TENSES FORMS USE TIME

(Affirmative - A/Negative - N PHRASES

Question - Q)
1-to talk about general truth and always, every
A: I work. permanent actions(facts): day/month/year
He/she/it works. The Earth rotates round its axis.
You/we/they work. It rains a lot in autumn. never, often,
I speak English and French. normally,
PRESENT

N: I do not (dont) work. seldom,

He/she/it does not (doesnt) work_. 2-to talk about repeated,
customary actions: sometimes,
You/we/they do not (dont) work.
He gets up at 8 oclock every morning. usually, twice a
They never listen to their teacher.
Q: Do I work? week/day,
Does he/she/it work_? 3-to talk about a planned future all the time
Do you/we/they work? action (a timetable or schedule )
The train leaves at 3 tomorrow.

1-to talk about actions yesterday, 2

Regular verbs + ed : worked, played, performed in the past minutes/hours/
Irregular verbs II column: went, ate (with finished time expressions):
I met my friend yesterday. days/years
Did you go to the seaside last ago,
INDEFINITE (SIMPLE)

A: I worked /went. summer? in 1970,

He/she/it worked/went. the other day,
You/we/they worked/went . 2-to talk about a succession of
PAST

past actions (stories): last

N: I did not (didnt) work_/go. He opened the door, switched on the month/year/
light and fed his cat.
He/she/it did not (didnt) work_/go. week/ Sunday
You/we/they did not (didnt) work_/go.
3- to talk about an action taking
place in the middle of another
Q: Did I work_/go?
action:
Did he/she/it work_/go? He fell asleep while the teacher was
Did you/we/they work_/go? explaining new grammar rules.

1-to talk about future actions: tomorrow,

A: I/we */ will
shall* work. Ill call you tomorrow.
the day after
He/she/it will work. Mary will get a present next month.
tomorrow,
You/they will work.
2-to predict the future one of these
N: I/we shall not (shant) * work (with probably, I expect..., days,
will not (wont) work. I'm sure..., (I) think..., don't next
think, I wonder..., perhaps)
week/month/
He/she/it will not (wont) work. I think it will rain tomorrow.
Perhaps she'll be late.
year etc.,
You/they will not (wont) work.
FUTURE

I don't think the exam will be very soon,

difficult. in the near
Q: Shall/will I/we work? future,
Will he/she/it work? 3- to express intention at the some day,
Will you/they work? moment of decision:
Do you like these shoes? in two
*NOTE!!! - Yes, I'll buy them. days/five
Shall is used mostly in the questions minutes/a
shall I?/shall we? 4-in the 1st type of month etc.
In spoken English we normally use Ill conditional sentences
and well. If the weather is fine, well go to
the country.
TENSES FORMS USE TIME
(Affirmative - A/Negative - N PHRASES
Question - Q)
1-to talk about actions that are
happening now, at the moment of
to be (am/is/are) + verb + -ing now,
speaking:
Look! The boys are playing football. Hurry at the
up! The train is coming. moment,
A: I am (Im) working.
He/she/is is (hes) working. at present;
PRESENT

2- to talk about actions that are

You/we/they are (were) working. Look!,
happening around now, but not
exactly at the moment of speaking: Listen!
N: I am not (Im not) working. We are studying very hard these days.
He/she/it is not (isnt) working. We have to prepare for our exams.
these days,
You/we/they/ are not (arent) working. this
3-to speak about what you have
morning,
Q: Am I working? already arranged to do:
Is he/she/we working? -What are you doing on Saturday? today
Are you/we/they working? -I am meeting my friend at the station.
She is arriving at 8 pm.
CONTINUOUS (progressive)

1-to talk about a temporary action

to be(was/were) + verb + -ing taking place at a given moment in the
past:
at 6 oclock
What were you doing at 6 oclock yesterday,
yesterday? from 3 to 6
A: I was working.
2-two or more actions happening at
He/she/it was working. the same time in the past: On Monday,
You/we/they were working. She was cooking dinner and her kids when Mum
PAST

were watching TV. came, while

N: I was not (wasnt) working. 3- action interrupted by another
He/she/it was not (wasnt) working. shorter action in the past:
You/we/they were not (werent) working. I was working on computer when the
telephone rang.
Q: Was I working? 4- background information in a story:
Was he/she/it working? The sun was shining and the birds
Were you/we/they working? were singing

shall/will + be + verb +-ing 1- to talk about an action at a at 5 oclock

particular moment in the future. tomorrow,
A: I/we */will be working.
shall* The action will start before that
moment but it will not have this time on
He/she/it will be working.
You/they will be working. finished at that moment: Sunday,
I will be playing tennis at 10am when I
tomorrow.
N: I/we shall not (shant) *be working. come
This time on Sunday I'll be bathing in
will not (wont) be working. the sea.
FUTURE

When you arrive, he will be waiting for

He/she/it will not (wont) be working. you.
You/they will not (wont) be working.

Q: Shall/will I/we be working?

