BASE:

TENSES
Tense Signal words The usage Affirmative
Negative
Interrogative

examples examples examples

Present
usuall facts and I work.
I don’t work.
Do I work?

Simple ofte permanent You work.

You don’t work.
Do you work?

alway states He works. 

He doesn’t Does he work?

frequentl general truths She works.

work. 
Does she work?

once / twice and laws of It works.

She doesn’t Does it work?

/ three times nature work.

a wee habits and We work.

It doesn’t work.

Do we work?

neve routines (with You work.

Do you work?

eve adverbs of They work.

We don’t work.
Do they work?
hardly eve frequency) You don’t work.

rarel timetables They don’t work.

occasionall and
every day / programmes
week / (with future
month / yea reference)
on Friday sporting
in the commentari
morning / es, reviews
afternoon / and
evenin narrations
at night / the feelings and
weekend emotions.
Present
with nou I am hungry.
I am not hungry.
Am I hungry?
Simple
with adjectiv You are hungry.
You aren’t hungry.
Are you hungry?
with “to be” with adjective He is hungry.
He isn’t hungry.
Is he hungry?

+ noun She is hungry.

She isn’t hungry.
Is she hungry?

It is hungry.

It isn’t hungry.

Is it hungry?

with numera
with adverbs We are hungry.
We aren’t hungry.
Are we hungry?

of place You are hungry.

You aren’t hungry.
Are you hungry?
They are They aren’t Are they
hungry.
hungry. hungry?
Tense Signal words The usage Affirmative
Negative
Interrogative

examples examples examples

Present
no actions taking I am working.
I am not working.
Am I working?

Continuous
at the place at or You are working.
You aren’t working.
Are you working?

(Progressive) momen around the time He is working.

He isn’t working.
Is he working?

at presen of speaking
temporary She is working.
She isn’t working.
Is she working?

these day situations It is working.

It isn’t working.

Is it working?

nowaday fixed
stil arrangements We are working.
We aren’t working.
Are we working?
toda in the near You are working.
You aren’t working.
Are you working?

tonigh future Are they working?

currently They are They aren’t

Look changing and working.
working.

Watch out developing

Be careful situations
Be quiet with adverbs
… always,
continually,
constantly,
forever, all the
time to express
anger or
irritation at a
repeated action.
Tense Signal words The usage Affirmative
Negative
Interrogative

examples examples examples

Present
for actions that I have worked.
I haven’t worked.
Have I worked?

Perfect sinc happened at an You have You haven’t Have you

alread unstated time in worked.
worked.
worked?

the past. The He has worked.

He hasn’t worked.
Has he worked?

alway emphasis is on
jus the action. The She has worked.
She hasn’t Has she worked?

eve time when it It has worked.

worked.
Has it worked?

neve happened is We have It hasn’t worked.

Have we
so fa unimportant or worked.
We haven’t worked?

unknown You have worked.

Have you
toda actions which worked.
You haven’t worked?

this week / started in the past They have worked.

Have they
mont and continues up worked
They haven’t worked?

How long… to the present, worked.

latel especially with

recentl stative verbs such
as be, have, like,
still (in know, etc.
negations a recently
… completed action
personal
experiences or
changes
actions which
happened within
a specific time
period which is
not over at the
time of speaking
(with time
phrases such as
today, this week /
morning /
evening / month /
year etc.)
Tense Signal words The usage Affirmative
Negative
Interrogative

examples examples examples

Present
fo to put emphasis I have been I have not been Have I been
Perfect
sinc on the duration working.
working.
working?

Continuous
How long… of an action You have been You have not been Have you been
(Progressive) which started in working.
working.
working?

all day / the past and

morning / continues up to He has been He has not been Has he been
mont the present working.
working.
working?

latel for an action She has been She has not been Has she been
recentl which started in working.
working.
working?

… the past and It has been It has not been Has it been
lasted for some working.

working.

working?

time (it still be Have we been

continuing or We have been We have not been working?

has finished working.

working.
Have you been
already, with the You have been You have not been working?

result visible in working.

working.
Have they been
the present)
to express They have been They have not been working?
anger, irritation, working.
working.

or annoyance
for repeated
actions in the
past continuing
up to the
present.

NOTE: With the verbs

live, work, teach, feel we
can use the present
perfect or the present
perfect continuous with
no difference in
meaning.
Tense Signal words The usage Affirmative
Negative
Interrogative

examples examples examples

Past Simple yesterda an action that I worked.
I didn’t work.
Did I work?

the happened at a You worked.

