This page shows the basic tenses with the irregular verb be , including the following structures:
- affirmative or positive (+)
- negative (-)
- interrogative or question (?)
The basic structures are:
| + | positive | subject + auxiliary + main verb be |
| - | negative | subject + auxiliary + not + main verb be |
| ? | question | auxiliary + subject + main verb be |
But for simple past and simple present tenses, the structures are not the same. In fact, they are even easier. There is no auxiliary verb. Here are the structures:
| + | positive | subject + main verb be |
| - | negative | subject + main verb be + not |
| ? | question | main verb be + subject |
Here are the forms of the main verb be that we use to construct the tenses:
| base | past simple | past participle | present participle -ing | present simple |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| be | was, were | been | being | am, are, is |
And here is the result:
| 12 tenses (be) | past | present | future | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIMPLE present simple or past simple except future will + be | + | I was | I am | I will be |
| - | I was not | I am not | I will not be | |
| ? | Was I? | Am I? | Will I be? | |
| CONTINUOUS be + being | + | I was being | I am being | I will be being |
| - | I was not being | I am not being | I will not be being | |
| ? | Was I being? | Am I being? | Will I be being? | |
| PERFECT have + been | + | I had been | I have been | I will have been |
| - | I had not been | I have not been | I will not have been | |
| ? | Had I been? | Have I been? | Will I have been? | |
| CONTINUOUS PERFECT have been + being | + | I had been being | I have been being | I will have been being |
| - | I had not been being | I have not been being | I will not have been being | |
| ? | Had I been being? | Have I been being? | Will I have been being? | |
In the following table, we see be conjugated in all persons in the affirmative for 12 basic tenses:
| SIMPLE | past | present | future | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| singular | I | was | am | will be |
| you | were | are | will be | |
| he/she/it | was | is | will be | |
| plural | we | were | are | will be |
| you | were | are | will be | |
| they | were | are | will be | |
| PERFECT | past | present | future | |
| singular | I | had been | have been | will have been |
| you | had been | have been | will have been | |
| he/she/it | had been | has been | will have been | |
| plural | we | had been | have been | will have been |
| you | had been | have been | will have been | |
| they | had been | have been | will have been | |
| CONTINUOUS | past | present | future | |
| singular | I | was being | am being | will be being |
| you | were being | are being | will be being | |
| he/she/it | was being | is being | will be being | |
| plural | we | were being | are being | will be being |
| you | were being | are being | will be being | |
| they | were being | are being | will be being | |
| CONTINUOUS PERFECT | past | present | future | |
| singular | I | had been being | have been being | will have been being |
| you | had been being | have been being | will have been being | |
| he/she/it | had been being | has been being | will have been being | |
| plural | we | had been being | have been being | will have been being |
| you | had been being | have been being | will have been being | |
| they | had been being | have been being | will have been being | |
sources : Original Link