Examples Examples Examples
Tense Signal words Use Form
affirmative negative interrogative
every day Current habits
sometimes something happens I work.
repeatedly I don't work. Do I work?
Simple always He works.
Present how often something
often happens infinitive He doesn't Does he work?
facts and truth work.
usually
with verbs like (to love, he/she/it: Do I go?
seldom I go. I don't go.
to hate, to think, etc.) Does he go?
never future meaning: infinitive + s He goes. He doesn't go.
first ... then timetables,
programmers
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) +
continuous 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 ... single completed action I worked. I didn't work. Did I work?
regular:
habits in the past
infinitive + ed
... ago permanent actions He worked. He didn't work. Did he work?
Simple
Past general truth or facts irregular:
in 1990 about the past I went. I didn't go. Did I go?
(2nd column of table
main events in the story of irregular verbs)
yesterday He went. He didn't go. Did he go?
an action happened in I was working. I wasn't working. Was I working?
particular moment in the
past He was working. He wasn't working. Was he working?
Past was/were +
while temporary situation in
continuous infinitive + ing
the past I was going. I wasn't going. Was I going?
action in progress over
period of times He was going. He wasn't going. Was he going?
two action in progress at
the same time
just
yet states or situations that have/has +
starts in the past and
never past I haven't worked. Have I worked?
still true
ever Action continuing up to participle* I have worked. He hasn’t worked. Has he worked?
now
already He has worked.
Completed actions at a I haven't gone. Have I gone?
Present *(infinitive + ed)
Perfect so far, time in the past which is
I have gone.
not mentioned or (3rd column He hasn’t gone. Has he gone?
up to now, Have you ever flown in He has gone.
a helicopter? of table of
since
irregular verbs)
for
recently
action began in the past I have been I haven't been Have I been
all day and has just stopped working. working. working?
how long the action has
the whole day He has been He hasn't been Has he been
been happening
Present Perfect action continuing up to the have/has + been + working. working. working?
how long
continuous present moment infinitive + ing
since Emphasis: length of time I have been going. I haven't been going. Have I been going?
of an action
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
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?
action continuing up to a
how long moment in the past He had been He hadn't been Had he been
Past Perfect
since
how long something had had + been + working. working. working?
continuous been happening before infinitive + ing
something else happened I had been going. I hadn't been going. Had I been going?
for
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?
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 worked. worked. worked?
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
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?
Used to +inf Habits in the past My mother used to play squash before I was born
Be –used to+ A situation that is familiar or no longer strange I didn`t like being the goalkeeper at first but now I'm used to it
v+ing
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
sth. that might have happened He would have He wouldn't have Would he have
participle*
in the past worked. worked. worked?
Conditional main clause in type III of the
Perfect Conditional sentences *(infinitive + ed) or
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?
Used to +inf Habits in the past My mother used to play squash before I was born
