NOTES
A COMPARISON OF TENSE FORMATION IN GERMAN AND ENGLISH
du bist nichts
.
du warst nichts
.
du bist nichts gewesen
.
du warst nichts gewesen
.
du wirst nichts sein
.
du wirst nichts gewesen sein
.
du wärest nichts
.
du wärest nichts gewesen
.
du bist doch nichts
du warst doch nichts
you amount to nothing
you are amounting to nothing
you amounted to nothing
you were amounting to nothing
you have amounted to nothing
you have been amounting to nothing
you had amounted to nothing
you had been amounting to nothing
you will amount to nothing
you will be amounting to nothing
you will have amounted to nothing
you will have been amounting to nothing
you would amount to nothing
you would be amounting to nothing
you would have amounted to nothing
you would have been amounting to nothing
you do amount to nothing
you did amount to nothing
Of particular note is the existence of the continuous tense in English (formed by the addition of -ing). A similar idea can be expressed in German with the construction: sein + bei + the infinitive as noun:
Du bist (gerade) beim Nichtssein.
Du warst (damals) beim Nichtssein.