Examples Examples Examples

Tense Signal words Use Form

affirmative negative interrogative
something happens I work. I don't work. Do I work?
every day
repeatedly how often He works. He doesn't work. Does he work?
sometimes
Simple something happens I go. I don't go. Do I go?
always
Present one action follows
often infinitive
or another things in general
usually he/she/it+s
Present after the following verbs (to
seldom He goes. He doesn't go. Does he go?
Simple love, to hate, to think, etc.)
never
future meaning: timetables,
first ... then
programmes
Now something is I'm working. I'm not working. Am I working?
happening at the He's working. He isn't working. Is he working?
Present
at the moment same time of speaking or
Progressive or to be (am/are/is)+ I'm going. I'm not going. Am I going?
around it future meaning:
Present infinitive + ing
Look! when you have already
Continuous He's going. He isn't going. Is he going?
decided and arranged to
Listen! do it (a fixed plan, date)
action took place in regular: I worked. I didn't work. Did I work?
Simple
last ... the past, mostly infinitive + ed
Past He worked. He didn't work. Did he work?
... ago connected with an irregular:
or I went. I didn't go. Did I go?
in 1990 expression of time (no 2nd column of
Past
yesterday connection to the table
Simple He went. He didn't go. Did he go?
present) of irregular verbs
an action happened in I was working. I wasn't working. Was I working?
the middle of another
Past He was working. He wasn't working. Was he working?
action someone was doing
Progressive or was/were + I was going. I wasn't going. Was I going?
while sth. at a certain time (in the
Past infinitive + ing
past) - you do not know
Continuous
whether it was finished or He was going. He wasn't going. Was he going?
not
I have been I haven't been Have I been
Present action began in the working. working. working?
all day
Perfect past and has just He has been He hasn't been Has he been
the whole day have/has + been
Progressive or stopped how long the working. working. working?
how long +
Present action has been happening I have been I haven't been Have I been
since infinitive + ing
Perfect emphasis: length of going. going. going?
for
Continuous time of an action He has been He hasn't been Has he been
going. going. going?
 Examples Examples Examples
Tense Signal words Use Form
affirmative negative interrogative
just you say that sth. Have I
I have worked. I haven't worked.
yet Has happened or is worked?
Simple never finished in the past have/has + past Has he
He has worked. He hasn't worked.
Present ever and it has a participle* worked?
Perfect already connection to the *(infinitive+ed) or I have gone. I haven't gone. Have I gone?
or so far, present action (3rd column of
Present up to now, started in the table of irregular
Perfect since past and continues verbs) He has gone. He hasn't gone. Has he gone?
for up
recently to the present
mostly when two Had I
I had worked. I hadn't worked.
actions in a story are worked?
Simple related to each Had he
had + past He had worked. He hadn't worked.
Past other: the action worked?
participle*
Perfect already which had I had gone. I hadn't gone. Had I gone?
*(infinitive + -ed) or
or just already happened is
(3rd column of
Past never put into Past Perfect,
table of irregular
Perfect the other action into
verbs) He had gone. He hadn't gone. Had he gone?
(Simple) Simple Past
the past of the
Present Perfect
I had been
Past Perfect how long something I hadn't been working. Had I been working?
working.
Progressive how long had been happening He had been He hadn't been
had + been + Had he been working?
or since before something working. working.
infinitive + ing
Past Perfect for else I had been going. I hadn't been going. Had I been going?
Continuous happened
He had been going. He hadn't been going. Had he been going?
predictions about the I'll work. I won't work. Will I work?
future (you think that He'll work. He won't work. Will he work?
sth. will happen) you
decide to do sth. I'll go. I won't go. Will I go?
spontaneously at the
will future time of speaking, will + infinitive
you
haven't made a He'll go. He won't go. Will he go?
decision before
main clause in type I
of the if clauses
 Examples Examples Examples
Tense Signal words Use Form
affirmative negative Interrogative
I'm not going to Am I going to
I'm going to work.
when you have work. work?
already decided to be (am/are/is) He's not going to Is he going to
He's going to work.
going to future do sth. in the future +going to + work. work?
what you think what infinitive I'm going to go. I'm not going to go. Am I going to go?
will happen He's not going to
He's going to go. Is he going to go?
go.
An action will be in I'll be working. I won't be working. Will I be working?
progress at a certain He won't be
time in the future. He'll be working. Will he be working?
working.
Future Progressive This action has I'll be going. I won't be going. Will I be going?
will + be +
or begun before the
infinitive+ing
Future Continuous certain
time. Something He'll be going. He won't be going. Will he be going?
happens because it
normally happens
I won't have Will I have
I'll have worked.
Simple will + have+past worked. worked?
sth. Will already
Future participle* He won't have Will he have
have happened He'll have worked.
Perfect *(infinitive+ed) or worked. worked?
before a
or (3rd column of Will I have
certain time in the I'll have gone. I won't have gone.
Future Perfect table of irregular gone?
future
Simple verbs) He won't have Will he have
He'll have gone.
gone. gone?
I'll have been I won't have been Will I have been
Future sth. will already have working. working. working?
Perfect happened before a He'll have been He won't have been Will he have been
Progressive or certain time in the will + have + been working. working. working?
Future future + infinitive + ing I'll have been I won't have been Will I have been
Perfect emphasis: length going. going. working?
Continuous of time of an action He'll have been He won't have been Will he have been
going. going. working?
I wouldn't
sth. that might I would work. Would I work?
work.
happen He would work. He wouldn't work. Would he work?
Conditional Simple would + infinitive
main clause in type II
I would go. I wouldn't go. Would I go?
of the if-clauses
He would go. He wouldn't go. Would he go?
 Examples Examples Examples
Tense Signal words Use Form
affirmative negative interrogative
I wouldn't be Would I be
I would be working.
working. working?
Conditional
sth. that might He would be He wouldn't be Would he be
Progressive
happen would + be + working. working. working?
or
emphasis: length infinitive + ing Would I be
Conditional I would be going. I wouldn't be going.
of time of an action going?
Continuous
He wouldn't be Would he be
He would be going.
going. going?
I would have I wouldn't have Would I have
sth. that might have would + have + worked. worked. worked?
happened in the past past participle* He would have He wouldn't have Would he
(It's too late now.) *(infinitive + -ed) or worked. worked. Have worked?
Conditional Perfect
main clause in type (3rd column of I wouldn't have Would I have
I would have gone
III table of irregular gone. gone?
of the if clauses verbs) He would have He wouldn't have Would I have
gone. gone. gone?
I would have been I wouldn't have Would I have
working. been working. been working?
Conditional Perfect sth. that might have Would he
He would He wouldn't have
Progressive happened in the past have been
would + have + have been going. been going.
or (It's too late now.) working?
been + infinitive +
Conditional emphasis: length I would have been I wouldn't have Would I have
ing
Perfect of going. been going. been going?
Continuous time of an action Would he
He would have He wouldn't have
have been
been going. been going.
going?