), in the case of stative verbs that do not use progressive forms (see below).
====Progressive==== The [[progressive aspect|progressive]] or '''continuous''' aspect is used to denote a temporary action or state that began at a previous time and continues into the present time (or other time of reference). It is expressed using the auxiliary verb ''to be'' together with the [[#Present participle|present participle]] (''-ing'' form) of the main verb: ''I '''am reading'''''; '''''Were''' you '''shouting'''?''; ''He '''will be sitting''' over there''.
Certain [[stative verb]]s make limited use of progressive aspect. Their non-progressive forms (simple or non-progressive perfect constructions) are used in many situations even when expressing a temporary state. The main types are described below. *The [[copular verb]] ''to be'' does not normally use progressive forms (''I am happy'', not *''I am being happy''). However its progressive aspect is used in appropriate situations when the verb expresses the [[English passive voice|passive voice]] (''We are being followed''), and when it has the meaning of "behave" or "act as" (''You are being very naughty''; ''He's being a pest''). *The verb ''to have'' does not use progressive forms when it expresses [[possession (linguistics)|possession]], broadly understood (''I have a brother'', not *''I'm having a brother''), but it does use them in its active meanings (''I'm having a party''; ''She's having a baby''; ''He was having a problem starting his car''). See also [[#Have got and can see|''have got'']] below. Other verbs expressing a state of possession or similar, such as ''possess'', ''own'', ''belong'' and ''owe'', also do not normally use progressive forms. *Verbs of mental state, sense perception and similar (''know'', ''believe'', ''want'', ''think'', ''see'', ''hear'', ''need'', etc.) are generally used without progressive aspect, although some of them can be used in the progressive to imply an ongoing, often temporary situation (''I am feeling lonely''), or an activity (''I am thinking about a problem''). See also [[#Have got and can see|''can see'']] below. *Verbs denoting positional state normally do use the progressive if the state is temporary: ''He is standing in the corner.'' (Compare permanent state: ''London stands on the banks of the Thames.'')
====Perfect==== The [[perfect aspect]] is used to denote the circumstance of an action's being complete at a certain time. It is expressed using a form of the [[English auxiliaries|auxiliary verb]] ''have'' (appropriately conjugated for tense etc.) together with the past participle of the main verb: ''She '''has eaten''' it''; ''We '''had left'''''; ''When '''will''' you '''have finished'''?''
Perfect forms can also be used to refer to states or habitual actions, even if not complete, if the focus is on the time period before the point of reference (''We had lived there for five years''). If such a circumstance is temporary, the perfect is often combined with progressive aspect (see the following section).
The implications of the [[#Present perfect|present perfect]] (that something occurred prior to the present moment) are similar to those of the simple past, although the two forms are generally not used interchangeably—the simple past is used when the time frame of reference is in the past, while the present perfect is used when it extends to the present. For details, see the relevant sections below. For all uses of specific perfect constructions, see the sections below on the [[#Present perfect|present perfect]], [[#Past perfect|past perfect]], [[#Future perfect|future perfect]], and [[#Conditional perfect|conditional perfect]].
By using [[non-finite verb|non-finite]] forms of the auxiliary ''have'', perfect aspect can also be marked on infinitives (as in ''should '''have left''''' and ''expect '''to have finished''' working''), and on participles and gerunds (as in '''''having seen''' the doctor''). For the usage of such forms, see the section below on [[#Perfect and progressive nonfinite constructions|perfect and progressive non-finite constructions]].
Although all of the constructions referred to here are commonly referred to as perfect (based on their grammatical form), some of them, particularly non-present and non-finite instances, might not be considered truly expressive of the perfect aspect.<ref name="modal">{{cite journal |author=Jeanette S. DeCarrico |title=Tense, Aspect, and Time in the English Modality System |journal=TESOL Quarterly |volume=20 |issue=4 |pages=665–682 |date=December 1986 |doi=10.2307/3586517 |jstor=3586517}}</ref> This applies particularly when the [[perfect infinitive]] is used together with [[modal verb]]s: for example, ''he could not have been a genius'' might be considered (based on its meaning) to be a past tense of ''he cannot/could not be a genius'';<ref>[http://www.linguistics.ucla.edu/people/stowell/Stowell-Tense&Modals.pdf Tim Stowell. UCLA. Tense and Modals. Page 9.]</ref> such forms are considered true perfect forms by some linguists but not others.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Jeanette S. DeCarrico |title=Comments on Jeanette S. DeCarrico's "Tense, Aspect, and Time in the English Modality System". Response to Nelson: Modals, Meaning, and Context |journal=TESOL Quarterly |volume=21 |issue=2 |pages=382–389 |date=June 1987 |doi=10.2307/3586745 |jstor=3586745}}</ref> For the meanings of such constructions with the various modals, see [[English modal verbs]].
====Perfect progressive==== The [[#Perfect|perfect]] and [[#Progressive|progressive]] (continuous) aspects can be combined, usually in referring to the completed portion of a continuing action or temporary state: ''I '''have been working''' for eight hours''. Here a form of the verb ''have'' (denoting the perfect) is used together with ''been'' (the past participle of ''be'', denoting the progressive) and the [[#Present participle|present participle]] of the main verb.
In the case of the stative verbs, which do not use progressive aspect (see the section above about the [[#Progressive|progressive]]), the plain perfect form is normally used in place of the perfect progressive: ''I've been here for half an hour'' (not *''I've been being here...'').
For uses of specific perfect progressive (perfect continuous) constructions, see the sections below on the [[#Present perfect progressive/continuous|present perfect progressive]], [[#Past perfect progressive|past perfect progressive]], [[#Future perfect progressive|future perfect progressive]], and [[#Conditional perfect progressive|conditional perfect progressive]]. For perfect progressive infinitives, participles and gerunds, see {{slink||Perfect and progressive nonfinite constructions}}.
===Moods===
====Indicative==== [[Indicative mood]], in English, refers to finite verb forms that are not marked as [[#Subjunctive|subjunctive]] and are neither [[#Imperative|imperative]]s nor [[#Conditional|conditional]]s. They are the verbs typically found in the [[main clause]]s of [[declarative sentence]]s and questions formed from them, as well as in most [[dependent clause]]s (except for those that use the subjunctive). The information that a form is indicative is often omitted when referring to it: the simple present indicative is usually referred to as just the [[simple present]], etc. (unless some contrast of moods, such as between indicative and subjunctive, is pertinent to the topic).
====Subjunctive==== {{Main|English subjunctive}} Certain types of clause, mostly [[dependent clause]]s, use a verb form identified with the [[subjunctive mood]]. The present subjunctive takes a form identical to the [[#Bare infinitive|bare infinitive]], as in ''It is necessary that he '''be''' restrained.'' There is also a past subjunctive, distinct from the indicative only in the possible use of ''were'' in place of ''was'' in certain situations: ''If I '''were''' you, ...''
====Imperative==== An independent clause in the [[imperative mood]] uses the base form of the verb, usually with no subject (although the subject ''you'' can be added for emphasis). Negation uses [[do-support|''do''-support]] (i.e. ''do not'' or ''don't''). For example: ::Now '''eat''' your dinner. ::You '''go''' and stand over there! ::'''Don't''' ever '''say''' that word again. Sentences of this type are used to give an instruction or order. When they are used to make requests, the word ''please'' (or other linguistic device) is often added for [[politeness]]: ::Please '''pass''' the salt. First person imperatives ([[cohortative]]s) can be formed with ''let us'' (usually [[English contractions|contracted]] to ''let's''), as in "Let's go". Third person imperatives ([[jussive]]s) are sometimes formed similarly, with ''let'', as in "Let him be released".
More detail can be found in the [[Imperative mood]] article.
====Conditional==== The status of the [[conditional mood]] in English is similar to that of the [[#Future|future tense]]: it may be considered to exist provided the category of [[grammatical mood|mood]] is not required to be marked [[morphology (linguistics)|morphologically]]. The English conditional is expressed [[periphrasis|periphrastically]] with verb forms governed by the [[English auxiliaries|auxiliary]] verb ''would'' (or sometimes ''should'' with a first-person singular subject; see [[shall and will|''shall'' and ''will'']]). The [[English modal verbs|modal verb]] ''could'' is also sometimes used as a conditional (of ''can'').
In certain uses, the conditional construction with ''would/should'' may also be described as "[[future-in-the-past]]".
==Active and passive voice== The [[active voice]] (where the verb's [[subject (grammar)|subject]] is understood to denote the doer, or [[agent (grammar)|agent]], of the denoted action) is the unmarked [[grammatical voice|voice]] in English. To form the [[passive voice]] (where the subject denotes the undergoer, or [[patient (grammar)|patient]], of the action), a [[periphrasis|periphrastic]] construction is used. In the canonical form of the passive, a form of the auxiliary verb ''be'' (or sometimes ''get'') is used, together with the [[#Past participle|past participle]] of the [[lexical verb]].
Passive voice can be expressed in combination together with tenses, aspects and moods, by means of appropriate marking of the auxiliary (which for this purpose is not a stative verb, i.e. it has progressive forms available). For example: ::This room '''is tidied''' regularly. ([[Uses of English verb forms#Simple present|simple present]] passive) ::It '''had''' already '''been accepted'''. (past perfect passive) ::Dinner '''is being cooked''' right now. (present progressive passive) The uses of these various passive forms are analogous to those of the corresponding tense-aspect-mood combinations in the active voice.
