Verbs in the English Language

These are the 12 basic English tenses*. For each tense we look at:

• Structure: How do we make the tense?
• Use: When and why do we use the tense?

1. Present Simple
   • I do, I do do
     1. Present Simple Verb To Be
        • I am
2. Present Continuous
   • I am doing
3. Present Perfect
   • I have done
4. Present Perfect Continuous
   • I have been doing

• Past Simple
  • I did, I did do
• Past Continuous
  • I was doing
• Past Perfect
  • I had done
• Past Perfect Continuous
  • I had been doing

• Future Simple
  I will do
• Future Continuous
  I will be doing
• Future Perfect
  I will have done
• Future Perfect Continuous
  I will have been doing

Present

Past

Past Perfect

Auxiliary had + verb in the past participle

• When the police arrived, the thief had escaped. 
• I had written the email before he apologized. 
• Kate had wanted to see the movie, but she did not have money for the ticket. 

Past Perfect Continuous

Auxiliary had + verb in the past participle + ing

• I had been working at the company for five years when I got the promotion.
• Martha had been walking three miles a day before she broke her leg.
• He had been reading different kinds of books since morning.

Future

Future Simple

Auxiliary will

•  I will meet him later  
•  It will rain tomorrow 
•  We will get married in September  

Future Continuous

Auxiliary will + be + ing

• This time tomorrow I will be lying on the beach.
• This time tomorrow I will be celebrating my birthday
• They will be playing football in that field. 
• April will be having coffee in this coffee shop. 
• Bob will be going to the library. 
• We will be shopping in that market this Monday. 

Future Perfect

Auxiliary will + has/have + verb in past participle

• The parade will have ended by the time Chester gets out of bed. 
• At eight o’clock I will have left.

Future Perfect Continuous

Auxiliary will + have + been + ing

• When I turn thirty, I will have been playing piano for twenty-one years.
• At five o’clock, I will have been waiting for thirty minutes.

Modal Verbs

Expressing Voice

• Our dessert was eaten by the dog.
• School buses are driven by city employees.
• The phone will be disconnected tomorrow.

Expressing Ability

• No one can feel as helpless as the parent of a sick child.
• Well, either side could win it, or it could be a draw.

Expressing Possibility

It is never too late to be what you might have been.

George Eliot

If there were no bad people, there would be no good lawyers.

Charles Dickens

Expressing Permission

 Use can for ability and may for permission. Can is a modal auxiliary verb meaning to be able to. May is a modal auxiliary verb meaning to be permitted to.

• I can whistle.

(I have the ability to whistle.)

• May I have a biscuit?

(Am I permitted to have a biscuit?)    

Expressing Necessity

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.

Aristotle

A baby is the universe’s opinion that life should go on.

Carl Sandburg

I don’t say we all ought to misbehave, but we ought to look as if we could.

Actor Orson Welles

Expressing Intention

We shall heal our wounds, collect our dead and continue fighting.

Mao Zedong

Phrasal Verbs

A Phrasal Verb is phrase that consists of a verb with a preposition or adverb or both, the meaning of which is different from the meaning of its separate parts: “Pay for,” “work out,” and “make up for” are all phrasal verbs. More examples

• Some phrasal verbs are complete sentences (usually imperative): get up, stand down, back off.
• Some phrasal verbs consist of three words, such as ‘look up to’

