Verbs & Tenses

The verbs 'have' and 'have got' both describe possession, relationships, and characteristics in the present tense. While they share the same meaning, they follow different grammatical rules for questions and negatives.

The causative 'have' describes a situation where one person arranges for another person to perform a service or task. It focuses on the result of the action rather than the person performing it.

The future continuous describes actions that will be in progress at a specific point in the future. It is often used to discuss scheduled events or to make polite inquiries about someone's plans.

English uses different verb forms to talk about the future depending on whether you are discussing a plan, a prediction, or a spontaneous decision.

The future in the past describes actions or events that were planned or expected at a specific point in the past. It focuses on the perspective of the speaker at that previous time, regardless of whether the event actually happened.

The Future Perfect describes an action that will be completed before a specific point in the future. It emphasizes the result of an activity rather than its duration.

The future perfect continuous describes an ongoing action that will continue up until a specific point in the future. It emphasizes the duration or length of time an activity has been in progress.

The 'be going to' structure is used to talk about future plans, intentions, and predictions based on current evidence.

The future with 'will' and 'shall' is used to express predictions, spontaneous decisions, and offers. It is a fundamental structure for talking about events that happen after the present moment.

The present simple is used to describe future events that are part of a fixed timetable or a formal schedule. This usage is common for public transport, cinema times, and official programs.

Learn when to use 'will' for spontaneous decisions and 'be going to' for plans and predictions based on evidence.

Inversion in conditionals replaces the word 'if' with a specific word order to increase formality and emphasis. This structure is primarily used with 'should', 'were', and 'had' in formal or literary contexts.

The complete A–Z list of English irregular verbs — base form, past simple, and past participle — with the patterns behind them and the common mistakes to avoid.

Narrative tenses are used to describe events, background information, and sequences of actions in the past. They primarily consist of the past simple and the past continuous.

The passive voice shifts the focus from the person performing an action to the person or object receiving it. It is formed using the verb 'to be' in the appropriate tense followed by the past participle of the main verb.

The passive voice shifts the focus from the person performing an action to the person or object receiving it. It is formed using the verb 'be' and the past participle of the main verb.

The passive with reporting verbs allows speakers to discuss general beliefs, rumors, or opinions without naming a specific source. It is commonly used in formal journalism and academic writing to maintain an objective tone.

The past continuous describes actions that were in progress at a specific moment in the past. It is often used to provide background information or to describe an interrupted activity.

Learn how to use the past simple for completed actions and the past continuous for actions that were in progress at a specific time.

The past perfect describes an action that was completed before another action or time in the past. It establishes a clear chronological sequence between two past events.

The Past Simple describes completed actions in the past, while the Past Perfect clarifies which of two past actions happened first.

The past simple describes finished actions or states at a specific time in the past. It is the primary tense used for storytelling and reporting historical events.

The past simple negative and question forms use the auxiliary verb 'did' to talk about finished actions in the past.

The past simple of 'to be' describes states, locations, or identities in the past. It uses two forms, 'was' and 'were', depending on the subject.

Perfect infinitives and participles describe actions that happened before the time of the main verb. They allow for more concise sentence structures by replacing subordinate clauses.

The present continuous describes actions happening exactly now or around the current moment. It uses the verb 'to be' and a main verb ending in -ing.

The present continuous is used to talk about fixed arrangements and social plans in the future. It requires a specific time or context to show the action is not happening right now.

The present perfect connects the past to the present, focusing on life experiences or actions with current relevance. It is formed using the auxiliary verb have or has followed by a past participle.

The present perfect continuous describes actions that started in the past and are still happening now, or actions that have recently finished and have a visible result.

The Present Perfect focuses on the result of a completed action, while the Present Perfect Continuous emphasizes the duration or the process of an ongoing activity.

The present perfect connects the past to the present, while the past simple describes completed actions at a specific time in the past.

The present perfect with 'just', 'already', and 'yet' describes recent actions and expectations. These adverbs indicate how recently an event occurred or if it has happened sooner or later than expected.

The present simple describes habitual actions, permanent states, and general truths. It is the primary tense for discussing daily routines and facts.

The present simple of 'to be' describes identity, characteristics, and states in the present. It is the most common verb in English and uses three distinct forms: am, is, and are.

Stative verbs describe states or conditions that do not change, while dynamic verbs describe actions and movements. Understanding the difference is essential for using the present continuous correctly.

Subject-verb agreement ensures that the number of the subject matches the number of the verb. This guide covers standard rules and tricky cases like collective nouns and uncountable nouns.

The subjunctive mood is used in formal English to express necessity, urgency, or importance, typically following specific verbs or adjectives. It utilizes the base form of the verb regardless of the subject.

Used to describes past habits, routines, or states that are no longer true in the present. It emphasizes the contrast between how things were before and how they are now.

Used to and would both describe repeated past actions, but they differ in their ability to describe past states and their frequency of use.

Verbs of the senses describe physical perception and take different complement structures depending on whether an action is completed or in progress.