The passive forms of certain of the combinations involving the progressive aspect are quite rare; these include the present perfect progressive (''it has been being written''), past perfect progressive (''it had been being written''), future progressive (''it will be being written''), future perfect progressive (''it will have been being written''), conditional progressive (''it would be being written'') and conditional perfect progressive (''it would have been being written''). Because of the awkwardness of these constructions, they may be [[paraphrase]]d, for example using the expression ''in the process of'' (''it has been in the process of being written'', ''it will be in the process of being written'', and similar).
For further details of passive constructions, see [[English passive voice]].
==Negation and questions== [[Negation (grammar)|Negation]] of verbs usually takes place with the addition of the particle ''not'' (or its shortened form ''n't'') to an auxiliary or copular verb, with [[do-support|''do''-support]] being used if there is otherwise no auxiliary. However, if a sentence already contains a negative word (''never'', ''nothing'', etc.), then there is not usually any additional ''not''.
Questions ([[interrogative]] constructions) are generally formed using [[subject–auxiliary inversion]], again using ''do''-support if there is otherwise no auxiliary. In negative questions, it is possible to invert with just the auxiliary (''should we not help?'') or with the contracted negation (''shouldn't we help?'').
For full details on negation and question formation, see [[do-support|''do''-support]], [[English auxiliaries and contractions]], and the [[English grammar#Negation|Negation]] and [[English grammar#Questions|Questions]] sections of the English Grammar article.
==Modal verbs== English has the [[modal verb]]s ''can'', ''could'', ''may'', ''might'', ''must'', ''shall'', ''should'', ''will'', ''would'', and also (depending on classification adopted) ''ought (to)'', ''dare'', ''need'', ''had (better)'', ''used (to)''. These do not add ''-s'' for the third-person singular, and they do not form infinitives or participles; the only inflection they undergo is that to a certain extent ''could'', ''might'', ''should'' and ''would'' (and sometimes ''dared'') function as preterites (past tenses) of ''can'', ''may'', ''shall'' and ''will'' (and ''dare'') respectively.
A modal verb can serve as the finite verb introducing a verb [[catena (linguistics)|catena]], as in ''he '''<u>might</u> have been injured''' then''. These generally express some form of [[linguistic modality|modality]] (possibility, obligation, etc.), although ''will'' and ''would'' (and sometimes ''shall'' and ''should'') can serve—among their other uses—to express [[#Future|future]] time reference and [[#Conditional|conditional]] mood, as described elsewhere on this page.
For details of the uses of modal verbs, see [[English modal verbs]].
==Uses of verb combination types==
===Simple past === {{main|Simple past}}
The ''[[simple past]]'', sometimes also called the ''[[preterite]]'', consists of the bare past tense of the verb (ending in ''-ed'' for regular verbs, and formed in various ways for [[English irregular verbs|irregular]] ones, with the following spelling rules for regular verbs: verbs ending in -e add only –d to the end (e.g. live – lived, not *liveed), verbs ending in -y change to -ied (e.g. study – studied) and verbs ending in a group of a consonant + a vowel + a consonant double the final consonant (e.g. stop – stopped) —see [[English verbs]] for details). In most questions (and other situations requiring [[subject-auxiliary inversion|inversion]]), when negated, and in certain [[emphatic statements]], a [[periphrasis|periphrastic]] construction consisting of ''did'' and the [[#Bare infinitive|bare infinitive]] of the main verb is generally used instead—see [[do-support|''do''-support]].
The simple past is used for a single event in the past, for past habitual action, or for a past state: ::He '''took''' the money and '''ran'''. ::I '''visited''' them every day for a year. ::I '''knew''' how to fight even as a child. However, for action that was ongoing at the time referred to, the [[#Past progressive|past progressive]] is generally used instead. For stative verbs that do or do not use progressive aspect when expressing a temporary state, see [[#Progressive|§ Progressive aspect]]. For the use of ''could see'' in place of ''saw'' etc., see [[#Have got and can see|''have got'' and ''can see'']] below.
The simple past is often close in meaning to the [[#Present perfect|present perfect]]. The simple past is used when the event is conceived as occurring at a particular time in the past, or during a period that ended in the past (i.e. it does not last up until the present time). This time frame may be explicitly stated, or implicit in the context (for example the past tense is often used when describing a sequence of past events). ::I '''was''' born in 1980. ::We '''turned''' the oven off two minutes ago. ::She '''placed''' the letter on the table, '''sighed''', and '''left''' the house. For further discussion and examples, see {{slink||Present perfect}} below.
Various compound constructions exist for denoting past habitual action. The sentence ''When I was young, I played football every Saturday'' might alternatively be phrased using ''[[used to]]'' (''... I used to play ...'') or using ''[[English modal verbs#will|would]]'' (''... I would play...'').
In exceptional cases, the simple present can be used instead of the simple past as a stylistic tool, both as a way of literary expression and in everyday speech. Typical examples include telling jokes (as in ''Three men walk into a bar''), emotional storytelling (as in ''So I come home and I see this giant box in front of my door'') and referring to historical events (as in ''King Henry wins his last victory in 1422.'').
The simple past is also used without past reference in some instances: in condition clauses and some other dependent clauses referring to hypothetical circumstances (see {{slink||Conditional sentences}} and {{slink||Dependent clauses}} below), and after certain [[#Expressions of wish|expressions of wish]]. For the past subjunctive (''were'' in place of ''was''), see [[English subjunctive]]. For the use of the past tense in indirect speech and similar contexts, see {{slink||Indirect speech}} below.
The -ed ending of regular verbs is pronounced as follows: * Regular verb endings with voiced consonants + /d/, e.g. ''hugged'' /hʌɡd/. * Regular verb endings with unvoiced consonants + /t/, ''stopped'' /stɒpt/. * Regular verb endings with /t/ or /d/ + /ɪd/, e.g. ''needed'' /niːdɪd/.
==={{Anchor|Past progressive}}{{Anchor|Past continuous}}Past progressive/continuous=== The ''past progressive'' or ''past continuous'' construction combines [[#Progressive|progressive]] aspect with [[#Past|past]] tense, and is formed using the past tense of ''be'' (''was'' or ''were'') with the [[#Present participle|present participle]] of the main verb. It indicates an action that was ongoing at the past time being considered: ::At three o'clock yesterday, I '''was working''' in the garden.
For [[stative]] verbs that do not use the [[#Progressive|progressive]] aspect, the [[Uses of English verb forms#Simple past|simple past]] is used instead (''At three o'clock yesterday we '''were''' in the garden'').
The past progressive is often used to denote an action that was interrupted by an event,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://flang1.kendall.mdc.edu/3/340/Lecture2/L340Lecture2.htm |title=Differentiating between Simple Past and Past Progressive. eWriting. |access-date=2012-12-29 |archive-date=2013-05-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523161735/http://flang1.kendall.mdc.edu/3/340/Lecture2/L340Lecture2.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode70/quiz.pdf Quiz: Past Continuous and Past Simple – Interrupted Activities. BBC World Service Learning English]</ref> or for two actions taking place in parallel: ::While I '''was washing''' the dishes, I heard a loud noise. ::While you '''were washing''' the dishes, Sue '''was walking''' the dog.
(Interrupted actions in the past can also sometimes be denoted using the [[#Past perfect progressive|past perfect progressive]], as described below.)
The past progressive can also be used to refer to past action that occurred over a range of time and is viewed as an ongoing situation: ::I '''was working''' in the garden all day yesterday. That could also be expressed using the simple past, as ''I worked...'', which implies that the action is viewed as a unitary event (although the effective meaning is not very different).
The past progressive shares certain special uses with other past tense constructions; see {{slink||Conditional sentences}}, {{slink||Dependent clauses}}, {{slink||Expressions of wish}}, and {{slink||Indirect speech}}.
===Past perfect=== The ''past perfect'', sometimes called the ''[[pluperfect]]'', combines [[#Past|past]] tense with [[#Perfect|perfect]] aspect; it is formed by combining ''had'' (the past tense of the auxiliary ''have'') with the [[#Past participle|past participle]] of the main verb. It is used when referring to an event that took place prior to the time frame being considered.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 17, 2021 |title=Past Perfect Tense: Rules And Examples |url=https://www.thesaurus.com/e/grammar/past-perfect-tense/ |access-date=June 4, 2022 |website=Thesaurus.com}}</ref> This time frame may be stated explicitly, as a stated time or the time of another past action: ::We '''had finished''' the job by 2 o'clock. ::He '''had''' already '''left''' when we arrived.
The time frame may also be understood implicitly from the previous or later context: ::I was eating ... I '''had invited''' Jim to the meal but he was unable to attend. (i.e. I invited him before I started eating) ::I '''had lost''' my way. (i.e. this happened prior to the time of the past events I am describing or am about to describe)
Compare ''He '''had left''' when we arrived'' (where his leaving preceded our arrival), with the form with the [[Uses of English verb forms#Simple past|simple past]], ''He '''left''' when we arrived'' (where his leaving was concurrent with or shortly after our arrival). Unlike the present perfect, the past perfect can readily be used with an adverb specifying a past time frame for the occurrence. For example, while it is incorrect to say *''I have done it last Friday'' (the use of ''last Friday'', specifying the past time, would require the simple past rather than the [[#Present perfect|present perfect]]), there is no such objection to a sentence like "I had done it the previous Friday".<ref name=Comrie>Comrie, Bernard, ''Tense'', Cambridge Univ. Press, 1985, pp. 78–79.</ref> The past perfect can also be used for states or repeated occurrences pertaining over a period up to a time in the past, particularly in stating "for how long" or since when". However, if the state is temporary and the verb can be used in the [[#Progressive|progressive]] aspect, the [[#Past perfect progressive|past perfect progressive]] would normally be used instead. Some examples with the plain past perfect: ::I '''had lived''' in that house for 10 years. ::The children '''had been''' in their room since lunchtime.
