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Examples Examples Examples

Tense Signal words Use Form
affirmative negative interrogative
every day

sometimes
• something happens repeatedly
always • how often something happens I work. I don't work. Do I work?
• one action follows another
infinitive
often • things in general He works. He doesn't work. Does he work?
Simple • with verbs like (to love, to
Present 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 and infinitive + ing
Look! arranged to do it (a fixed I'm going. I'm not going. Am I going?
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
... ago He worked. He didn't work. Did he work?
Simple mostly connected with an
Past expression of time (no connection irregular:
in 1990 to the present) I went. I didn't go. Did I go?
(2nd column of table
of irregular verbs)
yesterday He went. He didn't go. Did he go?

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

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

yet

never

ever • you say that sth. has I have worked. I haven't worked. Have I worked?
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 • action started in the past and *(infinitive + ed) or
so far, 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 day has just stopped
He has been He hasn't been Has he been
• how long the action has been
Present Perfect have/has + been + working. working. working?
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 been He hasn't been Has he been
going. going. going?

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• 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 Past already happened is put into
just Past Perfect, the other action
Perfect *(infinitive + ed) or
into Simple Past I had gone. I hadn't gone. Had I gone?
never (3rd column of table
• 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?

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 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 it + ing I'll be going. I won't be going. Will I be going?
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
(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
infinitive + ing
Progressive emphasis: length of time of an 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?
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
Conditional sentences would + infinitive
Simple
I would go. I wouldn't go. Would I go?

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

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