Tenses - Usage

Tense Signal words Use Form affirmative negative interrogative

Something that happens repeatedly

every day
How often something happens
sometimes I work. I don't work. Do I work?
always One action follows another
Infinitive He works. He doesn't work. Does he work?
Simple often
Present usually he/she/it + -s I go. I don't go. Do I go?
seldom In general, with the verbs
He goes. He doesn't go. Does he go?
never
(to love, to hate, to think, etc.)
first ... then future meaning: timetables,
programmes

I'm working. I'm not working. Am I working?

Something is happening at the
now same time of speaking or around it
He's working. He isn't working. Is he working?
Present at the moment to be (am/are/is) +
Progressive Look!
Future meaning: when you have Infinitive + ing
I'm going. I'm not going. Am I going?
already decided and arranged to
Listen! do it (a fixed plan, date)
He's going. He isn't going. Is he going?
I worked. I didn't work. Did I work?
last week/month... regular:
Action took place in the past, Infinitive + -ed He worked. He didn't work. Did he work?
Simple ...days/years ago mostly connected with an
Past in 1990
expression of time
irregular: I went. I didn't go. Did I go?
(no connection to the present)
2. Column
yesterday
He went. He didn't go. Did he go?
 An action happened in the middle I was working. I wasn't working. Was I working?
of another action.
He was working. He wasn't working. Was he working?
Past while Someone was doing something at
was/were +
Infinitive + -ing
Progressive a certain time (in the past) - you I was going. I wasn'tgoing. Was I going?
don't know whether it was finished
or not He was going. He wasn't going. Was he going?

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

I have been I haven't been Have I been

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

how long He had been He hadn't been Had he been

How long something had been working. working. working?
Past Perfect since happening before something else
had + been +
Progressive happened
Infinitive + ing
for I had been going. I hadn't been going. Had I been going?

He had been He hadn't been Had he been

going. going. going?

Predictions about the future (you I'll work. I won't work. Will I work?
think that sth will happen)
He'll work. He won't work. Will he work?
will - future You decide to do sth. spontaneously will + Infinitive
at the time of speaking, you I'll go. I won't go. Will I go?
haven't made a main clause in type
I of the if clauses He'll go. He won't go. Will he go?
I'm going to I'm not going to Am I going to
work. work. work?
When you have already decided to
do sth. in the future He's going to He's not going to Is he going to
be (am/are/is) + work. work. work?
going to going to + Infinitive
future
What you think what will happen I'm going to go. I'm not going to go. Am I going to go?

He's going to go. He's not going to go. Is he going to go?

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

sth. will already have happened He'll have been He won't have been Will he have been
Future before a certain time in the future working. working. working?
will + have + been +
Perfect Infinitive + ing
emphasis: length of time of an I'll have been I won't have been Will I have been
Progressive action going. going. working?

He'll have been He won't have been Will he have been

going. going. working?
I would work. I wouldn't work. Would I work?
sth. that might happen
Conditional (possible condition) He would work. He wouldn't work. Would he work?
would + Infinitive
Simple Main clause in type II of the if
I would go. I wouldn't go. Would I work?
causes

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

 I would be I wouldn't be Would I be
working. working. working?

sth. that might happen He would be He wouldn't be Would he be

Conditional would + be + working. working. working?
emphasis: length of time of an Infinitive + ing
Progressive action I would be going. I wouldn't be going. Would I be going?

He would be He wouldn't be Would he be

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

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