===Past perfect progressive=== The ''past perfect progressive'' or ''past perfect continuous'' (also known as the ''pluperfect progressive'' or ''pluperfect continuous'') combines [[#Perfect progressive|perfect progressive]] aspect with [[#Past|past]] tense. It is a tense with [[compound verb]] formed by combining ''had'' (the past tense of auxiliary ''have''), ''been'' (the past participle of ''be''), and the [[#Present participle|present participle]] of the main verb.
Uses of the past perfect progressive are analogous to those of the [[#Present perfect progressive/continuous|present perfect progressive]], except that the point of reference is in the past. For example: :: I was tired because I '''had been running'''. :: By yesterday morning they '''had''' already '''been working''' for twelve hours. :: Among the witnesses was John Smith, who '''had been staying''' at the hotel since July 10.
This form is sometimes used for actions in the past that were interrupted by some event<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.eng.fju.edu.tw/iacd_99S/grammar_composition/Tenses/new_page_7.html |title=Past Perfect Progressive Tense |access-date=2012-12-29 |archive-date=2025-06-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250611041744/http://www.eng.fju.edu.tw/iacd_99S/grammar_composition/Tenses/new_page_7.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> (compare the use of the [[#Past progressive|past progressive]] as given above). For example: :: I '''had been working''' on my novel when she entered the room to talk to me. This implies that I stopped working when she came in (or had already stopped a short time before); the plain past progressive (''I was working...'') would not necessarily carry this implication.
If the verb in question does not use the [[#Progressive aspect|progressive aspect]], then the plain [[#Past perfect|past perfect]] is used instead.
The past perfect progressive may also have additional specific uses similar to those of the plain past perfect; see {{slink||Conditional sentences}}, {{slink||Dependent clauses}}, {{slink||Expressions of wish}}, and {{slink||Indirect speech}}.
===Simple present=== {{main|Simple present}}
The ''[[simple present]]'' is a form that combines [[#Present|present tense]] with [[#Simple|"simple"]] (neither perfect nor progressive) aspect. In the indicative mood it consists of the base form of the verb, or the ''-s'' form when the subject is [[grammatical person|third-person]] singular (the verb ''be'' uses the forms ''am'', ''is'', ''are''). However, with non-auxiliary verbs it also has a periphrastic form consisting of ''do'' (or third-person singular ''does'') with the bare infinitive of the main verb—this form is used in questions (and other clauses requiring [[subject-auxiliary inversion|inversion]]) and negations, and sometimes for emphasis. For details of this, see [[do-support|''do''-support]].
The principal uses of the simple present are given below. *To refer to an action or event that takes place [[habitual aspect|habitually]]. Such uses are often accompanied by frequency adverbs and adverbial phrases such as ''always'', ''often'', ''from time to time'' and ''never''. Examples: ::I always '''take''' a shower. ::He '''writes''' for a living. :This contrasts with the [[#Present progressive|present progressive]], which is used for actions taking place at the present moment.
*With [[stative verb]]s in senses that do not use [[#Progressive|progressive]] aspect, to refer to a present or general state, whether temporary, permanent or habitual. (In senses that do use progressive aspect, the simple present is used when the state is permanent or habitual.) ::You '''are''' happy. ::I '''know''' what to do. ::Denmark '''lies''' to the north of Germany.
*When quoting someone or something, even if the words were spoken in the (usually very recent) past: ::The label '''says''' "External use only". ::Mary '''says''' she's ready.
*To refer to a single completed action, as in recounting the events of a story in the present tense (see [[historical present]]), and in such contexts as newspaper [[headline]]s, where it replaces the [[#Present perfect|present perfect]]: ::In ''Hamlet'', Ophelia '''drowns''' in a stream. ::40-year-old '''wins''' gold medal.
*Sometimes to refer to an arranged future event, usually with a reference to time: ::We '''leave''' for Berlin tomorrow at 1 pm.
*In providing a commentary on events as they occur, or in describing some theoretical sequence of events: ::I '''chop''' the chives and '''add''' them to the mixture. ::According to the manager's new idea, I '''welcome''' the guests and you '''give''' the presentation.
*In many [[dependent clause]]s referring to the future, particularly [[#Conditional sentences|condition]] clauses, clauses expressing place and time, and many relative clauses (see {{slink||Dependent clauses}} below): ::If he '''finds''' your sweets, he will eat them. ::We will report as soon as we '''receive''' any information.
*In certain situations in a temporal adverbial clause, rather than the present progressive: :: We can see the light improving '''as we speak'''.
In colloquial English it is common to use ''can see'', ''can hear'' for the present tense of ''see'', ''hear'', etc., and ''have got'' for the present tense of ''have'' (denoting [[possession (linguistics)|possession]]). See [[#Have got and can see|''have got'' and ''can see'']] below.
===Present progressive=== {{Redirect|Continuous present|the narrative device|Floating timeline}} {{Main|Present continuous}}
The ''present progressive'' or ''present continuous'' form combines [[#Present|present]] tense with [[#Progressive|progressive]] aspect. It thus refers to an action or event conceived of as having limited duration, taking place at the present time. It consists of a form of the simple present of ''be'' together with the [[#Present participle|present participle]] of the main verb and the ending ''-ing''. ::We '''are cooking''' dinner now. This often contrasts with the [[Uses of English verb forms#Simple present|simple present]], which expresses repeated or habitual action (''We '''cook''' dinner every day''). However, sometimes the present continuous is used with ''always'', generally to express annoyance about a habitual action: ::You '''are always making''' a mess in the study.
Certain [[stative verb]]s do not use the progressive aspect, so the simple present is used instead in those cases.
The present progressive can be used to refer to a planned future event: ::We '''are tidying''' the attic tomorrow.
It also appears with future reference in many condition and time clauses and other dependent clauses: ::If he''''s sleeping''' when you arrive, wake him up. ::I will finish the job while the children '''are playing'''.
It can also refer to something taking place not necessarily at the time of speaking, but at the time currently under consideration, in the case of a story or narrative being told in the present tense: ::The king and queen '''are conversing''' when Hamlet enters.
===Present perfect=== The ''[[present perfect]]'' (traditionally called simply the ''perfect'') combines [[#Present|present]] tense with [[#Perfect|perfect]] aspect, denoting the present state of an action's being completed, that is, that the action took place before the present time. (It is thus often close in meaning to the [[Uses of English verb forms#Simple past|simple past]] tense, although the two are not usually interchangeable.) It is formed with the present tense of the auxiliary ''have'' (namely ''have'' or ''has'') and the [[#past participle|past participle]] of the main verb.
The choice of present perfect or past tense depends on the frame of reference (period or point in time) in which the event is conceived as occurring. If the frame of reference extends to the present time, the present perfect is used. For example: ::I '''have written''' a letter this morning. (if it is still the morning) ::He '''has produced''' ten plays. (if he is still alive and professionally active)<ref name=present /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Present Perfect Tense |date=22 June 2018 |url=https://ginsengenglish.com/blog/present-perfect |access-date=June 4, 2022}}</ref> ::They '''have never traveled''' abroad. (if they are still alive and considered capable of traveling) If the frame of reference is a time in the past, or a period that ended in the past, the past tense is used instead. For example: ''I wrote a letter this morning'' (it is now afternoon); ''He produced ten plays'' (he is now dead or his career is considered over, or a particular past time period is being referred to); ''They never traveled abroad'' (similarly). The simple past is generally used when the occurrence has a specific past time frame—either explicitly stated (''I wrote a book '''in 1995'''''; ''the water boiled '''a minute ago'''''), or implied by the context (for example, in the narration of a sequence of events). It is therefore normally incorrect to write a sentence like *''I have written a novel yesterday''; the present perfect cannot be used with an expression of past time such as ''yesterday''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.edict.com.hk/vlc/funcgrammar/medial/aspect.htm |title=The Meaning of Aspect. Edict Functional Grammar. |access-date=2012-12-29 |archive-date=2010-11-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129070100/http://edict.com.hk/vlc/funcgrammar/medial/aspect.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
With ''already'' or ''yet'', traditional usage calls for the present perfect: ''Have you eaten yet? Yes, I've already eaten.'' Current informal American speech allows the simple past: ''Did you eat yet? Yes, I ate already.'', although the present perfect is still fully idiomatic here and may be preferred depending on area, personal preference, or the wish to avoid possible ambiguity.
