Chart of Grammar Tenses

Examples Examples Examples

Tense Signal words Use Form
affirmative negative interrogative
every day

sometimes
● something happens repeatedly
always ● how often something happens I work. I don't work. Do I work?
● one action follows another
● things in general infinitive
often He works. He doesn't work. Does he work?
Present ● with verbs like (to love, to
Simple hate, to think, etc.) he/she/it:
usually infinitive + s I go. I don't go. Do I go?
● future meaning: timetables,
programmes
seldom He goes. He doesn't go. Does he go?

never

first ... then

now ● something is happening at the I'm working. I'm not working. Am I working?
same time of speaking or
around it be (am/are/is) +
at the moment He's working. He isn't working. Is he working?
Present ● future meaning: when you infinitive + ing
Continuous have already decided and
Look! arranged to do it (a fixed ’m not /aren’t /isn’t I'm going. I'm not going. Am I going?
plan, date) + infinitive + ing
Listen! He's going. He isn't going. Is he going?

last ... I worked. I didn't work. Did I work?

regular:
action took place in the past, infinitive + ed
... ago He worked. He didn't work. Did he work?
Past mostly connected with an
Simple expression of time (no connection irregular:
in 1990 to the present) (2nd column of table I went. I didn't go. Did I go?
of irregular verbs)
yesterday He went. He didn't go. Did he go?

1
 was/were + I was working. I wasn't working. Was I working?
● an action happened in infinitive + ing
the middle of another
action He was working. He wasn't working. Was he working?
Past wasn’t /weren’t +
while ● someone was doing sth. at a
Continuous infinitive + ing
certain time (in the past) - I was going. I wasn't going. Was I going?
you don't know whether it
was finished or not
He was going. He wasn't going. Was he going?
just

yet have/has + past

participle*

never

ever haven’t /hasn’t

● you say that sth. has I have worked. I haven't worked. Have I worked?
happened or is finished in + past
Present already the past and it has a participle*
Perfect He has worked. He hasn’t worked. Has he worked?
connection to the present
Simple
so far, ● action started in the past *(infinitive + ed) or
and continues up to the I have gone. I haven't gone. Have I gone?
(3rd column of table
up to now, present of irregular verbs)
He has gone. He hasn’t gone. Has he gone?
since

for

recently
I have been I haven't been Have I been
all day have/has + been + working. working. working?
the whole day ● action began in the past infinitive + ing
how long and has just stopped
He has been He hasn't Has he been
● how long the action has
Present Perfect working. been working. working?
been happening
Continuous haven’t/hasn’t +
been + infinitive +
ing
since I have been going. I haven't been going. Have I been going?
emphasis: length of time of
an action
for He has He hasn't Has he been
been going. been going. going?

2
 ● mostly when two actions in a had +
I had worked. I hadn't worked. Had I worked?
story are related to each past
already other: the action which had participle
He had worked. He hadn't worked. Had he worked?
Past already happened is put into
just Past Perfect, the other action *(infinitive + ed) or
Perfect
Simple into Simple Past (3rd column of I hadn't gone. Had I gone?
I had gone.
never ● the past of the Present Perfect table of irregular
verbs) He hadn't gone. Had he gone?
He had gone.
I had been I hadn't been Had I been
had + been +
working. working. working?
infinitive + ing

how long how long something had been hadn’t + been + He had been He hadn't been Had he been
Past Perfect happening before something else infinitive + ing working. working. working?
since happened
Continuous
for I had been going. I hadn't been going. Had I been going?

He had been He hadn't been Had he been

going. going. going?
● predictions about the future
(you think that sth will I'll work. I won't work. Will I work?
happen)
● you decide to do sth. He'll work. He won't work. Will he work?
Will - spontaneously at the time of will + infinitive
Future Simple speaking
● main clause in type I of I'll go. I won't go. Will I go?
the Conditional sentences won’t + infinitive
He'll go. He won't go. Will he go?

I'm going to I'm not going to Am I going to

be (am/are/is) + work. work. work?
going to + infinitive
● when you have already
Be Going
decided to do sth. in the ’m not/aren’t/isn’t He's going to He's not going to Is he going to
future +going to + infinitive work. work. work?
to future ● what you think what will
happen I'm going to go. I'm not going to go. Am I going to go?

He's going to go. He's not going to go. Is he going to go?

3
 will + be + infinitive I'll be working. I won't be working. Will I be working?
● An action will be in progress at
+ ing
a certain time in the future.
This action has begun before He'll be working. He won't be working. Will he be working?
Future the certain time. won’t + be +
Continuous ● Something happens because it infinitive + ing I'll be going. I won't be going. Will I be going?
normally happens.
He'll be going. He won't be going. Will he be going?
will + have + past I'll have worked. I won't have worked. Will I have worked?
participle*
won’t + have +
past participle* He'll have He won't have Will he have
Future Perfect
sth. will already have happened worked. worked. worked?
Simple
before a certain time in the future *(infinitive + ed) or
(3rd column of table I'll have gone. I won't have gone. Will I have gone?
of irregular verbs)
He'll have gone. He won't have gone. Will he have gone?
I'll have been I won't have been Will I have been
working. working. working?
will + have + been +
sth. will already have happened infinitive + ing He'll have been He won't have been Will he have been
Future before a certain time in the future working. working. working?
Perfect won’t + have + been
Continuous emphasis: length of time of an + infinitive + ing I'll have been I won't have been Will I have been
action going. going. going?

He'll have been He won't have been Will he have been

going. going. going?
I would work. I wouldn't work. Would I work?

● sth. that might happen

would + infinitive He would work. He wouldn't work. Would he work?
Conditional ● main clause in type II of
Simple the Conditional sentences wouldn’t + infinitive
I would go. I wouldn't go. Would I go?

He would go. He wouldn't go. Would he go?

4
 I would be I wouldn't be Would I be
working. working. working?

sth. that might happen would + be + He would be He wouldn't be Would he be

Conditional infinitive + ing working. working. working?
Continuous emphasis: length of time of an
action wouldn’t + be + I would be going. I wouldn't be going. Would I be going?
infinitive + ing
He would be He wouldn't be Would he be
going. going. going?
would + have + past I would have I wouldn't have Would I have
participle* worked. worked. worked?

wouldn’t + have +
● sth. that might have happened past participle* He would have He wouldn't have Would he have
in the past worked. worked. worked?
Conditional
● main clause in type III of
Perfect *(infinitive + ed) or
the Conditional sentences I would have I wouldn't have Would I have
Simple (3rd column of table
gone. gone. gone?
of irregular verbs)

He would have He wouldn't have Would he have

gone. gone. gone?
I would have been I wouldn't have been Would I have been
would + have + been working. working. working?
+ infinitive + ing
sth. that might have happened in He would have He wouldn't have Would he
Conditional the past been working. been working. have been working?
wouldn’t + have + been
Perfect + infinitive + ing
Continuous emphasis: length of time of an I would have been I wouldn't have been Would I have been
action going. going. going?

He would have He wouldn't have Would he

been going. been going. have been going?