TENSE TIME Use Form affirmative negative interrogative

MARKERS

Simple Present Every (day) something happens repeatedly infinitive I work I don`t work Do I work?

sometimes, how often something happens He works He doesn`t work Does he work?
usually
one action follows another he/she/it + Vs
always
things in general.
often
with verbs like
seldom never
(to love, to hate, to think, etc.)
first…then,
future meaning: timetables, programmes,
rarely
schedule

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

Present Perfect Just, yet, you say that sth. has happened or is finished Have/has+ V3 I have worked. I haven't worked. Have I worked?
never, ever, in the past and it has a connection to the
(Verb+ed) or 3rd He has worked. He hasn’t worked. Has he worked?
already, so far, present
column of table of
up to now,
action started in the past and continues up irregular verbs
sinse, for,
to the present
recently

All day, action began in the past and has just have/has + been I have benn I haven`t been Have I been
Present Perfect The whole stopped +infinitive + ing working. working. working?
continuous day,
how long the action has been happening He has working He hasn`t been Has he been
How long, working working?
emphasis: length of time of an action
Since

for
Past simple Last… action took place in the past, mostly regular: I worked. I didn't work. He Did I work? Did he
connected with an expression of time (no didn't work. work?
…ago infinitive + ed He worked
connection to the present)
In 1990…

yesterday irregular:

(2nd column of
table of irregular
verbs)

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

Past Perfect Already mostly when two actions in a story are related Had+ past part3 I had worked I hadn`t worked Had I worked?
to each other: the action which had already
Just (Verb+ed) or 3rd
happened is put into Past Perfect, the other
column of table
never action into Simple Past He had worked He hadn`t worked. Had he worked?
of irregular verbs
the past of the Present Perfect I hadn`t gone.

I had gone Had I gone?

Past Perfect How long how long something had been happening had + been + I had been I hadn`t been Had I been
continuous before something else happened infinitive + ing working. working. working?
Since
He had been He hadn`t been
For
going. going
Had he been
 going?

Future Tomorrow predictions about the future (you think that will + infinitive I will work I won`t work Will I work?
simple sth will happen)
Next
week/month you decide to do sth. spontaneously at the
He`ll work He won`t work Will he work?
time of speaking
Soon
main clause in type I of the Conditional
Later
sentences
In the future

By

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

Future At this time An action will be in progress at a certain time will + be + I will be working I won`t be wotking Will I be working?
continuous tomorrow/ in the future. This action has begun before the infinitive+ ing
certain time.
next week
He`ll be working He wont be working
Something happens because it normally
at
happens.
in the future

all day
 tomorrow

still

throughout(pe
riod of time)

Future sth. will already have happened before a will+have + past I'll have worked I won't have worked Will I have worked?
Perfect certain time in the future participle*(Verb+
Simple ed.V3)

Future sth. will already have happened before a will + have + been I'll have been I won't have been Will I have been
Perfect certain time in the future + working. working. working?
Progressive
infinitive + ing

emphasis: length of time of an action