You didn’t work.
Did you work?

whe definite (stated He worked.

He didn’t work.
Did he work?

or implied)
How long time in the She worked.
She didn’t work.
Did she work?

ago… past It worked.

It didn’t work.

Did it work?

last night / actions that

week / month / happened We worked.
We didn’t work.
Did we work?

year / Friday / immediately

Octobe one after the You worked.
You didn’t work.
Did you work?

three days ag other in the They worked. They didn’t work.

Did they work?

in 2012 past
habits or states
which are now
finished.

NOTE: used to / would

can be used instead of
the past simple for
habits / repeated
actions in the past.

Past Simple
with nou I was hungry.
I wasn’t hungry.
Was I hungry?
with “to be” with adjectiv You were hungry.
You weren’t hungry.
Were you hungry?
with adjective He was hungry.
He wasn’t hungry.
Was he hungry?

+ noun She was hungry.

She wasn’t hungry.
Was she hungry?

It was hungry.

It wasn’t hungry.

Was it hungry?

with numera
with adverbs of We were hungry.
We weren’t hungry.
Were we hungry?

place You were hungry.

You weren’t hungry.
Were you hungry?
They were They weren’t Were they
hungry.
hungry.
hungry?
Tense Signal words The usage Affirmative
Negative
Interrogative

examples examples examples

Past
whil an action which I was working.
I wasn’t working.
Was I working?

Continuous
whe was in progress You were You weren’t Were you
(Progressive) a when another working.
working.
working?

action He was working.

He wasn’t working.
Was he working?

all morning / interrupted it.

evening / We use the past She was She wasn’t Was she
day / wee continuous for working.
working.
working?

… the action in It was working.

It wasn’t working.

Was it working?

progress (longer
action) and the We were We weren’t Were we
past simple for working.
working.
working?

the action which You were You weren’t Were you

interrupted it working.
working.
working?Were
(shorter action) they working?
two or more They were They weren’t
simultaneous working. working.

actions in the
past
an action which
was in progress
at a stated time
in the past. We
don’t mention
when the action
started or
finished
to describe the
atmosphere,
setting, etc and
to give
background
information
about a story.
Tense Signal words The usage Affirmative
Negative
Interrogative

examples examples examples

Past Perfect befor an action which I had worked.
I hadn’t worked.
Had I worked?

afte happened before You had worked.

You hadn’t worked.
Had you worked?

alread another past He had worked.

He hadn’t worked.
Had he worked?

action or before a
jus stated time in She had worked.
She hadn’t worked.
Had she worked?

fo the past It had worked.

It hadn’t worked.

Had it worked?

sinc an action which

till = unti finished in the We had worked.
We hadn’t worked.
Had we worked?

whe past and whose You had worked.

You hadn’t worked.
Had you worked?

result was visible

by the tim at a later point in They had They hadn’t Had they
neve the past. worked.
worked.
worked?

Past Perfect
fo to put emphasis I had been I hadn’t been Had I been
Continuous
sinc on the duration working.
working.
working?

(Progressive) how lon of an action You had been You hadn’t been Had you been
which started working.
working.
working?

befor and finished in

unti the past, before He had been He hadn’t been Had he been
another action or working.
working.
working?

… She had been She hadn’t been Had she been

stated time in
the past, usually working.
working.
working?Had it
with "for" or It had been It hadn’t been been working?

"since" working.

working.

Had we been
for an action working?Had you
which lasted for We had been We hadn’t been been working?
some time in the working.
working.
Had they been
past and whose working?
result was visible You had been You hadn’t been
in the past. working.
working.

They had been They hadn’t been

working.
working.

Tense Signal words The usage Affirmative

Negative
Interrogative

examples examples examples

Future
tomorro on-the-spot I will work.
I won’t work.
Will I work?Will
Simple the day after decisions - You will work.
You won’t work.
you work?

tomorro decisions made He will work.

He won’t work.
Will he work?

tonigh at the moment Will she work?

of speaking She will work.

She won’t work.

soo predictions It will work.

It won’t work.

Will it work?

next week / based on what

month / year we think, believe We will work.
We won’t work.
Will we work?

/ summe or imagine, with Will you work?

in a week / the verbs think, You will work.

You won’t work.

mont believe, expect They will work.

They won’t work. Will they work?