Phrasal Verb	Meaning (Most Common)
Aim At	To point a weapon at someone or something.
Ask For	To request something.
Ask Out	When you ask someone to go with you to a certain place or for a special occasion, to spend time together and have fun. If one or both parties involved are interested in a romantic way, then it is considered a date.
Back Down	To withdraw your position in a fight, argument, plan, etc.
Back Off	When you leave an emotional situation, or to allow someone to handle something alone.
Back Up	To walk or drive a vehicle backwards.
Beat Up	When someone punches, kicks, or hits someone repeatedly using fists or with an object.
Beef Up	To make changes or an improvement.
Believe In	To feel confident about something or someone.
Bite Off	To use your teeth to bite a piece of something.
Blow Away	When the wind moves an object or person from where it was.
Blow Off	When the wind removes something from its place.
Blow Out	To extinguish or make a flame stop burning.
Blow Up	To make something explode.
Boil Down To	To have determined or analyzed the solution or reason for something.
Break Down	When someone loses self-control and is emotionally and/or mentally agitated. This meaning has a noun form for a situation where someone loses self-control.
Break In	To enter a place illegally and with the use of force.
Break Off	To remove a part of something with force.
Break Out	To escape from a place, situation or way of life.
Break Through	To make a way through a barrier or a surface.
Break Up	To stop a fight.
Bring Back	To return something you’ve borrowed.
Bring Over	To bring someone or something from one place or area to another.
Bring Up	To bring something from a lower level/place to a higher level/place.
Brush Off	To remove something(dust particle, insect, etc) with your hand.
Brush Up	To practice and review your knowledge or a skill that you haven’t used in a while.
Build In/Into	To add a fixture or component to a certain area or place through construction.
Bump Into	When you meet people by accident or unexpectedly.
Burn Down	When someone uses fire to destroy a structure.
Burn Out	When a candle stops burning because there is nothing left to burn.
Burn Up	To destroy something with heat or fire.
Burst Out	To suddenly do or say something.
Butt In	To interrupt a conversation or activity.
Call Back	To call someone again.
Call Forth	To cause a specified response.
Call In	To request that someone come and help.
Call Off	To cancel an event that has been previously planned.
Call Up	To be chosen to take part in a military mission.
Calm Down	To become less violent, nervous, excited or angry.
Care For	To nurture or take care of someone or something.
Carry Away	To do something out of the ordinary due to strong emotions.
Carry On	To continue doing something or to continue on in life despite an obstacle.
Carry Out	To move something or someone from one place to another using your arms or an object.
Catch On	To understand or realize something.
Catch Up	To move faster to reach someone or something that is ahead of you.
Cheat On	When you are emotionally and/or sexually unfaithful to your girlfriend/boyfriend or spouse.
Check In	To register at a hotel or airport upon arrival.
Check Out	To leave a hotel or other form of an accommodation after your stay there.
Chicken Out	To refrain from doing something because of fear.
Choke up	To become tearful or overcome with strong emotion.
Chop Up	To cut something into pieces with a knife.
Clean Out	To clean or clear the inside of something thoroughly.
Clear Out	To remove things completely from an area or place.
Clear Up	To do something to solve a problem or a misunderstanding.
Clog Up	When something in a drain or valve prevents the flow of water or other liquids
Close Down	When the activities or services of a business permanently end.
Close Off	To block an entrance or pathway.
Come About	When something happens or occurs.
Come Across	The way other people perceive something or someone.
Come Along	To come with or to make progress; develop.
Come Apart	When something breaks or separates piece by piece.
Come Back	To return to a place.
Come Down	To move from a higher to a lower position or from north to south.
Come Down To	When a situation is reduced to a certain outcome.
Come Down With	When you start to experience the symptoms of a disease or illness.
Come In	When someone or something enters a place, building, or room.
Come Off	When something is removed or breaks off from where it was originally attached to.
Come On	To appear on television or be heard on the radio.
Come Out	To leave a place.
Come Over	To make a visit.
Come Through	When someone or something expected arrives.
Come Up	When something appears or happens, either expected or unexpected.
Come Up With	When you think of a solution, idea, plan, or excuse.
Con Into	To persuade someone to do something through lies and deception.
Con Out Of	To persuade someone to give or do something through lies and deception.
Cool Off	To lose temperature.
