MAIN POINTS TO KNOW ABOUT COMPLETE VERBS

 

1.     Neither present nor past participles are complete verbs by themselves. They require forms of “have” or “be” as helping verbs.

2.     You can use the table below to find a correct verb form.

 

TABLE OF COMPLETE VERBS

 

This table may help you to distinguish between complete and incomplete verbs. The examples use the subject “I,” but you can substitute other subjects if you change the first word in the verb to the correct person and number.

 

Example of “to take”—principle parts: take (basic form), took (past tense), taken (past participle); present participle: taking.

 

Active voice                                                                           

 

present                                     I take                                      

past                                          I took

future                                        I will take                                 “will” + infinitive

 

Perfect tenses                                                                                    forms of “have” + past participle

 

present perfect                          I have taken                              present of “have” + past participle

past perfect                              I had taken                               past of “have” + past participle

future perfect                            I will have taken                        future of “have” + past participle

 

Progressive tenses                                                                 forms of “be” + present participle

 

present progressive                   I am taking                               present of “be” + present participle

past progressive                        I was taking                              past of “be” + present participle

future progressive                     I will be taking                          future of “be” + present participle

present perfect progressive       I have been taking                     present perfect of “be” + present participle

past perfect progressive            I had been taking                      past perfect of “be” + present participle

future perfect progressive          I will have been taking               future perfect of “be” + present participle

 

Passive voice                                                                          forms of “be” + past participle

 

present                                     I am taken                                present of “be” + past participle

past                                          I was taken                               past of “be” + past participle

future                                        I will be taken                           future of “be” + past participle

present perfect                          I have been taken                     present perfect of “be” + past participle

past perfect                              I had been taken                       past perfect of “be” + past participle

future perfect                            I will have been taken               future perfect of “be” + past participle

 

Passive progressive                                                               forms of “be” + present participle of

                                                                                                “be” + past participle

 

present progressive                   I am being taken                       present of “be” + “being” + past participle

past progressive                        I was being taken                      past of “be” + “being” + past participle