English tenses

English tenses - Complex Test 1

Exercises - English tenses

Examples Examples Examples

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

future
meaning:
timetables,
programmes
something is I'm not
I'm working. Am I working?
happening at working.
the same time
He isn't Is he
now of speaking or He's working.
working. working?
around it
Present at the to be I'm going. I'm not going. Am I going?
Progressive or moment future (am/are/is)
Present meaning: when + infinitive +
Continuous Look! you have -ing
already
Listen! decided and He's going. He isn't going. Is he going?
arranged to
do it (a fixed
plan, date)
action took I worked. I didn't work. Did I work?
last ... regular:
place in the
Simple infinitive + He didn't
past, mostly He worked. Did he work?
Past ... ago -ed irregular: work.
connected with
or 2nd column of
an expression I went. I didn't go. Did I go?
Past in 1990 table of
of time (no
Simple irregular
connection to He went. He didn't go. Did he go?
yesterday verbs
the present)
an action I was I wasn't Was I
happened in working. working. working?
the middle of
He was He wasn't Was he
another action
working. working. working?
Past
was/were +
Progressive or someone was I wasn't
while infinitive + I was going. Was I going?
Past doing sth. at a going.
-ing
Continuous certain time (in
the past) - you
do not know He was He wasn't
Was he going?
whether it was going. going.
finished or not
Simple just you say that have/has + I have I haven't Have I

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

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

the past of the

Present Perfect
I had been I hadn't been Had I been
working. working. working?
how long
how long something had He hadn't
Past Perfect He had been Had he been
been had + been + working. been
Progressive or working?
since happening infinitive + working.
Past Perfect
before ing I had been I hadn't been Had I been
Continuous
for something else going. going. going?
happened
He had been He hadn't Had he been
going. been going. going?
will - future predictions will + I'll work. I won't work. Will I work?
about the infinitive
He won't
future (you He'll work. Will he work?
work.
think that sth.
will happen) I'll go. I won't go. Will I go?
He'll go. He won't go. Will he go?
you decide to
do sth.
spontaneously
at the time of
speaking, you
haven't made a

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 decision before

main clause in
I'm going to I'm not going Am I going to
when you have work. to work. work?
already decided
to do sth. in be He's going to He's not going Is he going to
going to - the future (am/are/is) work. to work. work?
future + going to + I'm going to I'm not going Am I going to
what you think infinitive go. to go. go?
what will
happen He's going to He's not going Is he going to
go. to go. go?
An action will I'll be I won't be Will I be
be in progress working. working. working?
at a certain
He'll be He won't be Will he be
time in the
working. working. working?
future. This
action has I won't be Will I be
Future I'll be going.
begun before will + be + going. going?
Progressive or
the certain infinitive +
Future
time. ing
Continuous
Something He'll be He won't be Will he be
happens going. going. going?
because it
normally
happens.
will + have + I'll have I won't have Will I have
past worked. worked. worked?
Simple participle*
sth. will already He'll have He won't have Will he have
Future
have happened worked. worked. worked?
Perfect *(infinitive +
before a certain
or -ed) or (3rd I'll have I won't have Will I have
time in the
Future Perfect column of gone. gone. gone?
future
Simple table of
irregular He'll have He won't have Will he have
verbs) gone. gone. gone?

Will I have
I'll have been I won't have
been
sth. will already working. been working.
working?
have happened
Future before a certain He'll have Will he have
He won't have
Perfect time in the will + have + been been
been working.
Progressive or future been + working. working?
Future infinitive + Will I have
Perfect ing I'll have been I won't have
been
Continuous emphasis: going. been going.
working?
length of time
of an action Will he have
He'll have He won't have
been
been going. been going.
working?
I wouldn't Would I
sth. that might I would work.
work. work?
happen
He would He wouldn't Would he
Conditional would + work. work. work?
main clause in
Simple infinitive
type II of the I would go. I wouldn't go. Would I go?
Conditional
sentences He wouldn't Would he
He would go.
go. go?
Conditional sth. that might would + be + I would be I wouldn't be Would I be
Progressive happen infinitive + working. working. working?
or ing
He would be He wouldn't Would he be
Conditional emphasis:
working. be working. working?
Continuous length of time
of an action I would be I wouldn't be Would I be

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 going. going. going?
He would be He wouldn't Would he be
going. be going. going?
would + have I would have I wouldn't Would I have
sth. that might
+ past worked. have worked. worked?
have happened
participle*
in the past He would He wouldn't Would he
(It's too late have worked. have worked. have worked?
Conditional *(infinitive +
now.)
Perfect -ed) or (3rd I would have I wouldn't Would I have
column of gone. have gone. gone?
main clause in
table of
type III of the He would He wouldn't Would I have
irregular
if clauses have gone. have gone. gone?
verbs)
I wouldn't Would I have
I would have
have been been
been working.
sth. that might working. working?
Conditional have happened He would He wouldn't Would he
Perfect in the past have been have been have been
would + have
Progressive (It's too late going. going. working?
+ been +
or now.)
infinitive + I wouldn't
Conditional I would have Would I have
ing have been
Perfect emphasis: been going. been going?
Continuous length of time going.
of an action He would He wouldn't Would he
have been have been have been
going. going. 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 tenses as there are no definite ones. Always remember what action is
described.