Count On	To rely on someone for support when you need it most.
Count Up	To count all of something or people in a group.
Cover Up	To use something to conceal something else.
Crack Down	To take more action than usual against wrongdoing.
Crack up	To burst into laughter.
Cross Off	To remove or delete someone or something from a list.
Cut Back	When you spend less money on something.
Cut Down	To do less of something or to use something in smaller amounts.
Cut Off	To completely remove or separate a part of something by cutting it with something sharp like a knife or a pair of scissors, etc.
Cut Out	To remove something using a knife or a pair of scissors.
Cut Up	When you use a knife or scissors to cut something into several pieces.
Deal With	When you do everything you must do to solve a problem or complete.
Do Away With	To dispose of something.
Do Over	To do something again in order to improve or correct mistakes.
Do With	To make a connection between two or more things.
Do Without	To manage well without something or someone.
Doze Off	To go to sleep unintentionally.
Dress Up	To wear formal clothes, or a costume for a special occasion.
Drop In	To visit someone unexpectedly or without making arrangements first.
Drop Off	To gradually decline/become less.
Drop Out	To quit a school program or training course.
Dry Off	To dry something or a surface quickly.
Dry Out	To remove water or other liquid from a container.
Dry Up	When all the liquid and/or moisture evaporates.
Eat Up	When someone consumes all their food.
Empty Out	To remove everyone or everything from a space.
End Up	The end result of something planned or unplanned.
Fall Apart	When something breaks all at once or piece by piece.
Fall Back	To move or turn back; retreat.
Fall Behind	To move slower than others.
Fall Down	To fall to the ground.
Fall For	When you have an intense attraction to something or someone.
Fall Off	When something drops to a lower level.
Fall Out	To fall from or through something.
Fall Over	When someone or something falls from an upright position to the ground.
Fall Through	If things do not go as planned, or if a plan, deal or agreement fails.
Feel Up To	When you have/don’t have the energy and confidence to do something.
Fight Back	When you defend yourself/resist an attack, or make an effort against an opponent in a competition.
Figure On	To expect or plan for something.
Fill In	To add personal information in the blank spaces of an official document.
Fill Out	To complete a form.
Fill Up	To fill something completely.
Find Out	To become aware of something or someone.
Fix Up	To make plans or arrangements with someone or for others.
Flip Out	To become very mad or lose control over your emotions.
Float Around	When an object or a person is near, but you cannot pinpoint the exact location.
Follow Up	To find out more about something, or take further action in regards to it.
Fool Around	To waste time doing unimportant or silly things.
Freak Out	When someone becomes irrationally upset or angry, sometimes to the point of confusion.
Get Ahead	To become successful in the professional environment or make consistent progress in life.
Get Along	To have good interactions with others.
Get Around To	To do something that needed to get done at an earlier time.
Get Away	To escape from something.
Get Back	To return to a place.
Get Back At	To get revenge.
Get Back To	When you talk to someone at a later time either because you are busy or you have obtained additional or new information.
Get Behind	To learn, work, or progress more slowly than others.
Get By	To pass someone or something.
Get Down	To move to a lower place or level.
Get In	To arrive or enter a place, room, building, etc.
Get Off	To leave a form of transportation, except a car.
Get Off On	To be excited or to truly enjoy doing something.
Get On	When you move your body and either stand, sit, lie, kneel, etc. towards something (non-separable).
Get Out	To leave or escape.
Get Out Of	To receive a benefit and/or satisfaction from doing something.
Get Over	To move past an obstacle to the other side.
Get Over With	To finish something that needs to get done.
Get Through	When a message, meaning, or idea is understood or accepted.
Get To	To arrive to or assist someone to a place.
Get Together	To meet and spend time together.
Get Up	To move to a higher level/position.
Give Away	To give something for free or without expecting anything in return.
Give In	To surrender to something.
Give Out	To distribute something.
Give Up	To stop doing something without completing it.
Go About	To take the necessary steps to get something done.
Go After	When you do your best to get something no matter how difficult it is.
Go Ahead	To proceed to do something that you were hesitant about.
Go Along With	to accept or agree with a decision, rule, opinion, etc.
Go Around	To follow a circular path.
Go Away	To move or travel from one place to another place.
Go Back	To return to a place, time, activity, or a person.
