Examples Examples

Tense Signal words Use Form Examples affirmative

negative interrogative
• something happens repeatedly
• how often something
every day happens • one action follows
sometimes another I don't work.
infinitive Do I work?
always often • things in general He doesn't
Present usually I work. He works. I go. Does he work?
work. I don't
Simple seldom never • with verbs like (to love, to he/she/it: infinitive He goes.
go.
Do I go?
hate, to think, etc.) +s Does he go?
He doesn't go.
first ... then • uture meaning: timetables,
programmes

• something is happening at the

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

last ... regular: infinitive +

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

• an action happened in the

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

just • you say that sth. has have/has + past I have worked. He has worked. I I haven't Have I worked?
yet happened or is finished in the participle* have gone. He has gone. worked. He Has he worked?
Present never ever past and it has a connection to hasn’t worked. Have I gone?
Perfect already the present *(infinitive + ed) or I haven't gone. Has he gone?
Simple so far, • action started in the past and (3rd column of He hasn’t gone.
up to now, continues up to the present table of irregular
since for verbs)
recently
I haven't been Have I been
working. working?
all day • action began in the past and I have been working.
Present the whole day has just stopped He hasn't been Has he been
Perfect how long • how long the action has been He has been working. working. working?
Continuous since have/has + been +
happening
for infinitive + ing
I have been going. I haven't been Have I been
emphasis: length of time of going. going?
an action He has been going.
He hasn't been Has he been
going. going?

• mostly when two actions in a

story are related to each I hadn't
other: the action which had had + past worked. He Had I worked?
Past Perfect already just already happened is put into participle* hadn't worked. Had he worked?
Simple never Past Perfect, the other action I had worked. He had worked. I I hadn't gone. Had I gone?
into Simple Past *(infinitive + ed) or had gone. He hadn't Had he gone?
• the past of the Present Perfect (3rd column of He had gone. gone.
table of irregular
verbs)
I hadn't been Had I been
working. working?
I had been working.
He hadn't been Had he been
how long
• how long something had been He had been working. working. working?
Past Perfect happening before something had + been +
since
Continuous else happened infinitive + ing
for I had been going. I hadn't been Had I been
going. going?
He had been going.
He hadn't been Had he been
going. going?
 • predictions
about the
future (you
think that sth I won't work.
will happen) I'll work. Will I work?
• you decide to
He won't work.
do sth. He'll work. Will he work?
will - spontaneously will +
future
at the time of infinitive I'll go.
I won't go.
Will I go?
speaking
• main clause in
He'll go. Will he go?
type I of the He won't go.
Conditional
sentences

• when you have

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

• An action will
be in progress
at a certain
I won't be working.
time in the I'll be working. Will I be working?
future. This
action has He won't be working.
will + be + He'll be working. Will he be working?
begun before
Future infinitive +
the certain I won't be going.
Progressive ing I'll be going. Will I be going?
time.
• Something
happens He'll be going. Will he be going?
He won't be going.
because it
normally
happens.
Used colours:

blue → infinitive

darkgreen→auxiliary

orange → ending

grey → irregular verbs in the Simple Past

purple →irregular verbs in the Past Participle

light green → signal word

red → negation