Examples

Tense Signal words Use Form Examples

interrogative
affirmative
negative
every day
Something that happens
sometimes
repeatedly how often
always don't
work
Do?I.
something happens one action
often Infinitive doesn't
work
Does
He
he?s.
Simple
Present follows another
usually he/she/it + -s don't
Do
go?I.
things in general with the
seldom doesn't
Does
He
go
he
es?.
following verbs (to love, to
never
hate, to think, etc.)
first ... then
now work
wor
Am
not
ing
I'm
k?I.
something is happening
future meaning: at the
timetables,
same time of speaking or around it
programmes
at the moment work
isn't
He's
ing
He
he
Is?.
Present to be (am/are/is) +
Progressive future meaning: when you have Infinitive + ing
Look! Am
not
ing
I'm
go?I.
already decided and arranged to
do it (a fixed plan, date)
Listen! isn't
He's
ing
He
go
he
Is?.
last ... didn't
work
Did
ed?I.
regular:
... ago in action took place in the past, Infinitive + didn't
-edHe
work
Did
He
ed
he?.
Simple mostly connected with an
Past expression of time (no connection
1990 to the present) irregular: didn't
went
Did
go?I.
2. Spalte
yesterday didn't
went
Did
He
go
he?.
 an action happened in the middle wasn't
work
Was
was
ing?I.
of another action.
wasn't
work
Was
was
ing
He
he?.
Past was/were +
while Someone was doing something at
Progressive Infinitive + -ing
a certain time (in the past) - you wasn't
Was
was
ing
go?I.
don't know whether it was finished
or not wasn't
Was
was
ing
He
go
he?.
just yet

never

ever

already haven't
Have
work
have
ed?I.
you say that sth. has happened or have/has + past
is finished in the past and it has a participle *
Simple so far, hasnt
work
Has
has
He
ed
he?.
connection to the present
Present
Perfect *( infinitive + -ed
) or
up to now, haven't
Have
have?I.
gone
action started in the past and ( 3rd column of table
continues up to the present of irregular verbs )
since hasnt
gone
Has
has
He
he?.

for

recently

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

how long hadn't

had been
Had
He
he
how long something had been work
ing?.
Past Perfect had + been +
since happening before something else
Progressive Infinitive + ing
happened
hadn't
had been
ing
go?I.
Had
for

hadn't
had been
Had
He
he
ing
go?.

predictions about the future (you won't

work
Will
'll?I.
think that sth will happen)
won't
work
Will
He
he
'll?.
will - future you decide to do sth. spontaneously will + Infinitive
at the time of speaking, you won't
Will
go
'll?I.
haven't made a main clause in type
I of the if clauses won't
Will
He
go
he
'll?.
'm not
'm going
ingAm
go
toI
work?.

when you have already decided to

's not
's going
ingHe
go
he
to
Is
do sth. in the future be (am/are/is) +?.
going to - future work
going to +Infinitive
what you think what will happen
'm not
'm going
ingAm
go
to?I.

's not
's going
ingHe
go
he
to
Is?.
 An action will be in progress at a won't
work
'll
Will
ing
be?I.
certain time in the future. This
action has begun before the certain won't
work
'll
Will
ing
He
be
he?.
Future time. will + be +Infinitive
Progressive + ing
won't
'll
Will
ing
be
go?I.
Something happens because it
normally happens. won't
'll
Will
ing
He
be
go
he?.
won't
'llwork
have
Will
ed?I.
will + have + past
participle won't
* 'll have
Will
He
he
Future Perfect work
ork
ed
w?.
Simple sth. will already have happened
before a certain time in the future *( infinitive + -ed
) or
( 3rd columnwon't
of 'll
table
have
gone
Will?I.
of irregular verbs )
won't
'll have
gone
Will
He
he?.
won't
'll have been
WillI
work
ing?.

sth. will already have happened won't

'll have been
Will
He
he
Future before a certain time in the future work
ing?.
will + have + been +
Perfect
Infinitive + ing
Progressive emphasis: length of time of an won't
'll have been
WillI
action work
ing
go?.

won't
'll have been
Will
He
he
work
ing
go?.
wouldn't
Would
would
work?I.

sth. that might happen

wouldn't
Would
would
work
He
he?.
Conditional
would + Infinitive
Simple main clause in type II of the if
wouldn't
Would
would
work
go?I.
clauses

wouldn't
Would
would
work
He
go
he?.
 wouldn't
would
WouldbeI
work
ing?.

sth. that might happen wouldn't

would
WouldHe
be
he
Conditional would + be +work
ing?.
Progressive emphasis: length of time of an Infinitive + ing
action wouldn't
would
Would
ing
be
go?I.

wouldn't
would
WouldHe
be
he
ing
go?.
wouldn't
would
Would
haveI
work
ed?.
sth. that might have happened in
the past would + have past +
wouldn't
would
Would
have
He
he
participle *
work
ed?.
Conditional
(It's too late now.)
Perfect *( infinitive + -ed
) or
wouldn't
would
Would
haveI
( 3rd column of table
main clause in type III of the if gone?.
of irregular verbs )
clauses
wouldn't
would
Would
have
He
he
gone?.
wouldn't
would have
Would
beenI
work
ing?.
sth. that might have happened in
the past wouldn't
wouldWould
have
He
he
Conditional havework
been
ing
go?.
would + have been +
Perfect (It's too late now.)
+ Infinitive + ing
Progressive wouldn't
would have beenI
Would
emphasis: length of time of an ing
go?.
action
wouldn't
would
Would
have
He
he
have been
ing
go?.

We sometimes use Continuous instead of Progressive. Some signal words can be found in
more tenses.
action We did not list signal words in the future. Always remember what
is described.