Go Back On	When you fail to fulfill a promise you made to someone.
Go Beyond	To be more than or better than what is normal or expected.
Go By	To pass someone or something quickly.
Go Down	To move to a lower position, place, price, level, etc.
Go For	To try to obtain.
Go In	To enter a place, building, room, etc.
Go In For	To enter a place or area for a specific reason.
Go In/Into	To enter a place, room, building, etc. usually through a door.
Go Off	To leave unannounced.
Go On	When something takes place.
Go Out	To leave a place or area you’re in.
Go Over	To review something.
Go Through With	When you make a decision to do something, and actually do it.
Go Up	To move or extend to a higher level or farther North.
Go With	To accompany someone to a place.
Goof Around	To waste time doing silly or unimportant things.
Gross Out	To be disgusted with someone or something.
Grow Out Of	To become too big or too tall for your clothes.
Grow Up	When you physically change from a child to an adult.
Hand Back	When you return something to the person who owns it after the person has given it to you
Hand In	To give something to a person of authority.
Hand Out	To distribute something free to other people.
Hand Over	To give upon request or demand.
Hang Around	To spend time in a place or an area.
Hang On	When you hold something, often for support of comfort.
Hang Out	To hang something, usually wet clothes, to dry.
Hang Up	To hang clothes or an object on a hook, hanger or rod.
Have On	To wear clothing, cosmetics, perfume, etc.
Head Back	To go to a place where you’ve been before or where you started from.
Head For	When a situation becomes more likely.
Head Toward	To move in the direction where someone or something is.
Hear About	When you learn details about something or someone.
Hear Of	When you learn about something or someone.
Heat Up	To make something warmer or cause a rise in temperature.
Help Out	To assist people with something.
Hit On	To suddenly have a solution to a problem or an interesting idea.
Hold Against	When you don’t forgive or have little respect for someone because of something they did.
Hold Off	To delay something.
Hold On	When you wait for a short time.
Hold Out	To extend your hand or an object in front of you.
Hold Up	To hold someone or something up in the air.
Hook Up	When you connect two electrical devices together.
Hurry Up	To do something quickly.
Keep At	To continue doing an activity even though it may be difficult.
Keep Away	To avoid getting close to someone or something.
Keep Down	To make sound, music and noise minimal.
Keep From	To stop yourself or other people from doing something.
Keep Off	To avoid discussing a particular subject or topic.
Keep On	To continue doing something.
Keep To	When you don’t share information.
Keep Up	To continue to do something.
Kick Back	To illegally pay extra money to someone as part of the price.
Kick Out	To force someone to leave an organization or place.
Knock Off	To use force to cause someone or something to fall from its place, whether intentionally or accidentally.
Knock Out	When someone is struck hard enough to cause them to lose consciousness.
Knock Over	To make contact with something or someone in such a way it or they fall.
Know About	To have knowledge of or be familiar with something.
Lay Down	To place something on a surface or an object.
Lay Off	When a company or business ends a worker’s employment.
Lead Up To	When a period of time or a series of events cause an event, situation or conversation to happen.
Leave Behind	When you don’t take something or someone with you when you leave.
Leave Off	To accidentally or intentionally not include a person or thing on a list.
Leave Out	To not include someone or something.
Leave Over	When you have a portion that still remains from something after you have used or eaten the rest of it.
Let Down	To disappoint someone.
Let In	To allow someone or something to enter a place.
Let Go	To release
Let Off	To allow someone to leave a car, bus, train etc.
Let On	To tell something that is a secret or private.
Let Out	When you give permission for someone to leave or be released from a place.
Let Up	When someone or something becomes less intense or strong.
Lie Around	To be lazy or to not do anything.
Lift Up	To raise someone or something to a higher level.
Light Up	To illuminate something.
Lighten Up	When a conversation is changed or a person changes to become less serious.
Line Up	To form in a row one after another or side-by-side.
Live With	To share the same residence.
Lock In	To secure people or things behind a closed door.
Lock Out	When you don’t have the key or passcode to enter a secured place.
Lock Up	When you shut the windows and doors of a place or building.
Look Around	To turn your head to see what or who is around you.
Look At	To divert your eyes to someone or something.
Look Down On	When you consider someone or something as unimportant or with little to no value. The opposite of yesterday’s phrasal verb.
