tenses

1. Table of English Tenses
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
Does he
He works. He doesn't work.
how often something work?
sometimes
happens I go. I don't go. Do I go?
always
one action follows
Simple another
often
Present infinitive he/she/it
or things in general + -s
usually
Present Simple
seldom after the following
He goes. He doesn't go. Does he go?
verbs (to love, to
never hate, to think, etc.)
first ... then future meaning:
timetables,
programmes
something is Am I
I'm working. I'm not working.
now happening at the working?
same time of speaking
or around it Is he
Present at the moment He's working. He isn't working.
to be (am/are/is) + working?
Progressive or
Present Continuous Look! future meaning: when infinitive + -ing I'm going. I'm not going. Am I going?
you have already
Listen! decided and
arranged to do it (a He's going. He isn't going. Is he going?
fixed plan, date)
last ... action took place in I worked. I didn't work. Did I work?
Simple regular:
the past, mostly He worked. He didn't work. Did he work?
Past ... ago infinitive + -ed
connected with an
or irregular:
expression of time (no I went. I didn't go. Did I go?
Past in 1990 2nd column of table
connection to the
Simple of irregular verbs
present) He went. He didn't go. Did he go?
yesterday
an action happened in Was I
I was working. I wasn't working.
the middle of another working?
action
Past Was he
was/were + He was working. He wasn't working.
Progressive or while someone was doing working?
infinitive + -ing
Past Continuous sth. at a certain time I was going. I wasn't going. Was I going?
(in the past) - you do
not know whether it Was he
He was going. He wasn't going.
was finished or not going?
just Have I
I have worked. I haven't worked.
worked?
yet
Has he
He has worked. He hasn't worked.
never worked?
you say that sth. has
happened or is I have gone. I haven't gone. Have I gone?
ever have/has + past
Simple finished in the past
participle*
Present and it has a
Perfect already connection to the
*(infinitive + -ed) or
or present
so far, (3rd column of
Present
table of irregular
Perfect action started in the
up to now, verbs)
past and continues up He has gone. He hasn't gone. Has he gone?
to the present
since
for
recently
all day action began in the I have been I haven't been Have I been
past and has just working. working. working?
Present Perfect the whole day stopped He has been He hasn't been Has he been
Progressive or working. working. working?
have/has + been +
Present how long how long the action
infinitive + -ing
Perfect has been happening I haven't been Have I been
I have been going.
Continuous since going. going?
emphasis: length of
for time of an action He hasn't been Has he been
He has been going.
going. going?
mostly when two Had I
I had worked. I hadn't worked.
actions in a story are worked?
Simple related to each other: had + past
Past already the action which had participle* Had he
He had worked. He hadn't worked.
Perfect already happened is worked?
or just put into Past Perfect, *(infinitive + -ed) or I had gone. I hadn't gone. Had I gone?
Past the other action into (3rd column of
Perfect never Simple Past table of irregular
(Simple) verbs)
He had gone. He hadn't gone. Had he gone?
the past of the
Present Perfect

2. I hadn't been Had I been
I had been working.
working. working?
how long He had been He hadn't been Had he been
Past Perfect how long something
Progressive or had been happening had + been + working. working. working?
since
Past Perfect before something else infinitive + ing
Had I been
Continuous happened I had been going. I hadn't been going.
for going?
He hadn't been Had he been
He had been going.
going. going?
predictions about the I'll work. I won't work. Will I work?
future (you think that
sth. will happen) He'll work. He won't work. Will he work?
I'll go. I won't go. Will I go?
you decide to do sth.
will - future spontaneously at the will + infinitive
time of speaking, you
haven't made a
decision before He'll go. He won't go. Will he go?
main clause in type I
of the if clauses
I'm not going to Am I going to
I'm going to work.
work. work?
when you have
already decided to do He's not going to Is he going
He's going to work.
sth. in the future be (am/are/is) + work. to work?
going to - future
going to + infinitive
Am I going to
what you think what I'm going to go. I'm not going to go.
go?
will happen
He's not going to Is he going
He's going to go.
go. to go?
An action will be in Will I be
I'll be working. I won't be working.
progress at a certain working?
time in the future.
This action has begun He won't be Will he be
He'll be working.
Future Progressive or before the certain will + be + infinitive working. working?
Future Continuous time. + ing Will I be
I'll be going. I won't be going.
going?
Something happens
because it normally Will he be
He'll be going. He won't be going.
happens. going?
I won't have Will I have
I'll have worked.
will + have + past worked. worked?
Simple
participle* He won't have Will he have
Future sth. will already have He'll have worked.
Perfect happened before a worked. worked?
*(infinitive + -ed) or
or certain time in the
(3rd column of Will I have
Future Perfect future I'll have gone. I won't have gone.
table of irregular gone?
Simple
verbs)
Will he have
He'll have gone. He won't have gone.
gone?
Will I have
I'll have been I won't have been
been
working. working.
working?
sth. will already have
Future happened before a Will he have
He'll have been He won't have been
Perfect certain time in the been
working. working.
Progressive or future will + have + been working?
Future + infinitive + ing
Will I have
Perfect I won't have been
I'll have been going. been
Continuous emphasis: length of going.
working?
time of an action
Will he have
He'll have been He won't have been
been
going. going.
working?
I wouldn't Would I
I would work.
work. work?
sth. that might
happen Would he
He would work. He wouldn't work.
Conditional Simple would + infinitive work?
main clause in type II
I would go. I wouldn't go. Would I go?
of the if-clauses
He wouldn't Would he
He would go.
go. go?
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 working. working. working?
would + be +
or
infinitive + ing
Conditional emphasis: length of Would I be
I would be going. I wouldn't be going.
Continuous time of an action going?
He wouldn't be Would he be
He would be going.
going. going?
Conditional Perfect sth. that might have would + have + I would have I wouldn't have Would I have
happened in the past past participle* worked. worked. worked?
(It's too late now.)
*(infinitive + -ed) or He would have Would he
He wouldn't have
main clause in type III (3rd column of have
worked. worked.
of the if clauses table of irregular worked?
verbs)
I would have gone. I wouldn't have Would I have

3. gone. gone?
He would have He wouldn't have Would I have
gone. gone. gone?
Would I have
I would have been I wouldn't have
been
working. been working.
working?
Conditional Perfect sth. that might have Would he
Progressive happened in the past He would He wouldn't have
would + have + have been
or (It's too late now.) have been going. been going.
been + infinitive + working?
Conditional
ing
Perfect emphasis: length of I would have been I wouldn't have Would I have
Continuous time of an action going. been going. been going?
Would he
He would have been He wouldn't have
have been
going. been going.
going?