to tell — English conjugation
Indicative
Present (Simple Present) Irregular
The simple present describes habitual actions, general truths, and states. It is the most basic tense in English. For most verbs, add -s or -es for the third person singular (he, she, it).
She speaks three languages.
| Pronoun | English |
|---|---|
| I | tell |
| you | tell |
| he/she/it | tells |
| we | tell |
| you (pl.) | tell |
| they | tell |
Past (Simple Past) Irregular
The simple past describes completed actions at a specific time in the past. Regular verbs add -ed. There are around 200 common irregular verbs with unique past forms that must be learned individually.
She spoke to the manager yesterday.
| Pronoun | English |
|---|---|
| I | told |
| you | told |
| he/she/it | told |
| we | told |
| you (pl.) | told |
| they | told |
Present continuous (Present Continuous) Irregular
The present continuous describes actions happening right now or temporary situations. Formed with am/is/are + verb-ing. Also used for definite future arrangements.
She is speaking to a client at the moment.
| Pronoun | English |
|---|---|
| I | am telling |
| you | are telling |
| he/she/it | is telling |
| we | are telling |
| you (pl.) | are telling |
| they | are telling |
Past continuous (Past Continuous) Irregular
The past continuous describes actions that were in progress at a specific moment in the past, often interrupted by another event. Formed with was/were + verb-ing.
She was speaking when the fire alarm went off.
| Pronoun | English |
|---|---|
| I | was telling |
| you | were telling |
| he/she/it | was telling |
| we | were telling |
| you (pl.) | were telling |
| they | were telling |
Present perfect (Present Perfect) Irregular
The present perfect connects the past to the present. It describes experiences, recent events, or situations that started in the past and continue now. Formed with have/has + past participle.
She has spoken at over fifty conferences.
| Pronoun | English |
|---|---|
| I | have told |
| you | have told |
| he/she/it | has told |
| we | have told |
| you (pl.) | have told |
| they | have told |
Past perfect (Past Perfect) Irregular
The past perfect describes an action completed before another past event — the past of the past. Formed with had + past participle. Always implies a reference point in the past.
She had spoken to him before the meeting started.
| Pronoun | English |
|---|---|
| I | had told |
| you | had told |
| he/she/it | had told |
| we | had told |
| you (pl.) | had told |
| they | had told |
Future (will) (Future Simple) Irregular
The future simple expresses predictions, spontaneous decisions, and promises. Formed with will + base infinitive. The contracted form will not = won't is very common in spoken English.
She will speak at the conference tomorrow.
| Pronoun | English |
|---|---|
| I | will tell |
| you | will tell |
| he/she/it | will tell |
| we | will tell |
| you (pl.) | will tell |
| they | will tell |
Future continuous (Future Continuous) Irregular
The future continuous describes an action that will be in progress at a specific future moment. Formed with will be + verb-ing. Often used to describe planned or expected ongoing actions.
This time tomorrow she will be speaking to the board.
| Pronoun | English |
|---|---|
| I | will be telling |
| you | will be telling |
| he/she/it | will be telling |
| we | will be telling |
| you (pl.) | will be telling |
| they | will be telling |
Future perfect (Future Perfect) Irregular
The future perfect describes an action that will be completed before a specific point in the future. Formed with will have + past participle. Common with time expressions like by then, by the time.
By Friday she will have spoken to all the clients.
| Pronoun | English |
|---|---|
| I | will have told |
| you | will have told |
| he/she/it | will have told |
| we | will have told |
| you (pl.) | will have told |
| they | will have told |
Subjunctive
Conditional (would) (Conditional) Irregular
The conditional describes hypothetical situations and their results. Formed with would + base infinitive. Used in if-clauses, polite requests, and reported speech about future events.
She would speak more if she had the chance.
| Pronoun | English |
|---|---|
| I | would tell |
| you | would tell |
| he/she/it | would tell |
| we | would tell |
| you (pl.) | would tell |
| they | would tell |