Subject + auxiliary verb + be + noun
Subject + auxiliary verb + have been + noun + Point of time/ Period of time
Simple Future
Subject + will be + noun.
I will be a teacher.
I will not be a teacher.
Will I be a teacher?
Will I not be a teacher?
Future Perfect
Subject + will have been + noun + point of time/ period of time
I will have been a teacher for five years by 2027.
I will not have been a teacher for five years by next year.
Will I have been a teacher for five years by 2027?
Will I not have been a teacher for five years by 2027?
Simple
“would” (conditional/perfect hypothetical mood):
Subject + would be + noun.
I would be a teacher, if we applied.
I would not be a teacher if I did not apply.
Would I be a teacher if I applied?
Would I not be a teacher if I did not applied?
Perfect
“would have have” (conditional perfect tense):
Subject + would have been + noun + point of time/ period of time
I would have been a teacher for five years if I had started teaching in 2021.
I would not have been a teacher for five years if I had not started teaching in 2021.
Would I have been a teacher since 2021 if I had started teaching in 2021?
Would I not have been a teacher for five years if I had not started teaching in 2021?
Simple
“may” (expressing possibility/permission):
Subject + may be + noun.
I may be a teacher.
I may not be a teacher.
May I be a teacher? (Rare in real speech)
May I not be a teacher?
Perfect
“may have been” (possibility/permission in perfect tense):
Subject + may have been + noun + point of time/ period of time
I may have been a teacher for five years.
I may not have been a teacher since 2021.
May I have been a teacher for five years?
May I not have been a teacher in 2021?
Simple
“might” (expressing less certainty/possibility):
Subject + might be + noun.
I might be a teacher.
I might not be a teacher.
Might I be a teacher?
Might I not be a teacher?
Perfect
“might have been” (expressing even less certainty/ possibility in perfect tense):
Subject + might have been + noun + point of time/ period of time
I might have been a teacher for five years.
I might not have been a teacher in 2021.
Might I have been a teacher since 2021?
Might I not have been a teacher for five years by 2026?
Simple
“can” (expressing ability/possibility):
Subject + can be + noun.
I can be a teacher.
I cannot be a teacher.
Can I be a teacher?
Can I not be a teacher?
Simple
“could” (expressing ability/possibility in past/ conditional form):
Subject + could be + noun.
I could be a teacher.
I could not be a teacher.
Could I be a teacher?
Could I not be a teacher?
Perfect
“could have been” (conditional perfect tense for past possibility/ability):
Subject + could have been + noun + point of time/ period of time
I could have been a teacher for five years.
I could not have been a teacher in 2021.
Could I have been a teacher since 2021?
Could I not have been a teacher for five years by now?
Simple
“should” (expressing obligation/advice):
Subject + should be + noun.
I should be a teacher.
I should not be a teacher.
Should I be a teacher?
Should I not be a teacher?
Perfect
“should have been” (expressing obligation/advice in perfect tense):
Subject + should have been + noun + point of time/ period of time
I should have been a teacher for five years.
I should not have been a teacher in 2021.
Should I have been a teacher for five years by 2026?
Should I not have been a teacher since 2021?
Simple
“ought to” (expressing moral obligation/duty):
Subject + ought to be + noun.
I ought to be a teacher.
I ought not to be a teacher.
Ought I to be a teacher?
Ought I not to be a teacher?
Perfect
“ought to have been” (expressing moral obligation/duty in perfect tense):
Subject + ought to have been + noun + point of time/ period of time
I ought to have been a teacher for five years.
I ought not to have been a teacher in 2021.
Ought I to have been a teacher for five years by now?
Ought I not to have been a teacher since 2025?
Simple
“must” (expressing strong obligation/necessity):
Subject + must be + noun.
I must be a teacher.
I must not be a teacher.
Must I be a teacher?
Must I not be a teacher?
Perfect
“must have been” (expressing strong obligation/necessity in perfect tense):
Subject + must have been + noun + point of time/ period of time
I must have been a teacher for five years.
I must not have been a teacher for five years by 2026.
Must I have been a teacher in 2021?
Must I not have been a teacher since 2021?
Simple
“used to” (expressing past habits/states):
Subject + used to be + noun.
I used to be a teacher in 2010.
I didn’t use to be a teacher.
Did I use to be a teacher?
Didn’t I use to be a teacher?
Simple
“need not” (expressing something that’s not necessary):
Subject + need not be + noun.
I need not be a teacher.
Need I be a teacher?
Need I not be a teacher?
Perfect
“need not have been” (expressing something that’s not necessary in perfect tense):
I need not have been a teacher for five years.
Need I have been a teacher for five years by now?
Need I not have been a teacher since 2010?
Simple
“dare not” (expressing someone does not dare to do something):
Subject + dare not be + noun.
I dare not be a teacher.
Dare I be a teacher?
Dare I not be a teacher?
Perfect
“dare not have been” (expressing someone does not dare to do something in perfect tense):
I dare not have been a teacher for 10 years.
Dare I have been a teacher for 10 years by 2026?
Dare I not have been a teacher since 2016?