The Uses of WANT in All Tenses

 

The verb "want" means to talk about wants, needs, advice and wishes for a particular thing or plan of action.

More polite than "want" is "would", and in informal forms we can say "wanna".

Most uses of "want" include the simple forms of the verb (want, wants, wanted).

We can also use the continuous form (is wanting, was wanting, will be wanting).

 

The uses of "want" in the present tense 

 

Describes procedures without specifying whether the procedures are complete or ongoing. 

 

Rules:

• You have to add "s" after "he, she, it".
• In the negative: 
• "don't" is added after "I, you, we, they"
• "Doesn't" is added after "he, She, it"  

 

Examples: 

• I, you, we, they + want.
• he, she, it + wants.
• I, you, we, they + don't.
• he, she, it + doesn't + want.

 

The uses of "want" in the past

 

Denotes something that happened in the past.

Rules:

• Always add "ed" at the end of "want".
• In the negative, "didn't" is added before "want".

 

Examples:

• I, you, we, they, he, she, it + wanted
• I, you, we, they, he, she, it + didn't + want

 

The uses of "want" in the future

 

It is used for something will happen later than now.

 

Rules:

• Before "want" we must add "will".
• In negation, "not" is added before want.  

Examples:

• I, you, we, they, he, she, it + will + want
• I, you, we, they, he, she, it + will + not + want 

 

The uses of "want" in the present perfect

It is used for something that happened now at a specific time.

 

Rules:

• "ed" should be added after "want".
• Before "want" we have to add "have, has"
  

 

Examples:

• I, you, we, they + have + wanted
• he, she, it + has + wanted

 

The uses of "want" in the present continuous

 

It is used in an action taking place now or in an incomplete action.

 

Rules:

• We must add "ing" after "want".
• Before "want" we have to add "am, is, are"

 

Examples:

• I + am + wanting
• You, we, they + are + wanting
• He, she, it + is + wanting 

 

See: More Than 60 Common Polite Phrases in English

 

The uses of "want" in the present perfect continuous

 

It is used to do something you have been doing and are still doing.

 

Rules:

• You must add "ing" after "want".
• Before "want" we have to add "have/has been".

 

 Examples:

• I, you, we, they + have been + wanting 
• He, she, it + has been + wanting

The uses of "want" in the future continuous

 

Represents an incomplete work that will be completed at a later time.

 

Rules:

• You must add "ing" after "want".
• Before "want" we have to add "will be".

 

Examples:

• I, you, we, they, he, she, it + will be + wanting 

The uses of "want" in the past perfect

 

It is used to describe something that happened before something in the past.

 

Rules:

• You must add "ed" after "want".
• Before "want" we have to add "had".

 

Example:

• I, you, we, they, he, she, it + had + wanted 

 

The uses of "want" in the future perfect

 

It is used to do something that happened before something else in the future. 

 

Rules:

• You must add "ed" after "want".
• Before "want" we have to add "will have".

 

Example:

• I, you, we, they, he, she, it + will have + wanted 

 

The uses of "want" in the past continuous

 

Expresses an incomplete action in the past.

 

Rules:

• You must add "want" after "ing".
• Before "want" we have to add "was, were".

 

Example:

• You, we, they + were + wanting
• I, He, she, it + was + wanting 

See: All American English Reductions and Contractions

The uses of "want" in the past perfect continuous

It is used to do something that happened in the past and also ended in the past.

 

Rules:

• You must add "ing" after "want".
• Before "want" we have to add "had been".

 

Example:

• I, you, we, they, he, she, it + had been + wanting 

 

The uses of "want" in the future perfect continuous

 

It is used to do something that will happen in the future and will continue.

 

Rules:

• You must add "ing" after "want".
• Before "want" we have to add "will have been".

 

Example:

• I, you, we, they, he, she, it + will have been + wanting

 

The uses of "want" in the present conditional

The present conditional describes a situation now that isn't true or isn't happening.

 

Rule:

• Before "want" we have to add "would".

 

Example: 

• I, you, we, they, he, she, it + would + want 

 

The uses of "want" in the present continuous conditional

 

It expresses an unfinished or continuing action or situation, which is the probable result of an unreal condition. 

Rule:

• You must add "ing" after "want".
• Before "want" we have to add "would be".

 

Example:

• I, you, we, they, he, she, it + would be + wanting 

 

The uses of "want" in the past conditional

 

The past conditional describes a past situation that never happened, or it did happen and the person speaking is describing the possibility of something not happening in the past.

Rule:

• You must add "ed" after "want".
• Before "want" we have to add "would have".

 

Example:

• I, you, we, they, he, she, it + would have + wanted 

 

The uses of "want" in the past continuous conditional

 

the past continuous conditional is used to discuss imaginary situations happening at a very specific time in the past or over a period of time in the past.

Rule:

• We must add "ing" after "want".
• Before "want" we have to add "would have been".

 

Example:

• I, you, we, they, he, she, it + would have been + wanting 

 

See: Using "I Want you to" to Build Sentences