English Tenses Timeline Chart

This timeline tenses chart provides a handy reference sheet to English tenses and their
relationship to one another and the past, present and future. Conjugated verbs are
highlighted in bold. Tenses which are rarely used in everyday conversation are marked
by an asterik (*).

TIMELINE
PROGRESSIVE / PROGRESSIVE /
SIMPLE ACTIVE SIMPLE PASSIVE
CONTINUOUS ACTIVE CONTINUOUS PASSIVE
PAST TIME
^
|
|
|
|
The house had been
^
The painting I had been being painted for
She had |
had been sold waiting for four over a month before
already eaten PAST
twice before it hours when he they began to
when I arrived. PERFECT
was destroyed. finally arrived. decorate the interior.
|
*
|

^
The book was I was watching The problem was
I bought a new |
written in 1876 TV when she being solved when I
car last week. PAST
by Frank Smith. arrived. arrived late for class.
|
|
The company
^
has been She has been The students have
She has lived in |
managed by working at been being taught
California for PRESENT
Fred Jones for Johnson's for six for the last four
many years. PERFECT
the last two months. hours. *
|
years.
|

^
He works five Those shoes are | I am working at The work is being
days a week. made in Italy. PRESENT the moment. done by Jim.
|
|
|
|
PRESENT MOMENT
 |
|

| The reports are

FUTURE They are going going to be
INTENTION to fly to New completed by the
| York tomorrow. marketing
| department.
V

|
She will be
FUTURE The rolls will be
The sun will The food will be teaching
SIMPLE being baked at two.
shine tomorrow. brought later. tomorrow at six
| *
o'clock.
|
V

I will have The project will | She will have

The house will have
completed the have been FUTURE been working
been being built for
course by the finished by PERFECT here for two years
six months by the
end of next tomorrow | by the end of next
time they finish. *
week. afternoon. | month.
V
FUTURE TIME
|
|
|
|
V

Source: English Tenses Timeline Chart. ESL About.com.

http://esl.about.com/library/weekly/aa011201a.htm