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.