TENSE

Examples Examples Examples

Tense Signal words Use Form
affirmative negative interrogative
every day

sometimes

 something happens repeatedly

always I work. I don't work. Do I work?
 how often something happens
 one action follows another infinitive
often  things in general He works. He doesn't work. Does he work?
Simple
Present  with verbs like (to love, to
hate, to think, etc.) he/she/it:
usually I go. I don't go. Do I go?
 future meaning: timetables, infinitive + s
programmes
seldom He goes. He doesn't go. Does he go?

never

first ... then

now  something is happening at the I'm working. I'm not working. Am I working?
same time of speaking or
around it
at the moment He's working. He isn't working. Is he working?
Present  future meaning: when you be (am/are/is) +
Progressive have already decided infinitive + ing
Look! and arranged to do it (a I'm going. I'm not going. Am I going?
fixed plan, date)
Listen! He's going. He isn't going. Is he going?
last ... I worked. I didn't work. Did I work?
regular:
action took place in the past, infinitive + ed He worked. He didn't work. Did he work?
... ago
Simple mostly connected with an
Past expression of time (no connection irregular:
in 1990 I went. I didn't go. Did I go?
to the present) (2nd column of table
of irregular verbs)
yesterday He went. He didn't go. Did he go?
 TENSE

 an action happened in I was working. I wasn't working. Was I working?

the middle of another
action He was working. He wasn't working. Was he working?
Past  someone was doing sth. at a was/were +
while
Progressive certain time (in the past) - you infinitive + ing I was going. I wasn't going. Was I going?
don't know whether it was
finished or not
He was going. He wasn't going. Was he going?
just

yet

never

ever I have worked. I haven't worked. Have I worked?

 you say that sth. has have/has + past
happened or is finished in the participle*
Simple already past and it has a connection to He has worked. He hasn’t worked. Has he worked?
Present the present
Perfect so far,  action started in the past and *(infinitive + ed) or I have gone. I haven't gone. Have I gone?
continues up to the present (3rd column of table
of irregular verbs)
up to now, He has gone. He hasn’t gone. Has he gone?

since

for

recently
I have been I haven't been Have I been
all day working. working. working?
 action began in the past and
the whole has just stopped
He has been He hasn't Has he been
 how long the action has been
Present Perfect have/has + been + working. been working. working?
day how long happening
Progressive infinitive + ing
since I have been going. I haven't been going. Have I been going?
emphasis: length of time of
an action
for He has He hasn't Has he been
been going. been going. going?
 TENSE

 mostly when two actions in a I had worked. I hadn't worked. Had I worked?
story are related to each had + past
already other: the action which had participle*
He had worked. He hadn't worked. Had he worked?
Simple already happened is put into
just Past Perfect, the other action
Past *(infinitive + ed) or
into Simple Past I had gone. I hadn't gone. Had I gone?
Perfect (3rd column of table
never  the past of the Present Perfect of irregular verbs)
He had gone. He hadn't gone. Had he gone?

I had been I hadn't been Had I been

working. working. working?

how long He had been He hadn't been Had he been

how long something had been working. working. working?
Past Perfect had + been +
since happening before something else
Progressive infinitive + ing
happened
for I had been going. I hadn't been going. Had I been going?

He had been He hadn't been Had he been

going. going. going?
 predictions about the future
(you think that sth will I'll work. I won't work. Will I work?
happen)
 you decide to do sth. He'll work. He won't work. Will he work?
will - future spontaneously at the time of will + infinitive
speaking I'll go. I won't go. Will I go?
 main clause in type I of the
Conditional sentences
He'll go. He won't go. Will he go?

I'm going to I'm not going to Am I going to

work. work. work?
 when you have already
decided to do sth. in the future He's going to He's not going to Is he going to
going to -  what you think what will be (am/are/is) + work. work. work?
future happen going to + infinitive
I'm going to go. I'm not going to go. Am I going to go?

He's going to go. He's not going to go. Is he going to go?

 TENSE
 An action will be in progress at I'll be working. I won't be working. Will I be working?
a certain time in the future.
This action has begun before He'll be working. He won't be working. Will he be working?
Future the certain time. will + be + infinitive
Progressive  Something happens because + ing
I'll be going. I won't be going. Will I be going?
it normally happens.
He'll be going. He won't be going. Will he be going?
I'll have worked. I won't have worked. Will I have worked?
will + have + past
participle* He'll have He won't have Will he have
Future worked. worked. worked?
Perfect sth. will already have happened
Simple before a certain time in the future *(infinitive + ed) or
(3rd column of table I'll have gone. I won't have gone. Will I have gone?
of irregular verbs)
He'll have gone. He won't have gone. Will he have gone?
I'll have been I won't have been Will I have been
working. working. working?

sth. will already have happened He'll have been He won't have been Will he have been
Future before a certain time in the future working. working. working?
will + have + been +
Perfect
Progressive emphasis: length of time of an infinitive + ing
I'll have been I won't have been Will I have been
action going. going. going?

He'll have been He won't have been Will he have been

going. going. going?