Examples Examples Examples

Tense Signal words Use Form

affirmative negative interrogative
every day

sometimes

always  something happens repeatedly

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

never

first ... then

now  something is happening at I'm working.

I'm not working. Am I working?
the same time of speaking or
at the moment around it He's working.
He isn't working. Is he working?
Present Look!  future meaning: when you be (am/are/is) + I'm going.
I'm not going. Am I going?
Progressive have already decided infinitive + ing
and arranged to do it (a
Listen! fixed plan, date) He's going.
He isn't going. Is he going?

last ... I worked. I didn't work. Did I work?

... ago action took place in the past, regular: He worked. He didn't work. Did he work?
in 1990 mostly connected with an infinitive + ed I went. I didn't go. Did I go?
Simple Past yesterday expression of time (no connection irregular: He went. He didn't go. Did he go?
to the present) (2nd column of table
of irregular verbs)
  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 was/were +
while  someone was doing sth. at a
Progressive infinitive + ing
certain time (in the past) - I was going. I wasn't going. Was I going?
you don't know whether it was
finished or not
He was going. He wasn't going. Was he going?

just

yet
 you say that sth. has
happened or is finished in the
never past and it has a connection
to the present
Ever  action started in the past I have worked. I haven't worked. Have I worked?
and continues up to the have/has + past He has worked. He hasn’t worked. Has he worked?
Already participle*
present I have gone. I haven't gone. Have I gone?
Simple Present
so far, He has gone. He hasn’t gone. Has he gone?
Perfect
*(infinitive + ed) or
up to now,
(3rd column of table
of irregular verbs)

since

for

recently
I have been I haven't been Have I been
all day working. working. working?
 action began in the past
the whole day and has just stopped
He has been He hasn't been Has he been
 how long the action has
Present Perfect have/has + been + working. working. working?
how long been happening
Progressive infinitive + ing
emphasis: length of time of
since an action I have been going. I haven't been going. Have I been going?
for He has been He hasn't been Has he been
going. going. going?
  mostly when two actions in a I had worked. I hadn't worked. Had I worked?
story are related to each had + past He had worked. He hadn't worked. Had he worked?
Already
other: the action which had participle* I had gone. I hadn't gone. Had I gone?
Simple Past Just already happened is put into He had gone. He hadn't gone. Had he gone?
Perfect Past Perfect, the other action *(infinitive + ed) or
never into Simple Past (3rd column of table
 the past of the Present Perfect of irregular verbs)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

going. going. going?
I would work. I wouldn't work. Would I work?

 sth. that might happen He would work. He wouldn't work. Would he work?
Conditional  main clause in type II of the would + infinitive
Simple Conditional sentences
I would go. I wouldn't go. Would I go?

He would go. He wouldn't go. Would he go?

 I would be I wouldn't be Would I be
working. working. working?

sth. that might happen He would be He wouldn't be Would he be

Conditional would + be + working. working. working?
Progressive emphasis: length of time of an infinitive + ing
action I would be going. I wouldn't be going. Would I be going?

He would be He wouldn't be Would he be

going. going. going?
I would have I wouldn't have Would I have
worked. worked. worked?
would + have + past
He would have He wouldn't have Would he have
 sth. that might have happened participle*
worked. worked. worked?
Conditional in the past
Perfect  main clause in type III of the *(infinitive + ed) or
Conditional sentences I would have I wouldn't have Would I have
(3rd column of table
gone. gone. gone?
of irregular verbs)
He would have He wouldn't have Would he have
gone. gone. gone?
I would have been I wouldn't have been Would I have been
working. working. working?

sth. that might have happened in He would have He wouldn't have Would he
Conditional the past been working. been working. have been working?
would + have + been
Perfect
+ infinitive + ing
Progressive emphasis: length of time of an I would have been I wouldn't have been Would I have been
action going. going. going?

He would have He wouldn't have Would he

been going. been going. have been going?

We sometimes use Continuous instead of Progressive. Some signal words can be found in more tenses. We have not listed signal words in the future. Always remember
what action is described.
Used colours:
blue → infinitive grey → irregular verbs in the Simple Past red → negation
dark green → auxiliary purple → past participle
orange → ending light green → signal word