Tense Signal words Use Form Examples

something happens
repeatedly

how often something

happens
every day
sometimes one action follows
always another I work
Simple often infinitive he works
Present usually things in general he/she/it + -s I go
seldom he goes
never after the following
first ... then verbs (to love, to hate,
to think, etc.)

future meaning:
timetables,
programmes
something is
happening at the same
time of speaking or
around it
now I'm working
Present at the moment to be (am/are/is) + he's working
Progressive Look! infinitive + -ing I'm going
future meaning: when
Listen! he's going
you have already
decided and arranged
to do it (a fixed plan,
date)
action took place in
last ... the past, mostly regelmäßig: infinitive I worked
Simple ... ago connected with an + -ed unregelmäßig: he worked
Past in 1990 expression of time (no I went
yesterday connection to the 2. Spalte he went
present)
an action happened in
the middle of another
action
-
I was working
Past was/were + infinitive he was working
  someone was doing
Progressive + -ing I was going
sth. at a certain time
he was going
(in the past) -
you don't know
whether it was
finished or not
Simple yet you say that sth. has have/has + I've worked
Present never happened or is he's worked
Perfect ever finished in the past and past participle I've gone
1
 already
it has a connection to
so far,
the present
up to now,
(infinitive + -ed) oder
zum Teil: he's gone
action started in the
since
past and continues up (3. Spalte)
for
to the present
recently
emphasis: length of
time of an action
I've been working
action began in the
Present Perfect have/has + been + he's been working
  past and has just
Progressive infinitive + -ing I've been going
stopped
he's been going
how long the action
has been happening
mostly when two
actions in a story are
related to each other:
the action which had had + past participle I had worked
Simple Past already happened is (infinitive + -ed) oder he had worked
 
Perfect put into Past Perfect, I had gone
the other action into (3. Spalte) he had gone
Simple Past
the past of the Present
Perfect
predictions about the
future (you think that
sth. will happen)

you decide to do sth.

I'll work
spontaneously at the
he'll work
will - future   time of speaking, you will + infinitive
I'll go
haven't made a
he'll go
decision before

main clause in if
clause type I
when you have already
decided to do sth. in
I'm going to work
the future
be (am/are/is) + he's going to work
going to - future  
going to + infinitive I'm going to go
he's going to go
what you think what
will happen