Use of the present perfect often draws attention to the present consequences of the past action or event, as opposed to its actual occurrence.<ref name="present">{{Cite web |date=June 1, 2021 |title=12 Types Of Verb Tenses And How To Use Them |url=https://www.thesaurus.com/e/grammar/what-are-the-basic-verb-tenses/}}</ref> The sentence ''she has come'' probably means she is here now, while the simple past ''she came'' does not.<ref name="aspects">{{cite book |last= Payne |first= Thomas Edward |title= Describing morphosyntax: a guide for field linguists |publisher= Cambridge University Press |year= 1997 |pages= 240 |isbn= 9780521588058 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=LC3DfjWfCiwC&dq=%22perfect+aspect%22+%22perfective+aspect%22&pg=PA239 }}</ref> The sentence, “Have you been to the fair?” suggests that the fair is still going on, while the sentence, “Did you go to the fair?” could mean that the fair is over.<ref>[http://www.oup.com/us/pdf/grammar/TexAns06.pdf Chapter 6: Verbs: Perfect and Progressive Aspect.]</ref> Some more examples: ::I '''have eaten'''. (implies that I'm no longer hungry) ::We '''have made''' the dinner. (implies that the dinner is now ready to eat) ::The weather '''has gotten''' cloudier. (implies that it is now more cloudy than previously)
It may also refer to an ongoing state or habitual action, particularly in saying ''for how long'', or ''since when'', something is the case. For example, ::I '''have lived''' in Paris for five years. ::He '''has held''' the record since he won his Olympic gold. ::We '''have eaten''' breakfast together every morning since our honeymoon. This implies that I still live in Paris, that he still holds the record and that we still eat together every morning (although the first sentence may also refer to some unspecified past period of five years). When the circumstance is temporary, the [[#Present perfect progressive|present perfect progressive]] is often appropriate in such sentences; however, if the verb is one that does not use the [[#Progressive|progressive]] aspect, the basic present perfect is used in that case too: ::Amy '''has been''' on the swing for ten minutes.
The present perfect may refer to a habitual circumstance, or a circumstance being part of a theoretical or story narrative being given in the present tense (provided the circumstance is of an event's having taken place previously): ::Whenever I get home, John '''has''' usually already '''arrived'''. ::According to the plan, the speeches '''have''' already '''been''' given when the cake is brought out.
The present perfect may also be used with future reference, instead of the [[#Future perfect|future perfect]], in those dependent clauses where future occurrence is denoted by present tense. For example: ::When you '''have written''' it, show it to me.
===Present perfect progressive/continuous=== The ''present perfect continuous'' (or ''present perfect progressive'') construction combines some of this [[#Perfect progressive|perfect progressive]] aspect with [[#Present|present]] tense. It is formed with the present tense of ''have'' (''have'' or ''has''), the past participle of ''be'' (''been''), and the [[#Present participle|present participle]] of the main verb and the ending ''-ing''.
This construction is used for ongoing action in the past that continues right up to the present or has recently finished: ::I '''have been writing''' this paper all morning. ::Why are his eyes red? He '''has been crying'''.
It is frequently used when stating ''for how long'', or ''since when'', something is the case: ::She '''has been working''' here since 1997. ::How long '''have''' you '''been sitting''' there? ::They '''have been arguing''' about it for two weeks. In these sentences the actions are still continuing, but it is the past portion of them that is being considered, and so the perfect aspect is used. (A sentence without perfect aspect, such as ''I am sitting here for three hours'', implies an intention to perform the action for that length of time.) With stative verbs that are not used in the [[#Progressive|progressive]], and for situations that are considered permanent, the present perfect (non-progressive) is used instead.
===Simple future=== The term ''simple future'' or ''future indefinite'', as applied to English, generally refers to the combination of the modal auxiliary verb ''will'' with the [[#Bare infinitive|bare infinitive]] of the main verb. Sometimes (particularly in more formal or old-fashioned English) ''shall'' is preferred to ''will'' when the subject is [[grammatical person|first person]] (''I'' or ''we''); see [[Shall and will|''shall'' and ''will'']] for details. The auxiliary is often contracted to'' 'll''; see [[English auxiliaries and contractions]].
This construction can be used to indicate what the speaker views as facts about the future, including confident predictions: ::The sun '''will rise''' tomorrow at 6:14. ::It '''will rain''' later this week.
It may be used to describe future circumstances that are subject to some condition (see also {{slink||Conditional sentences}}): ::He '''will go''' there if he can.
However English also has other ways of referring to future circumstances. For planned or scheduled actions the [[#Present progressive|present progressive]] or [[Uses of English verb forms#Simple present|simple present]] may be used. There is also a [[going-to future|''going-to'' future]], common in colloquial English, which is often used to express intentions or predictions (''I am going to write a book some day''; ''I think that it is going to rain''). Use of the ''will/shall'' construction when expressing intention often indicates a spontaneous decision: ::I know! '''I'll use''' this book as a door stop. Compare ''I'm going to use...'', which implies that the intention to do so has existed for some time.
Use of present tense rather than future constructions in condition clauses and certain other [[dependent clauses]] is described below under {{slink||Conditional sentences}} and {{slink||Dependent clauses}}.
The modal verbs ''will'' and ''shall'' also have other uses besides indicating future time reference. For example: ::I '''will pass''' this exam. (often expresses determination in addition to futurity) ::You '''will obey''' me! (insistence) ::I '''will not do''' it! (negative insistence, refusal) ::At this moment I '''will tolerate''' no dissent. (strong volition) ::He hasn't eaten all day; he '''will be''' hungry now. (confident speculation about the present) ::One of his faults is that he '''will make''' trouble unnecessarily. (habit) ::'''Shall''' we '''get''' to work? (suggestion)
===Future progressive=== The ''future progressive'' or ''future continuous'' combines [[#Progressive|progressive]] aspect with [[#Future|future]] time reference; it is formed with the auxiliary ''will'' (or ''shall'' in the first person; see [[shall and will|''shall'' and ''will'']]), the bare infinitive ''be'', and the [[#Present participle|present participle]] of the main verb. It is used mainly to indicate that an event will be in progress at a particular point in the future: ::This time tomorrow I '''will be taking''' my driving test. ::I imagine we '''will''' already '''be eating''' when you arrive.
The usual restrictions apply, on the use both of the future and of the progressive: simple rather than progressive aspect is used with some stative verbs (see {{slink||Progressive aspect}}), and present rather than future constructions are used in many dependent clauses (see {{slink||Conditional sentences}} and {{slink||Dependent clauses}} below).
The same construction may occur when ''will'' or ''shall'' is given one of its other uses, for example: ::He '''will be sitting''' in his study at this time. (confident speculation about the present)
===Future perfect=== The ''[[future perfect]]'' combines {{slink||Perfect}} aspect with [[#Future|future]] time reference. It consists of the auxiliary ''will'' (or sometimes ''shall'' in the first person, as above), the bare infinitive ''have'', and the [[#Past participle|past participle]] of the main verb. It indicates an action that is to be completed sometime prior to a future time of perspective, or an ongoing action continuing up to a future time of perspective (compare uses of the [[#Present perfect|present perfect]] above). :: I '''shall have finished''' my essay by Thursday. :: When I finally search him he '''will have disposed''' of the evidence. :: By next year we '''will have lived''' in this house for half a century.
For the use of the present tense rather than future constructions in certain dependent clauses, see {{slink||Conditional sentences}} and {{slink||Dependent clauses}} below.
The same construction may occur when ''will'' or ''shall'' is given one of its other meanings; for example: ::He '''will have had''' his tea by now. (confident speculation about the present) ::You '''will have completed''' this task by the time I return, is that understood? (giving instruction)
===Future perfect progressive=== The ''future perfect progressive'' or ''future perfect continuous'' combines [[#Perfect progressive|perfect progressive]] aspect with [[#Future|future]] time reference. It is formed by combining the auxiliary ''will'' (or sometimes ''shall'', as above), the bare infinitive ''have'', the past participle ''been'', and the [[#Present participle|present participle]] of the main verb.
Uses of the future perfect progressive are analogous to those of the [[#Present perfect progressive|present perfect progressive]], except that the point of reference is in the future. For example: :: He will be very tired because he '''will have been working''' all morning. :: By 6 o'clock we '''will have been drinking''' for ten hours.
For the use of present tense in place of future constructions in certain dependent clauses, see {{slink||Conditional sentences}} and {{slink||Dependent clauses}} below.
The same construction may occur when the auxiliary (usually ''will'') has one of its other meanings, particularly expressing a confident assumption about the present: ::No chance of finding him sober now; he'''{{'}}ll have been drinking''' all day.
===Simple conditional=== The ''simple conditional'', also called ''present conditional'', and in some meanings ''[[future-in-the-past]] simple'', is formed by combining the modal auxiliary ''would'' with the [[#Bare infinitive|bare infinitive]] of the main verb. Sometimes (particularly in formal or old-fashioned English) ''should'' is used in place of ''would'' when the subject is first person (''I'' or ''we''), in the same way that ''shall'' may replace ''will'' in such instances; see [[shall and will|''shall'' and ''will'']]. The auxiliary is often shortened to'' 'd''; see [[English auxiliaries and contractions]].
The simple conditional is used principally in a main clause accompanied by an implicit or explicit condition (''if''-clause). (This is described in more detail in the article on [[English conditional sentences]]; see also {{slink||Conditional sentences}} below.) The time referred to may be (hypothetical) present or future. For example: ::I '''would go''' tomorrow (if she asked me). ::If I were you, I '''would see''' a doctor. ::If she had bought those shares, she '''would be''' rich now.
In some varieties of English, ''would'' (or ''<nowiki/>'d'') is also regularly used in the ''if''-clauses themselves (''If '''you'd leave''' now, you'd be on time''), but this is often considered nonstandard (standard: ''If you left now, you'd be on time''). This is widespread especially in spoken American English in all registers, though not usually in more formal writing.<ref>Pearson Longman, Longman Exams Dictionary, grammar guide: "It is possible to use ''would'' in both clauses in U.S. English, but not in British English: U.S.: The blockades '''wouldn't happen''' if the police '''would be firmer''' with the strikers. British: The blockades '''wouldn't happen''' if the police '''were firmer''' with the strikers."</ref> There are also situations where ''would'' is used in ''if''-clauses in British English too, but these can usually be interpreted as a [[modal verb|modal]] use of ''would'' (e.g. ''If you '''would listen''' to me once in a while, you might learn something'').<ref name="lingua.org.uk">[http://www.lingua.org.uk/eq&a.html ''The English-Learning and Languages Review''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100605134901/http://www.lingua.org.uk/eq%26a.html |date=2010-06-05 }}, "Questions and Answers". Retrieved 3 December 2012.</ref> For more details, see {{slink|English conditional sentences|Use of will and would in condition clauses}}.
