VERB TENSES

Present Simple Does he work? He works - Habitual Actions - always, usually, often,
He doesn’t work (El trabaja) - Timetables sometimes, never, hardly
- States ever, everyday...

Present Continuous He is working He is working - Actions happening now - now, at this moment, right
He isn’t working (El está trabajando o - Actions happening in a near now, just now, today,
trabaja) future (appointments? tonight...
Past Simple Did he work? He worked - Past actions - yesterday, last ..., ...ago,the
He didn’t work (El trabajó o trabajara o previous...
trabajase)
Past Continuous Was he working? He was working - Actions happening in a specific - when” y “while”
He wasn’t working (El estaba trabajando o momento in the past - At that time in the past
trabajaba) - Incomplete past actions
Present Perfect Has he worked? He has worked - Recent past actions - For: durante (+ periodo de
Simple He hasn’t worked (El ha trabajado) - Past actions happening in a tiempo)
present period of time - Since: desde (+ fecha
- Results concreta)
- Ever: alguna vez (se coloca
delante del participio)
- Just: acabar de (se coloca
delante del participio)
- Already: ya (se coloca
delante del participio, en
oraciones afirmativas)
- Yet: ya/todavía (se coloca al
final de la oración en
negativas e interrogativas)
- Lately: ultimamente

Maite Madrid Canales

Departamento de Idiomas
 - Recently: hace poco
- So far
- This week
- All my life
- How long
Present Perfect Has he been He has been working (El ha - Focus on the length of the - All day
Continuous working? estado trabajando o lleva action - The whole afternoon
He hasn’t been trabajando)
working
Past Perfect Simple Had he worked? He had worked - Past action previous to another - Before / when / by the time +
He hadn’t worked (El había o hubiera past action past simple + past perfect
trabajado) - After + past perfect + past
simple
Past Perfect Had he been He had been working - Focus on the length of the - All day
Continuous working? (había estado trabajando, action - The whole afternoon
He hadn’t been llevaba trabajando)
working

Maite Madrid Canales

Departamento de Idiomas
Future Simple Will he work? He will work - Future spontaneous action - When / until / if / as soon as /
He won’t work (El trabajará) - Prediction before / after / once + present
- Promise simple + will
- Request - I think / I’m sure / I’m certain
- Offer / I hope / I expect
- Soon / in the future
Future Perfect Will he have He will have worked (El - Action which will have - By the time + present simple
worked? habrá trabajado) finished in the future + future perfect
He won’t have - By next year…
worked
Future Continuous Will he be working? He will be working (El - Action happening at a specific - At that time tomorrow / next
He won’t be estará trabajando) moment in the future week
working
Future of Intention Is he going to work? He is going to work (El va - Planned action - Tomorrow / next week / this
He isn’t going to a trabajar) - Inminent future action afternoon
work - Be careful / look out
Simple Conditional Would he work? He would work - Hypothetical Action
He wouldn’t work (El trabajaría)
Perfect Conditional Would he have He would have worked - Counterfactual Action
worked? (El habría trabajado)
He wouldn’t have
worked
Imperative Don’t work Work - Order /command
Let’s not work (trabaja o trabajad)
Let’s work
Trabajemos

Maite Madrid Canales

Departamento de Idiomas