The Table-ic Guide to Grammar Tenses

FAQ: how many tenses are there?

3(time)*2(active/passive)*4(simple/perfect/progressive/both) = 24

So you have to memorize 24*5(pos/neg/Q/A pos/a neg)=120 tenses!!!

How in the world is that possible?

Well, let us go through them one by one.

There are:

Part 1: past simple

	Active	Active	Passive	Passive
	format	example	format	example
affirmative	n -ed.	i participated.	n be -en.	it was eaten.
negative	n didn’t v.	i didn’t participate.	n be not -en.	it wasn’t eaten.
interrogative	did n v?	did you participate?	be n -en.	was it eaten?
Answer yes	yes, n did.	yes, I did.	yes, n be.	yes, it was.
Answer no	no, n didn’t.	no, I didn’t.	no, n be not.	no, it wasn’t.

Be = be verb, whatever is suitable for the tense

Not = n’t (contraction form)

N = noun

V = verb

Ha = has/have, whatever is suitable for the situation

Part 2: past perfect