For the use of ''would'' after the verb ''wish'' and the expression ''if only'', see {{slink||Expressions of wish}}.
The auxiliary verbs ''could'' and ''might'' can also be used to indicate the conditional mood, as in the following: ::If the opportunity were here, I '''could do''' the job. (= ... I would be able to do ... ) ::If the opportunity were here, I '''might do''' the job. (= ... maybe I would do ...)
Forms with ''would'' may also have "[[future-in-the-past]]" meaning: ::We moved into the cottage in 1958. We '''would live''' there for the next forty years. See also {{slink||Indirect speech}} and {{slink||Dependent clauses}}. For other possible meanings of ''would'' and ''should'' (as well as ''could'' and ''might''), see the relevant sections of [[English modal verbs]].
===Conditional progressive=== The ''conditional (present) progressive'' or ''conditional continuous'' combines [[#Conditional|conditional]] mood with [[#Progressive|progressive]] aspect. It combines ''would'' (or the contraction ''{{'}}d'', or sometimes ''should'' in the first person, as above) with the bare infinitive ''be'' and the [[#Present participle|present participle]] of the main verb. It has similar uses to those of the [[Uses of English verb forms#Simple conditional|simple conditional]], but is used for ongoing actions or situations (usually hypothetical): :: Today she '''would be exercising''' if it were not for her injury. :: He '''wouldn't be working''' today if he had been given the time off.
It can also have [[future-in-the-past]] meanings: ::We didn't know then that we '''would be waiting''' another three hours.
===Conditional perfect=== The ''[[conditional perfect]]'' construction combines [[#Conditional|conditional]] mood with [[#Perfect|perfect]] aspect, and consists of ''would'' (or the contraction ''{{'}}d'', or sometimes ''should'' in the first person, as above), the bare infinitive ''have'', and the [[#Past participle|past participle]] of the main verb. It is used to denote conditional situations attributed to past time, usually those that are or may be contrary to fact. ::I '''would have set''' an extra place if I had known you were coming. ::I '''would have set''' an extra place (but I didn't because someone said you weren't coming). (implicit condition)
The same construction may have "[[future-in-the-past]]" meanings (see [[#Indirect speech|Indirect speech]]). For other meanings of ''would have'' and ''should have'', see [[English modal verbs]].
===Conditional perfect progressive=== The ''conditional perfect progressive'' or ''conditional perfect continuous'' construction combines [[#Conditional|conditional]] mood with [[#Perfect progressive|perfect progressive]] aspect. It consists of ''would'' (or sometimes ''should'' in the first person, as above) with the bare infinitive ''have'', the past participle ''been'' and the [[#Present participle|present participle]] of the main verb. It generally refers to a conditional ongoing situation in hypothetical (usually counterfactual) past time: ::I '''would have been sitting''' on that seat if I hadn't been late for the party.
Similar considerations and alternative forms and meanings apply as noted in the sections above about other conditional constructions.
==''Have got'' and ''can see'' <span id="Have got" ></span>== In colloquial English, particularly British English, the [[#Present perfect|present perfect]] of the verb ''get'', namely ''have got'' or ''has got'', is frequently used in place of the [[Uses of English verb forms#Simple present|simple present]] indicative of ''have'' (i.e. ''have'' or ''has'') when denoting [[possession (linguistics)|possession]], broadly defined. For example: ::Formal: ''I have three brothers''; ''Does he have a car?'' ::Informal: ''I've got three brothers''; ''Has he got a car?'' In American English, the form ''got'' is used in this idiom, even though the standard past participle of ''get'' is ''gotten''.
The same applies in the expression of present obligation: ''I've got to go now'' may be used in place of ''I [[have to]] (must) go now''.
In very informal registers, the contracted form of ''have'' or ''has'' may be omitted altogether: ''I got three brothers''.<ref>[http://peterviney.wordpress.com/about/elt-articles/have-got/ ''Have got'', Peter Viney, wordpress.com]</ref>
Another common idiom is the use of the modal verb [[English modal verbs#can|''can'']] (or ''could'' for the [[#Past|past]] tense or [[#Conditional|conditional]]) together with verbs of perception such as ''see'', ''hear'', etc., rather than the plain verb. For example: ::I '''see''' three houses ''or'' I '''can see''' three houses. ::I '''hear''' a humming sound ''or'' I '''can hear''' a humming sound. [[Grammatical aspect|Aspectual]] distinctions can be made, particularly in the past tense: ::I '''saw''' it (event) ''vs.'' I '''could see''' it (ongoing state).
==''Been'' and ''gone''== In [[#Perfect|perfect]] constructions apparently requiring the verb ''[[go (verb)|go]]'', the normal past participle ''gone'' is often replaced by the past participle of the [[copula verb]] ''be'', namely ''been''. This gives rise to sentences of contrasting meaning.
When ''been'' is used, the implication is that, at the time of reference, the act of going took place previously, but the subject is no longer at the place in question (unless a specific time frame including the present moment is specified). When ''gone'' is used, the implication is again that the act of going took place previously, but that the subject is still at (or possibly has not yet reached) that place (unless repetition is specified lexically). For example: ::My father '''has gone''' to Japan. (he is in Japan, or on his way there, now) ::My father '''has gone''' to Japan five times. (he may or may not be there now) ::My father '''has been''' to Japan. (he has visited Japan at some time in his life) ::My father '''has been''' in Japan for three weeks. (he is still there) ::When I returned, John '''had gone''' to the shops. (he was out of the house) ::By the time I returned, John '''had gone''' to the shops three times. (he may or may not still be there) ::When I returned, John '''had been''' to the shops. (the shopping was done, John was likely back home) ::When I returned, John '''had been''' at the shops for three hours. (he was still there)
''Been'' is used in such sentences in combination with ''to'' as if it were a verb of motion (being followed by adverbial phrases of motion), which is different from its normal uses as part of the copula verb ''be''. Compare: ::Sue '''has been to''' the beach. (as above; Sue went to the beach at some time before now) ::Sue '''has been on''' the beach. (use of ''been'' simply as part of ''be''; she spent time on the beach)
The sentences above with the [[#Present perfect|present perfect]] can be further compared with alternatives using the [[Uses of English verb forms#Simple past|simple past]], such as: ::My father '''went''' to Japan. As usual, this tense would be used if a specific past time frame is stated ("in 1995", "last week") or is implied by the context (e.g. the event is part of a past narrative, or my father is no longer alive or capable of traveling). Use of this form does not in itself determine whether or not the subject is still there.
==Conditional sentences== {{main|English conditional sentences}}
A [[conditional sentence]] usually contains two clauses: an ''if''-clause or similar expressing the condition (the ''protasis''), and a main clause expressing the conditional circumstance (the ''apodosis''). In English language teaching, conditional sentences are classified according to type as first, second or third conditional; there also exist "zero conditional" and mixed conditional sentences.
A "first conditional" sentence expresses a future circumstance conditional on some other future circumstance. It uses the [[#Present|present]] tense (with [[#Dependent clauses|future reference]]) in the condition clause, and the [[#Future|future]] with ''will'' (or some other expression of future) in the main clause: ::If he '''comes''' late, I '''will be''' angry.
A "second conditional" sentence expresses a hypothetical circumstance conditional on some other circumstance, referring to nonpast time. It uses the [[#Past|past]] tense (with the past [[English subjunctive|subjunctive]] ''were'' optionally replacing ''was'') in the condition clause, and the [[#Conditional|conditional]] formed with ''would'' in the main clause: ::If he '''came''' late, I '''would be''' angry.
A "third conditional" sentence expresses a hypothetical (usually counterfactual) circumstance in the past. It uses the [[#Past perfect|past perfect]] in the condition clause, and the [[#Conditional perfect|conditional perfect]] in the main clause: ::If he '''had come''' late, I '''would have been''' angry.
A "mixed conditional" mixes the second and third patterns (for a past circumstance conditional on a not specifically past circumstance, or vice versa): ::If I '''knew''' Latin, I '''wouldn't have made''' that mistake just now. ::If I '''had gotten''' married young, I '''would have''' a family by now.
The "zero conditional" is a pattern independent of tense, simply expressing the dependence of the truth of one proposition on the truth of another: ::If Brian '''is''' right then Fred '''has''' the jewels.
See also the following sections on [[#Expressions of wish|expressions of wish]] and [[#Dependent clauses|dependent clauses]].
==Expressions of wish== Particular rules apply to the tenses and verb forms used after the verb ''wish'' and certain other expressions with similar meaning.
When the verb ''wish'' governs a [[finite clause]], the past tense (the simple past or past progressive as appropriate) is used when the desire expressed concerns a present state, the [[#Past perfect|past perfect]] (or [[#Past perfect progressive|past perfect progressive]]) when it concerns a (usually counterfactual) past state or event, and the simple conditional with ''would'' when it concerns a desired present action or change of state. For example: ::I wish you '''were''' here. (past tense for desired present state) ::Do you wish you '''were playing''' in this match? (past progressive for present ongoing action) ::I wish I '''had been''' in the room then. (past perfect for counterfactual past state) ::I wish they '''had locked''' the door. (past perfect for counterfactual past action) ::I wish you '''would shut''' up! (desired present action) ::Do you wish it '''would rain'''? (desired present change of state)
The same forms are generally used independently of the tense or form of the verb ''wish'': ::I wished you '''were''' there. (past tense for desired state at the time of wishing)
The same rules apply after the expression ''if only'': ::If only he '''knew''' French! ::If only I '''had looked''' in the bedroom! ::If only they '''would stop''' talking!
