English Verbal Tenses + !

Signal Words
Tense Form Structure Use

Aff. S + vb(1st form) + s/es -3rdpers 1. Repeated Actions :

Present I go to school every day.
Simple Neg. 2. Facts or Generalizations:
S + don’t/doesn’t + vb(1st form)
Cats like milk.
3. Scheduled events in the near future:
Int. Do/Does + s + vb (1st form) The party starts at 8 o'clock.
Aff.: You speak English. !Signal words: every (day/ week/month)
Neg.: You do not speak English. Sometimes, often, usually, seldom, never, etc.
Int.: Do you speak English?

Aff. S + to be + vb-ing 1. Actions happening now, at this very moment:

Present She is watching TV now.
Continuous Neg. S + to be (negative) + vb-ing 2. Longer Actions in Progress Now:
I am studying to become a doctor.
Int. To be + s + vb-ing 3. Actions happening in the near future
I am meeting some friends after school.
Aff.: She is singing now. !Signal words: now, at the moment, Look! Listen! etc
Neg.: She is not singing now.
Int.: Is she singing now?

Aff. S + have/has + vb(3rd form)/ed An action happened at an unspecified time before

Present now.
Perfect Neg. S + haven’t/hasn’t + vb(3rd The exact time is not important.
Simple form
)/ed You CANNOT use the Present Perfect with specific
time expressions such as: yesterday, one year ago,
Int. Have/Has + s + vb(3rd form)/ed last week.

Aff.:You have seen that movie many times. !Signal words: ever, never, once, many times,
Neg.:You have not seen that movie many times. several times, before, so far, already, yet etc.
Int.:Have you seen that movie many times?
Aff. S + have/has + been + vb-ing An action started in the past and recently stopped or
Present still going on.
Perfect Neg. S + haven’t/hasn’t + been + Often used with since and for to denote periods of
Continuous vb-ing time up to the present.”
Int. She has been living in USA since 1992.
Have/Has + s + been + vb-ing She has been living in USA for nine years.
Aff.: You have been waiting here for two hours. ! Signal words: for, since, all day etc.
Neg.: You have not been waiting here for two hours.
Int.: Have you been waiting here for two hours?

Aff. S + vb(2ndform)/vb-ed A completely finished action, situation or event in the

Past Simple Neg. S + didn’t + vb (1st form)
Int. Did + S + vb(1st form)
Aff.: You helped George yesterday.
Neg.: You did not help George yesterday.
Int.: Did you help George yesterday?
Aff. S + was/were + vb-ing
Past
Continuous Neg. S + wasn’t/weren’t + vb-ing
Int. Was/Were + vb-ing
Aff.: You were studying when she called.
Int.: Were you studying when she called?
Neg.: You were not studying when she called.
past, when we mention the time and/or place of the
action/event:
I saw a movie yesterday.
!Signal words: yesterday, last year, last night etc.
1.An interrupted action in the past. The interruption
is usually a shorter action in the Simple Past:
I was watching TV when she called.
2.Two actions happening at the same time (in the
past):
I was studying while he was making dinner.
!Signal words: when, while, as long as, etc.
Past Perfect Aff. S + had + vb(3rd form)/ed
Simple
Neg. S + hadn’t + vb(3rd form)/ed
Int. Had + s + vb(3rd form)/ed
Aff.: He had studied English before he moved here.
Neg.: He had not studied English before he moved here.
Int.: Had he studied English before he moved here?
Action taking place before a certain time in the past
(the fact is important and not the duration)
He had never studied English before he moved
here.
We had eaten pizza before we went home.
!Signal words: already, just, never, not
yet, once etc.

Aff. S + had + been + vb-ing An action started in the past and continued up until
another time in the past.
Past Perfect
Neg. S + hadn’t + been + vb-ing He had been waiting for two hours when she
Continuous
arrived.
Int. Had + S + been + vb-ing

Aff.: He had been waiting for two hours when she arrived
Neg.: He had not been waiting for two hours when she arrived. !Signal words: for, since,
Int.: Had he been waiting for two hours when she arrived? the whole day, all day.

Aff. S + will + vb(1st form) 1. Voluntary actions in the future:

Future I will go to the library tomorrow.
Simple Neg. S + won’t + vb(1st form) 2. A promise:
(With Will)* I will call you when I arrive.
Int. Will + S + vb(1st form)

Aff.: You will help him later.

Neg.: You will not help him later. !Signal words: tomorrow, the day after tomorrow,
Int.:Will you help him later? next year etc.

Future Aff. S + will + be + vb-ing An action at a particular moment in the future.

Continuous The action will start before that moment but it will
(With Will)* Neg. S+won’t + be + vb-ing not have finished at that moment.
I will be playing tennis at 10am tomorrow.
Int. Will + S + be + vb-ing

Aff.: You will be waiting for her today at 6 pm.

Neg.: You will not be waiting for her today at 6pm.
Int.: Will you be waiting for her today at 6 pm?
Future Aff. S+will +have +vb (3rd form)
Perfect An action in the future before another action in the
Neg. S+will+not+have +vb (3rd form) future. Also known as past in the future.

Int. Will +S+have +vb (3rd form)

Aff.: You will have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.
Neg.: Will you have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.?
Int.: You will not have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.
Future Aff. S+will+have+been+vb-ing
Perfect An action which continues up until a particular event
Continuous Neg. S+will+not+have+been+vb-ing or time in the future.
You will have been sleeping for more than two
Int. Will+S+ have+been_vb-ing hours when I arrive.

You will have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives.
You will not have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives.
Will you have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives?