Active / Passive Overview

Active Simple Present Present Continuous Simple Past Past Continuous Once a week, Tom cleans the house. Right now, Sarah is writing the letter. Sam repaired the car. The salesman was helping the customer when the thief came into the store. Many tourists have visited that castle. Recently, John has been doing the work. Passive Once a week, the house is cleaned by Tom. Right now, the letter is being written by Sarah. The car was repaired by Sam. The customer was being helped by the salesman when the thief came into the store. That castle has been visited by many tourists. Recently, the work has been being done by John.

Present Perfect Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect

George had repaired many cars before he received his mechanic's license. Chef Jones had been preparing the restaurant's fantastic dinners for two years before he moved to Paris. Someone will finish the work by 5:00 PM. Sally is going to make a beautiful dinner tonight. At 8:00 PM tonight, John will be washing the dishes.

Many cars had been repaired by George before he received his mechanic's license. The restaurant's fantastic dinners had been being prepared by Chef Jones for two years before he moved to Paris. The work will be finished by 5:00 PM. A beautiful dinner is going to be made by Sally tonight. At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes will be being washed by John.

Past Perfect Continuous

Simple Future
WILL

Simple Future
BE GOING TO

Future Continuous
WILL

Future Continuous
BE GOING TO

At 8:00 PM tonight, John is going to be washing the dishes.

At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes are going to be being washed by John.

Future Perfect

They will have completed the

The project will have been

WILL

project before the deadline. They are going to have completed the project before the deadline. The famous artist will have been painting the mural for over six months by the time it is finished.

completed before the deadline. The project is going to have been completed before the deadline.

Future Perfect
BE GOING TO

Future Perfect Continuous

WILL

The mural will have been being painted by the famous artist for over six months by the time it is finished. The mural is going to have been being painted by the famous artist for over six months by the time it is finished. The bills used to be paid by Jerry. The pies would always be made by my mother. I knew the work would be finished by 5:00 PM.

Future Perfect Continuous

BE GOING TO

The famous artist is going to have been painting the mural for over six months by the time it is finished. Jerry used to pay the bills. My mother would always make the pies. I knew John would finish the work by 5:00 PM.

Used to Would Always Future in the Past

WOULD

Future in the Past

WAS GOING TO

I thought Sally was going to make a beautiful dinner tonight.

I thought a beautiful dinner was going to be made by Sally tonight.

Irregular Verbs

Approximately 200 verbs are classified as irregular verbs and do not form the past tense and past participle the same way as regular verbs. As a result, the principal parts of these verbs need to be memorized. The majority of irregular verbs form the past and past participle by changing an internal vowel.

Infinitive/Present begin come

Past began came

Past Participle begun come

Some irregular verbs form the past and past participle by changing an internal vowel and adding -n or -en to the past participle.

Infinitive/Present give write

Past gave wrote

Past Participle given written

Other irregular verbs have the same form in the past and past participle or in all three principal parts.

Infinitive/Present keep

Past kept

Past Participle kept

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If you are not sure about a verb's principal parts, check a dictionary. If only the infinitive/present tense form is listed, it is a regular verb. If the verb is irregular, the dictionary will list two or all three of the principal parts, depending on whether the past and past participle are the same. The following is a list of some more of the common irregular verbs:

Infinitive/Present arise become bid bite blow break bring burst buy catch choose dive do draw dream drink drive

Past arose became bid bit blew broke brought burst bought caught chose dived, dove did drew dreamed, dreamt drank drove

Past Participle arisen become bid bitten, bit blown broken brought burst bought caught chosen dived done drawn dreamed, dreamt drunk driven

eat fall find fly forget freeze get give go grow hang (suspend) hang (execute) hear hide hold know lay lead leave lie lose pay prove ride

ate fell found flew forgot froze got gave went grew hung hanged heard hid held knew laid led left lay lost paid proved rode

eaten fallen found flown forgotten frozen got, gotten given gone grown hung hanged heard hidden held known laid led left lain lost paid proved, proven ridden

ring rise run say see set shake sing sink sit slide speak spring stand steal swim take tear throw wear write

rang rose ran said saw set shook sang sank sat slid spoke sprang stood stole swam took tore threw wore wrote

rung risen run said seen set shaken sung sunk sat slid spoken sprung stood stolen swum taken torn thrown worn written