Conjugation

Mess around

faire l'imbécile

Regular verb, phrasal verb.

Conjugated like miss, watch, guess, latch onto, mesh with, obsess about

  • Phrasal verb: around

    Only mess changes; around stays the same: messed around, messed around.

In speech, the helping verbs shorten: I’m, he’s, we’re, I’ve, I’ll, I’d.

Newbie

Enough to talk about now, the past, and your plans, and to give instructions.

  1. Present simple

    Habits, facts, and how things usually are. To say no or ask, add do or does: I don't mess around, he doesn't mess around.

    1. I / you / we / they mess around
    2. he / she / it messes around

  2. Present continuous

    What is happening now, and plans already arranged: we’re leaving tomorrow.

    1. I am messing around
    2. you / we / they are messing around
    3. he / she / it is messing around

  3. Past simple

    A finished action at a past time: yesterday, in 2020. To say no or ask, add did: I didn't mess around.

    1. I / you / he / she / it / we / they messed around

  4. Future with going to

    Plans and intentions, and what you can see coming: it’s going to rain.

    1. I am going to mess around
    2. you / we / they are going to mess around
    3. he / she / it is going to mess around

  5. Imperative

    Orders, advice, and instructions. Let’s suggests doing it together. To say no: don't mess around.

    1. (you) mess around
    2. let's mess around
BeginnerExperiences, what you were doing, and the future with will.Present perfect · Past continuous · Future with willAlso show the Beginner tenses (3)

  1. Present perfect

    The past linked to now: experiences, news, and what started earlier and still goes on: I’ve lived here for two years.

    1. I / you / we / they have messed around
    2. he / she / it has messed around

  2. Past continuous

    An action in progress at a past moment, often interrupted: I was cooking when you called.

    1. I / he / she / it was messing around
    2. you / we / they were messing around

  3. Future with will

    Predictions, promises, offers, and decisions made now: I’ll help you.

    1. I / you / he / she / it / we / they will mess around
IntermediateHow long something has lasted, the past before the past, and what would happen.Present perfect continuous · Past perfect · Future continuous · Conditional · Conditional perfectAlso show the Intermediate tenses (5)

  1. Present perfect continuous

    An activity from the past until now, and how long it has lasted: I’ve been waiting for an hour.

    1. I / you / we / they have been messing around
    2. he / she / it has been messing around

  2. Past perfect

    The past before another past moment: when I arrived, the train had left.

    1. I / you / he / she / it / we / they had messed around

  3. Future continuous

    An action in progress at a future moment: this time tomorrow, I’ll be flying.

    1. I / you / he / she / it / we / they will be messing around

  4. Conditional

    What would happen in an imagined situation, and polite requests: if I had time, I would help.

    1. I / you / he / she / it / we / they would mess around

  5. Conditional perfect

    What would have happened, but did not: if I had known, I would have come.

    1. I / you / he / she / it / we / they would have messed around
AdvancedWhat will have happened, and the longer continuous tenses.Past perfect continuous · Future perfect · Future perfect continuous · Conditional continuous · Conditional perfect continuousAlso show the Advanced tenses (5)

  1. Past perfect continuous

    An activity that had been going on until a past moment: she was tired because she had been running.

    1. I / you / he / she / it / we / they had been messing around

  2. Future perfect

    An action finished before a future moment: by Friday, I’ll have finished.

    1. I / you / he / she / it / we / they will have messed around

  3. Future perfect continuous

    How long an activity will have lasted at a future moment: in June, I’ll have been working here for a year.

    1. I / you / he / she / it / we / they will have been messing around

  4. Conditional continuous

    An action that would be in progress in an imagined situation: if I were rich, I would be traveling now.

    1. I / you / he / she / it / we / they would be messing around

  5. Conditional perfect continuous

    An activity that would have been going on in an imagined past: without the rain, we would have been playing outside.

    1. I / you / he / she / it / we / they would have been messing around