Signal Examples Examples Examples

Tense Use Form

words affirmative negative interrogative

something happens
repeatedly

how often something

every day
happens
sometimes I don't work.
always I work. He doesn't Do I work?
one action follows another
Present often infinitive He works. work. Does he work?
Simple usually he/she/it + -s I go. I don't go. Do I go?
things in general
seldom He goes. He doesn't Does he go?
never go.
after the following verbs (to
first ... then
love, to hate, to think, etc.)

future meaning: timetables,

programmes

something is happening at I'm not

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

regular: infinitive
I didn't work.
last ... action took place in the + -ed I worked. Did I work?
He didn't
... ago past, mostly connected with He worked. Did he work?
Past Simple work.
in 1990 an expression of time (no irregular: 2nd I went. Did I go?
I didn't go.
yesterday connection to the present) column of table He went. Did he go?
He didn't go.
of irregular verbs

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

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

I haven't
action began in the past I have been been Have I been
all day and has just stopped working. working. working?
the whole He has been He hasn't Has he been
Present have/has + been
day how long the action has working. been working?
Perfect + infinitive +
how long been happening I have been working. Have I been
Continuous -ing
since going. I haven't going?
for emphasis: length of time of He has been been going. Has he been
an action going. He hasn't going?
been going.

mostly when two actions in

had + past I hadn't
a story are related to each
participle* worked.
other: the action which had I had worked.
He hadn't Had I worked?
already already happened is put He had
*(infinitive + worked. Had he worked?
Past Perfect just into Past Perfect, the other worked.
-ed) or (3rd I hadn't Had I gone?
never action into Simple Past I had gone.
column of table gone. Had he gone?
He had gone.
of irregular He hadn't
the past of the Present
verbs) gone.
Perfect

Past Perfect how long how long something had had + been + I had been I hadn't been Had I been
Continuous since been happening before infinitive + ing working. working. working?
 He hadn't
He had been Had he been
been
working. working?
working.
I had been Had I been
for something else happened I hadn't been
going. going?
going.
He had been Had he been
He hadn't
going. going?
been going.

predictions about the future

(you think that sth. will
happen)
I won't work.
I'll work. Will I work?
you decide to do sth. He won't
tomorrow He'll work. Will he work?
Will- future spontaneously at the time will + infinitive work.
next + noun I'll go. Will I go?
of speaking, you haven't I won't go.
He'll go. Will he go?
made a decision before He won't go.

main clause in type I of the

if clauses

I'm not going

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

Future An action will be in will + be + I'll be working. I won't be Will I be working?

Continuous progress at a certain time infinitive + ing He'll be working. Will he be
in the future. This action working. He won't be working?
has begun before the I'll be going. working. Will I be going?
certain time. He'll be going. I won't be Will he be going?
going.
Something happens He won't be
because it normally going.
 happens.

will + have +
past participle* I won't have
I'll have Will I have
worked.
sth. will already have worked. worked?
Future by the *(infinitive + He won't
happened before a certain He'll have Will he have
Perfect +noun -ed) or (3rd have worked.
time in the future worked. worked?
column of table I won't have
I'll have gone. Will I have?
of irregular gone.
verbs)