English has six basic tenses: present, past, future, present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect. In addition, the progressive and conditional forms are used for special functions. The progressive form (I am singing, I was singing, I will be singing) is used to indicate continuity of action rather than its completion. For example, compare I wrote a letter with I was writing a letter. The first sentence simply states that an action was completed in the past, while the second sentence implies that the action is connected to another event. Adverbs are often used with progressive forms to stress the continuous nature of the action or state of being (He is always singing in the shower). Progressive forms can be used with all six tenses. The conditional form (I can sing, I could sing, I could have sung) conveys intention to do or be something.
Following is a complete conjugation of the verb to watch. The function of each tense is discussed following the conjugation.
Present Tense
Singular | Plural | |
---|---|---|
First person: | I watch | we watch |
Second person: | you watch | you watch |
Third person: | he/she/it watches | they watch |
Present progressive form:
- I am (you are) watching, etc.
Present conditional form:
- I can (I could) watch, etc.
Past Tense (Base Form of the Verb d or ed)
Singular | Plural | |
---|---|---|
First person: | I watched | we watched |
Second person: | you watched | you watched |
Third person: | he/she/it watched | they watched |
Past progressive form:
- I was watching, etc.
Past conditional form:
- I could have watched, etc.
- I could have been watching, etc.
Future Tense (Will or Shall + the Base Form of the Verb)
Singular | Plural | |
---|---|---|
First person: | I will (shall) watch | we will (shall) watch |
Second person: | you will watch | you will watch |
Third person: | he/she/it will watch | they will watch |
Future progressive form: I will (shall) be watching, etc.
Present Perfect Tense (Have or Has + the Past Participle)
Singular | Plural | |
---|---|---|
First person: | I have watched | we have watched |
Second person: | you have watched | you have watched |
Third person: | he/she/it has watched | they have watched |
Progressive form: I have been watching, etc.
Past Perfect Tense (Had + the Past Participle)
Singular | Plural | |
---|---|---|
First person: | I had watched | we had watched |
Second person: | you had watched | you had watched |
Third person: | he/she/it had watched | they had watched |
Progressive form: I had been watching, etc.
Future Perfect Tense (Will Have or Shall Have the Past Participle)
Singular | Plural | |
---|---|---|
First person: | I will (shall) have watched | we will (shall) have watched |
Second person: | you will have watched | you will have watched |
Third person: | he/she/it will have watched | they will have watched |
Progressive form: I will have been watching, etc.