Look Forward To	To anticipate a future event because it either makes you happy and/or you benefit from it.
Look Into	To investigate or get more facts about something.
Look Out	To remain alert.
Look Over	To examine or inspect something or someone.
Look Up	When a situation becomes better.
Look Up To	This particular phrasal verb is used to say you view someone with respect and/or admiration.
Luck Out	To have exceptionally good luck.
Make For	To go in a certain direction, typically in a hurry.
Make Of	To understand the meaning of something.
Make Up	To invent a story.
Mess Up	When something is dirty or unorganized.
Mix Up	To put or combine different things together so they’ll merge successfully.
Monkey Around With	To try to play with or repair a device that you have no true knowledge about.
Move In	When you bring your personal belongings and stuff to a new place where you will live. Yesterday’s phrasal verb, Move Out, has the opposite meaning.
Move Out	When you permanently remove all your belongings and personal items from a place where you live or stay.
Narrow Down	To reduce the number of options or possibilities.
Pay Back	When you return money that you owe someone.
Pay For	To purchase merchandise.
Pay Off	To repay money that is owed to a person or entity.
Pay Up	To pay all the money that is owed or asked for.
Pick On	To tease and/or criticize someone over a period of time.
Pick Out	When you are able to recognize something or someone from a group.
Pick Up	To get someone or something from somewhere.
Pile Up	To put things in a pile or heap.
Piss Off	[Informal] To be angry about something.
Plan Ahead	To prepare for a future event or situation.
Plan For	To prepare for a big event or expectation in the future.
Plan On	When you have the intention to do something.
Plug In	To connect an electrical device to an electrical outlet.
Plug In/Into	To connect an electrical appliance/machine to another piece of equipment or to a power source.
Plug Up	To block a narrow passage such as a hole, drain, or pipe so that nothing can flow through.
Point Out	To make someone aware of something.
Point To	When you aim at something or someone using your finger or hand.
Print Out	To produce a hard copy of a computer document.
Pull Off	To succeed in doing something difficult or tricky.
Pull Out	When something or someone leaves a place.
Pull Over	To drive your vehicle to the side of the road to stop.
Pull Through	To recover from an injury or illness.
Punch In	To enter data or record time on a device.
Punch Out	To record the time you leave the workplace using a special clock.
Put Away	To place something where it cannot be seen or isn’t in the way of other things.
Put Back	When something is causing a project to slow down.
Put Down	To place something on a surface or an object.
Put In	When you invest or make a deposit. In this example, the amount almost always separates the verb.
Put Off	To become offended by someone or something.
Put Out	To extend a part of your body.
Put Past	To not be surprised by a person’s actions. [Always used with the negative]
Put To	To cause someone or something to be in a certain state or to do something extra.
Put Together	To assemble or connect the parts of something.
Put Up	To move an object to a higher level.
Put Up To	To encourage or persuade someone to do something.
Put Up With	To tolerate or accept something that you’d rather not.
Ring Up	To call someone on the phone.
Rip Off	When someone asks for a price for something that is too high, when someone cheats or steals.
Rip Up	To tear something (i.e. paper, cloth, etc.) into pieces.
Rule Out	When someone or something is excluded as a possibility.
Run Across	To move or run from one side to the other.
Run Around	To go from one place to another in a hurry.
Run Down	To hit someone or something with a vehicle.
Run Into	When something collides with another object by accident.
Run Out	When people exit a place very quickly. Run In/ Run Into is the opposite of this meaning.
Run Over	When someone is injured or killed by a vehicle.
Run Up	To run from a lower elevation or level to a higher elevation or level.
Screw On	To ensure the top of a container/bottle is sealed.
Screw Out Of	To cheat or deceive someone.
Screw Up	To make a mistake or do something really bad.
See About	To seriously think about doing something.
Sell Out	When all the inventory of a particular product has been purchased.
Set Up	To organize or plan for an activity/event to happen.
Settle Down	To begin living a stable and routine life.
Settle For	To accept something even though it’s not what you want or need.
Shake Up	To mix something in a container by shaking it.
Show Off	To overly display your skills or what you have.
Shut Off	To stop the operation of an electrical or mechanical device.
Shut Up	To stop talking.
Sign In	To write your name on a list to indicate the day and time you arrived at a certain place.
Sign Out	To write your name on a list to indicate the day and time of your departure.