In finite clauses after ''would rather'', ''imagine'' and ''it's (high) time'', the past tense is used: ::I'd rather you '''came''' with me. ::Try to imagine they '''made''' an album with these songs. ::Try to imagine a tool that''' made''' that easy for citizens. ::It's time they '''gave''' up. After ''would rather'' the present [[English subjunctive|subjunctive]] is also sometimes possible: ''I'd rather you/he '''come''' with me.''
After all of the expressions above (though not normally ''it's (high) time'') the [[English subjunctive#Use of the past subjunctive|past subjunctive]] ''were'' may be used instead of ''was'': ::I wish I '''were''' less tired. ::If only he '''were''' a trained soldier. Other syntactic patterns are possible with most of these expressions. The verb ''wish'' can be used with a [[#To-infinitive|''to''-infinitive]] or as an ordinary [[transitive verb]] (''I wish to talk''; ''I wish you good health''). The expressions ''would rather'' and ''it's time'' can also be followed by a ''to''-infinitive. After the verb ''hope'' the rules above do not apply; instead the logically expected tense is used, except that often the present tense is used with future meaning: ::I hope you '''get''' better soon.
==Indirect speech== Verbs often undergo tense changes in [[indirect speech]]. This commonly occurs in [[content clause]]s (typically ''that''-clauses and [[indirect question]]s), when governed by a predicate of saying (thinking, knowing, etc.) which is in the [[#Past|past]] tense or [[#Conditional|conditional]] mood.
In this situation the following tense and aspect changes occur relative to the original words: *{{slink||Present}} changes to [[#Past|past]]: ::"I like apples." → He said that he '''liked''' apples. ::"We are riding." → They claimed that they '''were riding'''. ::"You have sinned." → I was told that I '''had sinned'''. *Simple past changes to past perfect (and sometimes [[#Past progressive|past progressive]] to [[#Past perfect progressive|past perfect progressive]]): ::"They finished all the wine earlier." → He thought they '''had finished''' all the wine earlier. :This change does not normally apply, however, when the past tense is used to denote an [[irrealis mood|unreal]] rather than a past circumstance (see [[#Expressions of wish|expressions of wish]], [[#Conditional sentences|conditional sentences]] and [[#Dependent clauses|dependent clauses]]): ::"I would do anything you '''asked'''." → He said he would do anything she '''asked'''. *{{slink||Future}} changes to [[#Conditional|conditional]], also referred to as [[future-in-the-past]] (i.e. ''will/shall'' changes to ''would/should''): ::"The match will end in a draw." → He predicted that the match '''would end''' in a draw. *The [[English modal verbs|modals]] ''can'' and ''may'' change to their preterite forms ''could'' and ''might'' : ::"We may attend." → She told us that they '''might''' attend. Verb forms not covered by any of the rules above (verbs already in the past perfect, or formed with ''would'' or other modals not having a preterite equivalent) do not change. Application of the rules above is not compulsory; sometimes the original verb tense is retained, particularly when the statement (with the original tense) remains equally valid at the moment of reporting: ::"The earth orbits the sun." → Copernicus stated that the earth '''orbits''' the sun. The tense changes above do not apply when the verb of saying (etc.) is not [[#Past|past]] or [[#Conditional|conditional]] in form; in particular there are no such changes when that verb is in the [[#Present perfect|present perfect]]: ''He has said that he likes apples.'' For further details, and information about other grammatical and lexical changes that take place in indirect speech, see [[indirect speech]] and [[sequence of tenses]]. For related passive constructions (of the type ''it is said that'' and ''she is said to''), see {{slink|English passive voice|Passive constructions without an exactly corresponding active}}.
==Dependent clauses== Apart from the special cases referred to in the sections above, many other [[dependent clause]]s use a tense that might not logically be expected – in particular the [[#Present|present]] tense is used when the reference is to future time, and the [[#Past|past]] tense is used when the reference is to a hypothetical situation (in other words, the form with ''will'' is replaced by the present tense, and the form with ''would'' by the past tense). This occurs in condition clauses (as mentioned [[#Conditional sentences|above]]), in clauses of time and place and in many relative clauses: ::If he '''finds''' your sweets, he will eat them. ::We will report as soon as we '''receive''' any information. ::The bomb will explode where it '''lands'''. ::Go up to the first person that you '''see'''. In the examples above, the simple present is used instead of the simple future, even though the reference is to future time. Examples of similar uses with other tense–aspect combinations are given below: ::We will wash up while you '''are tidying'''. ([[#Present progressive|present progressive]] instead of [[#Future progressive|future progressive]]) ::Please log off when you '''have finished''' working. ([[#Present perfect|present perfect]] instead of [[#Future perfect|future perfect]]) ::If we '''were''' that hungry, we would go into the first restaurant that we '''saw'''. (simple past instead of simple conditional]]) ::We would be searching the building while you '''were searching''' the grounds. ([[#Past progressive|past progressive]] instead of [[#Conditional progressive|conditional progressive]]) ::In that case the dogs would find the scent that you '''had left'''. ([[#Past perfect|past perfect]] instead of [[#Conditional perfect|conditional perfect]])
The past tense can be used for hypothetical situations in some noun clauses too: ::Try to imagine he '''had''' serious conflicts of interest. ::Suppose this '''happened''' to you.
The use of present and past tenses without reference to present and past time does not apply to all dependent clauses, however; if the future time or hypothetical reference is expressed in the dependent clause independently of the main clause, then a form with ''will'' or ''would'' in a dependent clause is possible: ::This is the man who '''will guide''' you through the mountains. ::We entered a building where cowards '''would fear''' to tread.
== Uses of nonfinite verbs <span id="infinitive"></span> == The main uses of the various nonfinite verb forms (infinitives, participles and gerunds) are described in the following sections. For how these forms are made, see {{slink||Inflected forms of verbs}} above. For more information on distinguishing between the various uses that use the form in ''-ing'', see [[-ing#Uses|''-ing'': Uses]].
===Bare infinitive=== A bare [[infinitive]] (the base form of the verb, without the particle ''to''), or an infinitive phrase introduced by such a verb, may be used as follows: *As complement of the auxiliary ''do'', in negations, questions and other situations where [[do-support|''do''-support]] is used: ::Do you '''want''' to go home? ::Please do not '''laugh'''. *As complement of ''will'' (''shall'') or ''would'' (''should'') in the [[#Future|future]] and [[#Conditional|conditional]] constructions described above: ::The cat will '''come''' home. ::We should '''appreciate''' an answer at your earliest convenience. *More generally, as complement of any of the [[English modal verbs|modal verbs]] ''can'', ''could'', ''may'', ''might'', ''must'', ''shall'', ''should'', ''will'', ''would'' (including ''would rather''), and also ''dare'' and ''need'' in their modal uses: ::I can '''speak''' Swedish. ::Need you '''use''' so much flour? ::I dare '''say''' he will be back. *As complement of the expression ''[[had better]]'': ::You had better '''give''' back that telephone. *As second complement of the [[transitive verb]]s ''let'' (including in the expression "let's ...", short for "let us"), ''make'', ''have'' (in the sense of cause something to be done) and ''bid'' (in archaic usage). These are examples of [[raising verb|raising-to-object]] verbs (the logical subject of the governed infinitive is raised to the position of [[direct object]] of the governing verb): ::That made me '''laugh'''. (but passive voice: ''I was made '''to laugh'''''; see under ''to''-infinitive below) ::We let them '''leave'''. ::Let's '''play''' Monopoly! ::I had him '''look''' at my car. ::She bade me '''approach''' her. (archaic) *As second or sole complement of the verb ''help'' (the ''to''-infinitive can also be used): ::This proposal will help (to) '''balance''' the budget. ::Can you help me (to) '''get''' over this wall? *As second complement of verbs of perception such as ''see'', ''hear'', ''feel'', etc., although in these cases the [[#Present participle|present participle]] is also possible, particularly when an ongoing state rather than a single action is perceived: ::We saw him '''try''' to escape. (with present participle: ''We saw him '''trying''' to escape.'') ::She felt him '''breathe''' on her neck. (with present participle: ''She felt him '''breathing''' on her neck.'') *As a [[predicative expression]] in pseudo-[[cleft sentence]]s of the following type: ::What I did was '''tie''' the rope to the beam. ::What you should do is '''invite''' her round for dinner. *After ''why'', in [[ellipsis (linguistics)|elliptical]] questions: ::Why '''bother'''?
The form of the bare infinitive is also commonly taken as the dictionary form or citation form ([[Lemma (morphology)|lemma]]) of an English verb. For perfect and progressive (continuous) infinitive constructions, see {{slink||Perfect and progressive nonfinite constructions}} below.
===''To''-infinitive=== The ''to''-infinitive consists of the bare infinitive introduced by the particle ''to''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=McArthur|first=Tom|title=The Oxford Companion to the English Language, 2nd Edition|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2018|isbn=9780191744389}}</ref> Outside dictionary [[headword]]s, it is commonly used as a [[citation form]] of the English verb ("How do we conjugate the verb ''to go''?") It is also commonly given as a translation of foreign infinitives ("The French word ''boire'' means 'to drink'.")
