Present simple: form (I work)

We use the base form of the verb, and add -s for the third person singular.

I, you, we, they work.

+
she, he, it works.

I, you, we, they (full form)do not

she, he, it does not Present
− work.
continuous:
I, you, we, they
(short form) form (I am
she, he, it
don’t
doesn’t
working)
We use am, are, is +
the -ing form of the
? Do I, you, we, they work verb. We use the short
+ Does she, he, it ? form more often than
the full form, especially
when speaking.
(full form) I, you, we,
I,
Do they
(full form) not
you, we, am
Does she, he, it
they are,
? she, he, it is
work?
−
+ working.
(short form)
I, you,
(short we, they
form)
Don’t
I,
’mshe, he, it
you, we, they
Doesn’t ’re
she, he, it
’s

− I, (full form) working.

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 you, we,
am not
they
are not
she, he, it
is not

(short form)
I,
’m not
you, we, they
’re not or aren’
she, he, it
t’s not or isn’t

Am I
? working
Are, you, we, they
+ ?
Is she, he, it

(full form) I
Am you, we, no
Are they t
Is she, he, it
?
working?
−

(short form)
I, you, we, they
Aren’t
she, he, it
Isn’t

Present perfect simple: form (I have worked)

We use have/has + the -ed form of the verb.

+ I, you, we, (full form) worked.

they
have

2
 she, he, it has

(short form)
I, you, we, they
’ve
she, he, it
’s

I, you, we, (full form)

they have not
she, he, it has not
− worked.
(short form)
I, you, we, they
haven’t
she, he, it
hasn’t

? Have I, you, we, they worked

+ Has she, he, it ?

(full form) I, you, we,

they no
Have
t
Has she, he, it
? worked
− ?
(short form)
I, you, we, they
Haven’t
she, he, it
Hasn’t

Present perfect continuous: form (I have been

working)
We use have/has + been + the -ing form of the verb.

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 she, he, it
has
+ I, you, we, been working.
have
they

she, he, it (full form)

I, you, we, has not

they have not
− been working.
(short form)
she, he, it
hasn’t
I, you, we, they
haven’t

Has she, he, it been

?+
Have I, you, we, they working?

(full form) she, he, it

no
Has I, you, we, t
Have they
been
?−
working?
(short form)
she, he, it
Hasn’t
I, you, we, they
Haven’t

Past simple: form (I worked)

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For regular verbs, we add -ed to the base form of the verb (work–worked) or -d if the
verb already ends in e (move–moved).

I, she, he, it, you, we,

+ worked.
they

I, she, he, it, you, we, (full form)

they did not

− work.
(short
I, she, he, it, you, we, they form)
didn’t

? work
Did I, she, he, it, you, we, they
+ ?

(full form)
Did I, she, he, it, you, we, they not
work
?–
?
(short form)
Didn’t I, she, he, it, you, we, they

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 Past continuous: form (I was working)

We use was/were + the -ing form of the verb.

I, she, he, it
was
+ you, we, working.
were
they

I, she, he, it (full form)

you, we, was not

they were not

– working.

(short form)
I, she, he, it
wasn’t
you, we, they
weren’t

? Was I, she, he, it working

+ Were you, we, they ?

(full form) I, she, he, it

no
Was you, we, t
Were they

?– working?

(short form)
I, she, he, it
Wasn’t
you, we, they
Weren’t

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 Past perfect simple: form (I had worked)

We use had + the -ed form of the verb.

(full form)
I, she, he, it, you, we, they
had
+ worked.
(short form)
I, she, he, it, you, we, they
’d

(full form)
I, she, he, it, you, we, they
had not
− worked.
(short form)
I, she, he, it, you, we, they
hadn’t

worked
?+ Had I, she, he, it, you, we, they
?

(full form)
Had I, she, he, it, you, we, not
they
worked
?−
?
(short form)
Hadn’t I, she, he, it, you, we, they

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Past perfect continuous: form (I had been
working)

We use had + been + the -ing form of the verb.

(full form)
I, she, he, it, you, we, they
had
+ been working.
(short form)
I, she, he, it, you, we, they
’d

(full form)
I, she, he, it, you, we, they
had not
− been working.
(short form)
I, she, he, it, you, we, they
hadn’t

? been
Had I, she, he, it, you, we, they
+ working?

(full form)
Had I, she, he, it, you, we, not
they
? been
− working?
(short form)
Hadn’t I, she, he, it, you, we, they

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 Future: will and shall
 
Will and shall are modal verbs. They are used with the base form of the main verb (They will
go; I shall ask her). Shall is only used for future time reference with I and we, and is more formal
than will.

singular and plural

(full form)
I, we
will or shall
she, he, it, you, they
will
+ work

I, she, he, it, you, we, (short form)

they ’ll

(full form)
I, we will not or shall
she, he, it, you, they not
will not
− work

(short form)
I, we
won’t or shan’t
she, he, it, you, they
won’t

?+ I, we work
?
Will or Shall she, he, it, you, they
Will

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?−
Won’t or Shan’ I, we
t she, he, it, you, they
Won’t

Future continuous: form (I will be working)

We use will/shall + be + the -ing form of the verb.

singular and plural

I, she, he, it, you, we, will

+ be working
they ’ll

(full form)
I, she, he, it, we, you,
they will not
− be working
I, she, he, it, you, we, (short form)
they
won’t

? + Will
I, she, he, it, you, we, be
? − Won’ they working?
t

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 Future perfect simple: form (I will have
worked eight hours)

We use will/shall + have + the -ed form of the verb.

We use shall only for future time reference with I and we. Shall is more formal than will.

singular and plural

(full form)
I, we
will or shall
she, he, it, you, they
will
+ have worked

(short form)
I, she, he, it, you, we, they
’ll

− (full form) have worked

I, we will not or shall
she, he, it, you, they not
will not

I, we (short form)

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 won’t or shan’t
she, he, it, you, they
won’t

? + Will
I, she, he, it, you, we, have
? − Won’ they worked?
t

Future perfect continuous: form (I will have

been working here ten years)

We use will/shall + have + been + the -ing form of the verb.

We use shall only for future time reference with I and we. Shall is more formal and less common
than will.

singular and plural

(full form)
I, we
will or shall
she, he, it, you, they
will
+ have been working

(short form)
I, she, he, it, you, we, they
’ll

− I, we (full form) have been working

she, he, it, you, they will not or shall
not

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 will not

(short form)
I, we
won’t or shan’t
she, he, it, you, they
won’t

? + Will
I, she, he, it, you, we, have been
? − Won’ they working?
t

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