Sit Down	To change from a standing to a sitting position.
Slow Down	To do something slower.
Sneak In/Into	To enter a place quietly to avoid being seen or heard.
Sneak Out	To leave a place without being noticed.
Sort Out	To arrange or separate things into groups according to similarities.
Space Out	When someone’s attention is not in the present moment. [Adj.] {spaced out} To describe a person whose attention isn’t in the present moment.
Stand Around	To stand in one place or area when you should be doing something.
Stand For	To support or represent an idea, belief, etc.
Stand Up	To rise from sitting or lying down to a vertical position.
Start Off	The beginning of an event, activity or time period.
Start Out	To begin a trip or venture to some place.
Start Up	To start something.
Stay Off	To avoid discussing a certain subject or topic.
Stay Out	To spend time out of your own home.
Stay Up	To remain in a place that is higher than ground level.
Step On	To place your foot on something or someone.
Stick Around	To stay in a place or with someone for any period of time.
Stick Out	To extend something outward.
Stick To	When something is attached to another by some form of adhesive.
Stick Up	To use a weapon, especially a gun, to rob someone.
Stick With	To continue to use or do something.
Stop Off	To make a quick stop on your way to a destination.
Stop Over	To visit someone for a short period of time.
Straighten Out	To make something straight.
Stress Out	To feel very worried, nervous or anxious.
Switch Off	When you move something from the ‘on’ state to the ‘off’ state. Synonymous with “Turn Off.” Yesterday’s “Switch On” is the opposite.
Switch On	When you move something from the ‘off’ state to the ‘on’ state. Synonymous with “Turn On,” while “Switch Off” is the opposite.
Take Apart	To disconnect or separate the parts of an object.
Take Back	To return something or someone.
Take In	To be successfully tricked or deceived by someone.
Take Out	To remove an object from an area, place or container.
Take Out On	To direct your anger towards someone or something when you’re really upset about someone or something else.
Take Up On	When you accept an invitation or offer from someone.
Talk Down To	To talk to someone as if they are less intelligent than you by conveying a tone of voice or attitude that says so.
Talk Into	To convince someone to do something.
Talk Out Of	To convince someone not to do something.
Talk To	To have a conversation with someone.
Tear Down	To deconstruct a building or home.
Tear Off	To remove with force.
Tell Apart	To be able to differentiate something or someone from something or someone else.
Tell On	To inform an authoritative figure about what someone else did.
Think About	To consider something prior to making a final decision.
Think Ahead	To think and plan carefully for a future situation or event.
Think Up	To use your imagination to create a plan, idea, or a solution.
Throw Away	To dispose of something you no longer find useful in a waste bin, trash, etc.
Throw Out	When you get rid of something by putting it in a trash can, bin, etc.
Throw Up	To vomit or puke.
Track Down	To locate someone or something after a long search
Trade In	To exchange something old for something new.
Trick Into	To convince or persuade someone to believe something untrue or to do something for you.
Try On	To see how something fits or looks before purchasing.
Try Out	To show that you are qualified to do something.
Turn Around	When someone or something moves until it faces the opposite direction.
Turn Down	To decrease the temperature, sound, etc.
Turn In	To give someone or something to the police or someone of authority.
Turn Into	To transform.
Turn Off	To stop a device from functioning.
Turn On	To cause someone to feel interested and/or attracted.
Turn Out	To attend an event, meeting, etc.
Turn Over	To move an object so that the part that is on top becomes the bottom and vice versa.
Turn Up	To increase the controls of an electronic or mechanical device.
Use Up	To completely consume or use all of a supply.
Wake Up	When you are finished sleeping.
Wash Off	To remove dirt or unwanted markings with soap and water.
Wash Up	To clean your face, hands, body, etc.
Watch Out	To be aware of someone or something.
Wear Down	To make the surface or top of something disappear due to friction.
Wear Off	To decrease or disappear gradually.
Wear Out	When something is damaged or weakened from use and age.
Wind Up	To operate a mechanical device by turning its handle.
Wipe Off	To completely remove or clean something from a surface or location.
Wipe Out	To clean the inside of something.
Wipe Up	To remove liquid from a surface using a sponge, towel or cloth, etc.
Work In	To make time in a busy schedule for a person or an activity.
Work Out	When a situation, event, plan, or idea is successful.
Work Up	To gradually improve at or make progress in something.
Wrap Up	To cover something with some kind of special paper.
Zip Up	To close an item that has a zipper.