Other modifiers may be placed between ''to'' and the verb (as in ''to boldly go''; ''to slowly drift away''), but this is sometimes regarded by some as a grammatical or stylistic error – see [[split infinitive]] for details.
The main uses of ''to''-infinitives, or infinitive phrases introduced by them, are as follows: * As complement of the [[English modal verbs|modal]] and auxiliary verbs ''ought (to)'' and ''[[used to|used (to)]]'': ::We ought '''to do''' that now. ::I used '''to play''' outside every day when I was a child. *As complement of many other verbs used [[intransitive verb|intransitively]], including ''need'' and ''dare'' (when not used as modal-like verbs), ''want'', ''expect'', ''try'', ''hope'', ''agree'', ''refuse'', etc. These are [[raising verb|raising-to-subject]] verbs, where the logical subject is promoted to the position of subject of the governing verb. With some verbs the infinitive may carry a significantly different meaning from a gerund: compare ''I stopped to talk to her'' with ''I stopped talking to her'', or ''I forgot to buy the bread'' with ''I forgot buying the bread''. ::I need '''to get''' to a telephone. ::Try not '''to make''' so many mistakes. ::They refused '''to assist''' us. *As second complement of certain transitive verbs. These are mostly raising-to-object verbs, as described above for the [[#Bare infinitive|bare infinitive]]; however, in some cases, it is the subject of the main clause that is the logical subject of the infinitival clause, as in "John promises Mary to cook", where the person who will cook is John (the subject of the main sentence), and not Mary (the object). ::I want him '''to be''' promoted. ::He expects his brother '''to arrive''' this week. *As an adverbial modifier expressing purpose, or sometimes result (also expressible using ''in order to'' in the first case, or ''so as to'' in either case): ::I came here '''to listen''' to what you have to say. ::They cut the fence '''to gain''' access to the site. ::She scored three quick goals '''to level''' the score. *As a [[subject (grammar)|subject]] of a sentence or as a [[predicative expression]]. (A [[#Gerund|gerund]] can often be used for this also.<ref>"'''Being''' is '''doing'''" may be more natural than the abstract and philosophical sounding "'''To be''' is '''to do'''." See [http://englishpage.com/gerunds/part_1.htm English Page – Gerunds and Infinitives Part 1]</ref>) ::'''To live''' is '''to suffer'''. ::For them '''to be''' with us in this time of crisis is evidence of their friendship. *In [[apposition]] to a subject [[expletive pronoun]] ''it'', in sentences of the following type: ::It is nice '''to live''' here. ::It makes me happy '''to feed''' my animals. *Alone in certain exclamations or [[ellipsis (linguistics)|elliptical]] sentences, and in certain sentence-modifying expressions: ::[[Home Thoughts from Abroad|Oh, '''to be''' in England]] ... ::'''To think''' that he used to call me sister. ::'''To be honest''', I don't think you have a chance. *In certain fixed expressions, such as ''in order to'' (see above), ''so as to'', ''as if to'', ''about to'' (meaning on the point of doing something), ''[[have to]]'' (for obligation or necessity). For more on the expression ''am to'', ''is to'', ''were to'', etc. (usually expressing obligation or expectation), see ''[[am to]]''. ::We are '''to demolish''' this building. ::He smiled as if '''to acknowledge''' his acquiescence. *In [[ellipsis (linguistics)|elliptical]] questions (direct or indirect), where no subject is expressed (but for those introduced by ''why'', see [[#Bare infinitive|bare infinitive]] above): ::Well, what '''to do''' now? ::I wondered whether '''to resign''' at that point. *As a modifier of certain nouns and adjectives: ::the reason '''to laugh''' ::the effort '''to expand''' ::anxious '''to get''' a ticket *As a relative clause (see {{slink|English relative clauses|Nonfinite relative clauses}}). These modify a noun, and often have a [[English passive voice|passive]]-like construction where the object (or a preposition complement) is [[zero (linguistics)|zero]] in the infinitive phrase, the gap being understood to be filled by the noun being modified. An alternative in the prepositional case is to begin with a prepositional phrase containing a [[relative pronoun]] (as is done sometimes in finite relative clauses). ::the thing '''to leave''' behind (''the thing'' understood as the object of ''leave'') ::a subject '''to talk''' loudly about (''a subject'' understood as the complement of ''about''; see also [[stranded preposition]]) ::a subject about which '''to talk''' loudly (alternative to the above, somewhat more formal) ::the man '''to save''' us (no passive-like construction, ''the man'' understood as the subject of ''save'') *As a modifier of an adjective, again with a passive-like construction as above, here with the gap understood to be filled by the noun modified by the adjective phrase: ::easy '''to use''' ::nice '''to look''' at
In many of the uses above, the implied subject of the infinitive can be marked using a prepositional phrase with ''for'': "This game is easy '''for a child to play'''", etc. However this does not normally apply when the infinitive is the complement of a verb (other than the copula, and certain verbs that allow a construction with ''for'', such as ''wait'': "They waited for us to arrive"). It also does not apply in elliptical questions, or in fixed expressions such as ''so as to'', ''am to'', etc. (although it does apply in ''in order to'').
When the verb is implied, the ''to''-infinitive may be reduced to simply ''to'': "Do I have '''to'''?" See [[verb phrase ellipsis]].
For perfect and progressive infinitives, such as ''(to) have written'' and ''(to) be writing'', see {{slink||Perfect and progressive nonfinite constructions}} below.
=== Present participle === The [[present participle]] is one of the uses of the ''-ing'' form of a verb. This usage is [[adjective|adjectival]] or [[adverb]]ial. The main uses of this participle, or of [[participial phrase]]s introduced by it, are as follows. (Uses of gerunds and verbal nouns, which take the same ''-ing'' form, appear in sections below.) *In [[#Progressive|progressive]] and [[#Perfect progressive|perfect progressive]] constructions, as described in the relevant sections above: ::The man is '''fixing''' my bike. ::We had been '''working''' for nine hours. *As an adjective phrase modifying a noun: ::the flower '''opening''' up ::the news '''supporting''' the point *As an adjectival phrase modifying a noun phrase that is the object of a verb, provided the verb admits this particular construction. (For alternative or different constructions used with certain verbs, see the sections on the [[#Bare infinitive|bare infinitive]] and [[#To-infinitive|''to''-infinitive]] above.) ::I saw them '''digging''' a hole. ::We prefer it '''standing''' over there. *As an adverbial phrase, where the role of subject of the nonfinite verb is usually understood to be played by the subject of the main clause (but see [[dangling participle]]). A participial clause like this may be introduced by a [[conjunction (grammar)|conjunction]] such as ''when'' or ''while''. ::'''Looking''' out of the window, Mary saw a car go by. (it is understood to be Mary who was looking out of the window) ::We peeled the apples while '''waiting''' for the water to boil. *More generally, as a clause or sentence modifier, without any specifically understood subject ::Broadly '''speaking''', the project was successful. *In a [[nominative absolute]] construction, where the participle is given an explicit subject (which normally is different from that of the main clause): ::The children '''being''' hungry, I set about preparing tea. ::The meeting was adjourned, Sue and I '''objecting''' that there were still matters to discuss. For present participle constructions with perfect aspect (e.g. ''having written''), see {{slink||Perfect and progressive nonfinite constructions}} below.
Present participles may come to be used as pure adjectives (see [[Participle#Types of participle|Types of participle]]). Examples of participles that do this frequently are ''interesting'', ''exciting'', and ''enduring''. Such words may then take various adjectival prefixes and suffixes, as in ''uninteresting'' and ''interestingly''.
=== Past participle === English [[past participle]]s have both [[active voice|active]] and [[passive voice|passive]] uses. In a passive use, an object or preposition complement becomes [[zero (linguistics)|zero]], the gap being understood to be filled by the noun phrase the participle modifies (compare similar uses of the [[#To-infinitive|''to''-infinitive]] above). Uses of past participles and participial phrases introduced by them are as follows: *In [[#Perfect|perfect]] constructions as described in the relevant sections above (this is the chief situation where the participle is active rather than passive): ::He has '''fixed''' my bike. ::They would have '''sung''' badly. *In forming the [[English passive voice|passive voice]]: ::My bike was '''fixed''' yesterday. ::A new church is being '''built''' here. *As an adjectival [[predicative expression]] used in constructions with certain verbs (some of these are described under [[English passive voice]]): ::Will you have your ear '''looked''' at by a doctor? ::I found my bike '''broken'''. *As an adjective phrase directly modifying a noun (see also [[reduced relative clause]]): ::The bag '''left''' on the train cannot be traced. *Used adverbially, or (with a subject) in a [[nominative absolute]] construction: ::'''Hated''' by his family, he left the town for good. ::The bomb '''defused''', he returned to his comrades.
The last type of phrase can be preceded with the preposition ''with'': ''With these words '''spoken''', he turned and left.''
As with present participles, past participles may function as simple adjectives: "the ''burnt'' logs"; "we were very ''excited''". These normally represent the passive meaning of the participle, although some participles formed from [[intransitive verb]]s can be used in an active sense: "the ''fallen'' leaves"; "our ''fallen'' comrades".