… etc. the
expressions be
sure, be afraid
etc. and the
adverbs
probably,
certainly,
perhaps etc.
promises,
threats,
warnings,
requests, hopes
and offers
actions, events
and situations
which will
definitely happen
in the future and
which we can’t
control.
Tense Signal
The usage Affirmative
Negative
Interrogative

words examples examples examples

Be going to tomorro plans, intentions I am going to I am not going to Am I going to
the day or ambitions work.
work.
work?

after actions that we You are going to You aren’t going to Are you going to
tomorro have already work.
work.
work?

tonigh decided to do in He is going to He isn’t going to Is he going to

soo the near future work.
work.
work?

next week / predictions She is going to She isn’t going to Is she going to
month / based on what work.
work.
work?

year / we can see or It is going to It isn’t going to Is it going to

summe what we know, work.

work.

work?

especially when
in a week / there is evidence
mont that something We are going to We aren’t going to Are we going to
Look will happen. work.
work.
work?

Watch out You are going to You aren’t going to Are you going to
Be careful work.
work.
work?

… They are going They aren’t going Are they going to

to work.
to work.
work?

Tense Signal
The usage Affirmative
Negative
Interrogative

words examples examples examples

Future
at 5 o’clock actions which I will be working.
I won’t be working.
Will I be working?

Continuous
tomorrow will be in You will be You won’t be working.
Will you be working?

(Progressive) progress at a working.

He won’t be working.
Will he be working?

stated future He will be

time She won’t be working.
Will she be working?

actions which working.

It won’t be working.

Will it be working?

will definitely She will be

happen in the working.

future as a It will be We won’t be working.

Will we be working?

result of a working.

You won’t be working.

Will you be working?

routine or They won’t be Will they be

arrangement We will be working.
working?

when we ask working.

politely about You will be

someone’s working.

plans for the

near future. They will be
working.

Future
befor actions that I will have worked.
I won’t have worked.
Will I have worked?

Perfect b will have You will have worked.

You won’t have Will you have worked?

by the finished before He will have worked.

worked.
Will he have worked?

a stated time He won’t have worked.

by the tim in the future. She will have worked.

Will she have worked?

till = until It will have worked.

She won’t have Will it have worked?

(only in worked.

negative We will have worked.

It won’t have worked.

Will we have worked?

sentences)
You will have worked.
Will you have worked?

They will have We won’t have Will they have

worked.
worked.
worked?

You won’t have

worked.

They won’t have

worked.

Tense Signal
The usage Affirmative
Negative
Interrogative

words examples examples examples

Future
by + Present to emphasise I will have been I won’t have been Will I have been
Perfect
Simple, for + the duration of working.
working.
working?

Continuous
Future an action up to You will have been You won’t have been Will you have been
(Progressive) Perfect a certain time working.
working.
working?

Continuous in the future - He will have been He won’t have been Will he have been
by ... for. working.
working.
working?

She will have been She won’t have been Will she have been
working.
working.
working?

It will have been It won’t have been Will it have been

working.

working.

working?

We will have been We won’t have been Will we have been

working.
working.
working?

You will have been You won’t have been Will you have been
working.
working.
working?

They will have been They won’t have been Will they have been
working. working. working?

Used to /
to talk about We used to visit my We didn't use to visit Did we use to visit my
would /
past habits, aunt every summer.

my aunt every aunt every summer?

past simple routines and summer.

repeated We would visit my Would we visit my

actions that no aunt every summer.

We wouldn’t visit my aunt every summer?

longer happen. aunt every summer.

We visited my aunt Did we visit my aunt

every 
We didn’t visit my aunt every summer?

summer.
every summer.

Tense Signal
The usage Affirmative
Negative
Interrogative

words examples examples examples

Used to /
or past states
with stative
He used to have a
red sports car.

He didn’t use to
have a red sports
Did he use to have
a red sports car?

past simple
verbs.

car.

NOTE: would He would have a red Did he have a red

cannot be used sports car. He didn’t have a sports car?
with stative verbs. red sports car.

Be used to ++ nou n

pronoun

to talk about
habits (=be
He is used to
travelling by boat.
He isn’t used to
travelling by boat.
Is he used to
travelling by boat?
+ v-ing accustomed to
/ be in the
habit of).

Get used to ++ nou n

pronoun

to talk about
habits
Anuar will get used
to speaking a foreign
Anuar will not get
used to speaking a
Will Anuar get used
to speaking a
+ v-ing (=become
accustomed
language. foreign language. foreign language?
to)
If you want something you have never had, you must
be willing to do something you have never done

(c) Thomas Jefferson