Will he/she/it be working?
Will you/they be working?

*NOTE!!!
Shall is used mostly in the questions shall
I?/shall we?
In spoken English we normally use Ill and
well.
TENSES FORMS USE TIME
(Affirmative - A/Negative - N PHRASES
Question - Q)
-is always connected with the already, ever,
have/has +participle II present and the only thing which just, never,
- regular verbs +ed worked, asked matters here is the result: the time
not yet, so
when the action took place is of no
-irregular verbs-III column gone, eaten far, till now,
importance:
I have lost my keys. I cant open theup to now , of
door. late, lately,
A: I/we/you/they have worked/gone.
1-to talk about a completed action
He/she/it has worked/gone.
connected with the present: recently; with
I have seen this film and I can for and
PRESENT

N: I/we/you/they have not (havent) worked/gone.

discuss it with you now. since; with
He/she/it has not (hasnt) worked/gone.
This is the
2-questions in the Present Perfect
Q: Have I/we/you/they worked/gone? never start with when: first time
Has he/she/it worked/gone? When did you see this film? this morning/
evening,
3-with this morning/evening, today
today, this
this week, this year (when the time
periods are not finished at the time week, this
of speaking): year
Have you called you mother today?

1-denotes an action completed when I

before a certain moment in the entered, by 5
had +participle II past; it is not used to denote a
oclock
perfect

- regular verbs +ed : worked, asked succession of actions (Past

-irregular verbs-III column: gone, eaten Simple): yesterday,
She has already finished her work (with the
when he came. same
A: I/you/we/they had worked/gone. But: When I wrote the letter, I
posted it.(Past Simple adverbs as
He/she/it had worked/gone.
PAST

succession of actions) Present

N: I/we/you/we/they had not (hadnt) worked/gone. By the time the police arrived ,he had Perfect but in
already disappeared.
He/she it had not (hadnt) worked/gone. the past
2-with the
conjunctions(hardly/scarcely/ context); no
Q: Had I/you/we/they worked/gone?
Had he/she/it worked/gone?
nearly/barely + when) soonerthan
I had hardly done it when they
came.
No sooner had they arrived than it
started to rain.

1-denotes an action completed by this time

before a definite moment in the tomorrow, by
shall/will + have +participle II future:
She will have finished this work by 2 oclock
A: I/we */will have worked/gone.
shall* 2 oclock tomorrow. tomorrow,
He/she/it will have worked/gone. The film will have already started when you
You/they will have worked/gone. by the time we come .Hurry up! come back
FUTURE

N: I/we shall not (shant) * have worked/gone.

will not (wont) *NOTE!!!
Shall is used mostly in the
He/she/it will not (wont)
questions shall I?/shall we?
You/they will not (wont) have worked/gone.
In spoken English we normally use
Q: Shall/will I/we have worked/gone? Ill and well.
Will he/she/it have worked/gone?
Will you/they have worked/gone?
TENSES FORMS USE TIME
(Affirmative - A/Negative - N PHRASES
Question - Q)
1-to say how long things have been for, since;
continuing up to now: How
have/has + been + verb + -ing Ive been learning English for six
years. long?
A: I we/you/they have been working. Its been raining all day.
He/she/it has been working.
2-to say how we have been filling
our time (up to now)
PRESENT

N: I/we/you/they have not (havent) been working.

He/she/it has not (hasnt) been working. -Your hands are dirty.
-Ive been painting the walls.
Q: Have I/we/you/they been working?
Has he/she/it been working? NOTE!!! We dont use Present
Perfect Cont. with be, know ,
have and other non-progressive
verbs:
How long have you had your
car? (Present Perfect)

1-denotes an action which began since, for

Perfect continuous

before a definite moment in the

had + been + verb + -ing past, continued up to that moment
and was still going on at the
A: I /we/you/they had been working. moment:
He/she/it had been working. We could not go out because it had
PAST

been raining for two hours.

N: I/we/you/they had not (hadnt) been working. 2-denotes an action which was no
He/she/it had not (hadnt) been working. longer going on at a definite
moment in the past, but which had
Q: Had I/we/you/they been working? been in progress not long before:
Had he/she/it been working? The babys face was red and wet. He
had been crying.

1-denotes an action which will begin for

before a definite moment in the
shall/will + have + been+ verb + -ing future, will continue up to the
moment and will be going on at that
A: I/we shall/will * have been working. moment:
You will have been waiting for more
He/she/it will have been working.
than two hours when her plane finally
You/they will have been working.
arrives.
In the fall I will have been studying
N: I/we *
shall not (shant)* have been working.
here for 2 years.
will not (wont)
He will be tired when he arrives. He
will have been travelling for 24
FUTURE

He/she/it will not (wont) have been working.

hours.
You/they will not (wont) have been working.

Q: Shall/will I/we have been working?

Will he/she/it have been working?
Will you/they have been working?

*NOTE!!!
Shall is used mostly in the questions
shall I?/shall we?
In spoken English we normally use Ill
and well.