===={{anchor|Conflation}}Lack of three-way contrast among unmarked base, simple past and past participle forms of irregular verbs====
An English irregular verb’s simple past tense form is typically distinct from its past participle (with which the auxiliary ''to have'' constructs the past perfect), as in ''<u>went</u>'' vs. ''have <u>gone</u>'' (of ''to go'')'','' although they are the same for regular verbs, as in ''<u>demanded</u>'' vs. ''have <u>demanded</u>'' (of ''to demand''). However, not all irregular verbs distinguish them from each other and from their unmarked form (which with the particle ''to'' constructs the full infinitive, as in ''to <u>go</u>''): the participle may use the simple past form as in ''to <u>say</u>, <u>said</u>, have <u>said</u>'', or use the unmarked form as in ''to <u>come</u>, <u>came</u>, have <u>come</u>''. For verbs with three distinct forms in standardized Englishes (''go/went/gone''), many speakers use the same form for the past tense and past participle. The standardized past tense form may be used for the participle, as in "I should have went" vs. "I should have gone" and "this song could've came out today" vs. "this song could've come out today". With a few verbs,such as ''to see'', ''to do'', ''to ring'' and ''to be'', the standard past participle form is used for the simple past, as in "I seen it yesterday" vs. "I saw it yesterday", "I done it" vs. "I did it" and "I been there" vs. "I was there". This pattern is found in multiple varieties of English which are otherwise not closely related.
===Gerund=== The [[gerund]] takes the same form (ending in ''-ing'') as the present participle, but is used as a noun (or rather the verb phrase introduced by the gerund is used as a noun phrase).<ref>{{cite web |last=EngDic |first=Tahir at |date=16 February 2023 |title=Gerund: Types of Gerunds, Examples of Verbs Followed By Gerund |url=https://engdic.org/gerunds/ |website=Engdic.org}}</ref> Many uses of gerunds are thus similar to noun uses of the infinitive. Uses of gerunds and gerund phrases are illustrated below:
*As subject or [[predicative expression]]: ::'''Solving''' problems is satisfying. ::My favorite activity is '''spotting''' butterflies. *As object of certain verbs that admit such constructions: ::I like '''solving''' problems. ::We tried '''restarting''' the computer. *In a passive-type construction after certain verbs, with a gap ([[zero (linguistics)|zero]]) in object or complement position, understood to be filled by the subject of the main clause (see {{slink|English passive voice|Additional passive constructions}}): ::That floor wants/needs '''scrubbing'''. ::It doesn't bear '''thinking''' about. *As complement of certain prepositions: ::No one is better at '''solving''' problems. ::Before '''jogging''', she stretches. ::After '''investigating''' the facts, we made a decision. ::That prevents you from '''eating''' too much. ::Instead of the writing on the object '''being''' changed, it should have disappeared.
It is considered grammatically correct to express the [[agent (grammar)|agent]] (logical subject) of a gerund using a [[English possessives|possessive]] form (''they object to '''my''' helping them''), although in informal English a simple noun or pronoun is often used instead (''they object to '''me''' helping them''). For details see [[fused participle]].
For gerund constructions with perfect aspect (e.g. ''(my) having written''), see {{slink||Perfect and progressive nonfinite constructions}} below.
===Perfect and progressive nonfinite constructions=== There are also nonfinite constructions that are marked for [[#Perfect|perfect]], [[#Progressive|progressive]] or [[#Perfect progressive|perfect progressive]] aspect, using the infinitives, participles or gerunds of the appropriate auxiliaries. The meanings are as would be expected for the respective aspects: perfect for prior occurrence, progressive for ongoing occurrence at a particular time. ([[English passive voice|Passive voice]] can also be marked in nonfinite constructions – with infinitives, gerunds and present participles – in the expected way: ''(to) be eaten'', ''being eaten'', ''having been eaten'', etc.)
Examples of nonfinite constructions marked for the various aspects are given below.
Bare infinitive: ::You should '''have left''' earlier. ([[perfect infinitive]]; for similar constructions and their meanings see [[English modal verbs]]) ::She might '''be revising'''. (progressive; refers to an ongoing action at this moment) ::He must '''have been working''' hard. (perfect progressive; i.e. I assume he has been working hard)
''To''-infinitive: ::He is said '''to have resigned'''. (perfect infinitive; for this particular construction see ''[[said to]]'') ::I expect '''to be sitting''' here this time tomorrow. (progressive) ::He claims '''to have been working''' here for ten weeks. (perfect progressive)
Present participle: ::'''Having written''' the letter, she went to bed. (perfect) ::The man '''having left''', we began to talk. (perfect, in a [[nominative absolute]] construction) ::'''Having been standing''' for several hours, they were beginning to feel tired. (perfect progressive)
Past participle: ::We have '''been waiting''' a long time. (progressive, used only as part of a [[#Perfect progressive|perfect progressive]] construction)
Gerund: ::My '''having caught''' the spider impressed the others. (perfect) ::We are not proud of '''having been drinking''' all night. (perfect progressive)
Other aspectual, temporal and [[modality (linguistics)|modal]] information can be marked on nonfinite verbs using [[periphrasis|periphrastic]] constructions. For example, a "[[future infinitive]]" can be constructed using forms such as ''(to) be [[going to]] eat'' or ''(to) be [[about to]] eat''.
==Deverbal uses== Certain words are formed from verbs, but are used as common nouns or adjectives, without any of the grammatical behavior of verbs. These are sometimes called verbal nouns or adjectives, but they are also called [[deverbal noun]]s and [[deverbal adjective]]s, to distinguish them from the truly "verbal" forms such as gerunds and participles.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Huddleston |first1=Rodnry |last2=Pullum |first2=Geqffrry |date=2005-04-01 |title=The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/zaa-2005-0209/html |journal=Zeitschrift für Anglistik und Amerikanistik |language= |volume=53 |issue=2 |pages=193–194 |doi=10.1515/zaa-2005-0209 |issn=2196-4726|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
Besides its nonfinite verbal uses as a [[#Gerund|gerund]] or [[#Present participle|present participle]], the ''[[-ing]]'' form of a verb is also used as a deverbal noun, denoting an activity or occurrence in general, or a specific action or event (or sometimes a more distant meaning, such as ''building'' or ''piping'' denoting an object or system of objects). One can compare the construction and meaning of noun phrases formed using the ''-ing'' form as a gerund, and of those formed using the same ''-ing'' form as a deverbal noun. Some points are noted below: *The gerund can behave like a verb in taking objects: ''crossing '''the river''' cost many lives''. The deverbal noun does not take objects, although the understood object may be expressed by a [[prepositional phrase]] with ''of'': ''the crossing '''of the river''' cost many lives'' (an [[indirect object]] is expressed using ''to'' or ''for'' as appropriate: ''the giving of the award '''to John'''''). *The gerund takes modifiers (such as [[adverb]]s) that are appropriate to verbs: ''eating '''heartily''' is good for the health''. The deverbal noun instead takes modifiers appropriate to nouns (especially [[adjective]]s): ''his '''hearty''' eating is good for his health''. *The deverbal noun can also take [[determiner]]s, such as the definite article (particularly in denoting a single action rather than a general activity): '''''the''' opening of the bridge was delayed''. Gerunds do not normally take determiners except for possessives (as described below). *Both deverbal nouns and gerunds can be preceded by [[possessive (linguistics)|possessive]] determiners to indicate the agent (logical subject) of the action: '''''my''' taking a bath'' (see also above under [[#Gerund|gerund]] and at [[fused participle]] for the possible replacement of ''my'' with ''me''); '''''my''' taking of a bath''. However, with the deverbal noun there are also other ways to express the agent: **Using a prepositional phrase with ''of'', assuming that no such phrase is needed to express an object: ''the singing '''of the birds''''' (with a gerund, this would be '''''the birds{{'}}''' singing''). In fact both possessives and ''of'' phrases can be used to denote both subjects and objects of deverbal nouns, but the possessive is more common for the subject and ''of'' for the object; these are also the assumed roles if both are present: ''John's wooing of Mary'' unambiguously denotes a situation where John wooed Mary, not vice versa. **Using a prepositional phrase with ''by'' (compare similar uses of ''by'' with the [[English passive voice|passive voice]]): ''the raising of taxes '''by the government'''''. This is not possible with the gerund; instead one could say '''''the government's''' raising taxes''. *Where no subject is specified, the subject of a gerund is generally understood to be the subject (or "interested party") of the main clause: ''I like singing loudly'' means I like it when I myself sing; ''Singing loudly is nice'' implies the singer is the person who finds it nice. This does not apply to deverbal nouns: ''I like loud singing'' is likely to mean that I like it when others sing loudly. This means that a sentence may have [[syntactic ambiguity|alternative meanings]] depending on whether the ''-ing'' form is intended as a gerund or as a deverbal noun: in ''I like singing'' either function may be the intended one, but the meaning in each case may be different (I like to sing, if gerund; I like hearing others sing, if deverbal noun).
Some ''-ing'' forms, particularly those such as ''boring'', ''exciting'', ''interesting'', can also serve as deverbal adjectives (distinguished from the present participle in much the same way as the deverbal noun is distinguished from the gerund). There are also many other nouns and adjectives derived from particular verbs, such as ''competition'' and ''competitive'' from the verb ''compete'' (as well as other types such as [[agent noun]]s). For more information see [[verbal noun]], [[deverbal noun]] and [[deverbal adjective]]. For more on the distinction between the various uses of the ''-ing'' form of verbs, see ''[[-ing]]''.
==Notes== {{Reflist}}
==References== *Raymond Murphy, ''English Grammar in Use'', 3rd edition, 2004
==External links== *[https://en.learniv.com/info/en/tenses/past-tense/ The past tense description on Learniv]
[[Category:English verbs]]