Tense chart
Name Use
Present # For an action that
Simple happens often or every day
Present # For an action happening
Continuous at the moment of speaking
Past Simple # For an action that
happened and finished in
the past
Present # For an action that started
Perfect in the past and:
1. has just finished with
results on the present
2. still goes on (not
finished/ done yet)
# For an action that
expresses experience (what
you have done in life)
Form
+ add s/es on he/she/it; others are normal
- S + don’t/ doesn’t+ main V (no s/es)
? Do/ Does + S+ main V (no s/es)
+ S + am/is/are + V+ ing
- S + am/is/are + not + V+ ing
? Am/Is/Are + V+ ing
+ add d/ed on the regular verbs; or use 2nd
column of the irregular verbs
- S + didn’t + V (no ed)
? Did + S + V (no ed)
+ S+ have/has + Past Participle
- S + haven’t /hasn’t + Past Participle
? Have/Has +S + Past Participle
Past Participle
regular irregular
add d/ed 3rd column
Signal Words
# every day/morning…, on
Mondays…, often, always,
sometimes, never, usually…
# now, at the moment,
today
# Look! Listen!
# last night/year/ Sunday…,
yesterday, two days
ago/years ago…, in 2019.
# ever in questions
# never
# yet – question and
negative (end of a sentence)
#just/ already- positive
(between have/has and the
main verb)
#since (a point in time)
# for (a period of time)