Examples

Signal Examples Examples

Tense Use Form affirmativ
words negative interrogative
e

• something happens I don'twor

I work. Do I work?
k.
repeatedly
• every day He doesn't Does he wor
• how often something He works.
work. k?
• sometimes
happens
• always I go. I don't go. Do I go?
• one action follows
Simple • often another
Present infinitivev
or • usually • things in general (he/she/it)
Present + -s
Simple • seldom • with the following
verbs (to love, to He doesn't
• never He goes. Does he go?
hate, to think, etc.) go.
• first ...
• future meaning:
then
timetables,
programmes

• something is I'mworkin I'm notwo Am I workin

g. rking. g?
happening at the
• now He'sworki He isn'two Is he workin
same time of
Present ng. rking. g?
Progressi • at the speaking or around it to be
ve or moment (am/are/is I'm notgoi
Present • future meaning: )+ infinitiv I'm going. Am I going?
ng.
Continuo • Look! when you have e+ -ing
us
already decided and
• Listen!
arranged to do it (a He's going He isn'tgoi
Is he going?
. ng.
fixed plan, date)

I didn'two
I worked. Did I work?
• last ... action finished in the • regular: infi rk.
Simple past, mostly nitive + -ed
• ... ago
Past or connected with an He worke He didn't
Did he work?
Past • in 1990 expression of time • irregular: 2 d. work.
Simple (no connection to the nd column
• yesterday present) I didn't go
of table of I went. Did I go?
.
 irregular He didn'tg
He went. Did he go?
verbs o.

• an action happened I waswork I wasn'two Was I worki

ing. rking. ng?
in the middle of
Past another action He waswo He wasn't Was he work
Progressi rking. working. ing?
was/were+
ve or • someone was doing
while infinitive
Past sth. at a certain time I was goin I wasn'tgo
+ -ing Was I going?
Continuo g. ing.
us (in the past) - you do
not know whether it He wasgoi He wasn't Was he going
was finished or not ng. going. ?

• just I havewor I haven'tw Have I work

ked. orked. ed?
• yet
• you say that sth. has He haswor He hasn't Has he work
• never happened or is ked. worked. ed?

finished in the past

Simple • ever I have gon I haven'tg
Have I gone?
Present and it has a have/has + e. one.
• already
Perfect connection to the past
or participle
• so far present
Present *
Perfect • up to now • action started in the
past and continues up He hasgon He hasn'tg
• since Has he gone?
e. one.
to the present
• for

• recently

I haven'tb
I have bee Have I been
• action began in the eenworkin
• all day nworking.
g.
working?
Present past and has just
Perfect • the whole
stopped He hasn'tb
Progressi day have/has + He has bee Has he been
eenworkin
ve or been + inf nworking. working?
• how long the action g.
Present • how long initive + -
Perfect has been happening ing
I have bee I haven'tb Have I beeng
Continuo• since
us • emphasis: length of ngoing. eengoing. oing?
• for time of an action
He has bee He hasn'tb Has he beeng
ngoing. eengoing. oing?
 • mostly when two I hadwork I hadn'two Had I worke
ed. rked. d?
actions in a story are
related to each other: He hadwo He hadn't Had he work
rked. worked. ed?
Simple the action which had
Past • already
already happened is had + past I had gone I hadn'tgo
Perfect Had I gone?
• just participle . ne.
or Past put into Past Perfect,
*
Perfect • never the other action into
(Simple)
Simple Past
He hadgon He hadn't Had he gone
• the past of Present e. gone. ?
Perfect

I hadn'tbe
I had been Had I beenw
enworking
working. orking?
.
Past
Perfect
• how long He hadbee
He hadn't
Had he been
Progressi how long something
had + bee beenworki
ve or had been happening nworking. working?
• since n+ infiniti ng.
Past before something
ve+ ing
Perfect • for else happened
Continuo I had been I hadn'tbe Had I beengo
us going. engoing. ing?

He hadbee He hadn't Had he been

n going. beengoing. going?

• predictions about the I won'two

I'll work. Will I work?
rk.
future (you think that
sth. will happen) He'll work He won'tw Will he work
. ork. ?
• you decide to do sth.
spontaneously at the I'll go. I won't go. Will I go?
will - will + infi
future time of speaking, you nitive
haven't made a
decision before He won'tg
He'll go. Will he go?
o.
• main clause in type I
of the if clauses

to be I'm notgoi
going to I'm going Am I going
(am/are/is ng
- future to work. to work?
)+ going to to work.
 + infinitiv He's notgo
He's going Is he going
• when you have e ing
to work. to work?
to work.
already decided to do
sth. in the future I'm going I'm notgoi Am I going
to go. ng to go. to go?
• what you think what
will happen He's going He's notgo Is he going
to go. ing to go. to go?

• An action will be in I'll bewor I won't be Will I bewor

king. working. king?
progress at a certain
time in the future. He'll bewo He won'tb Will he bewo
Future rking. eworking. rking?
Progressi This action has
will + be +
ve or begun before the I'll be goin I won't be Will I begoin
infinitive
Future g. going. g?
certain time. + ing
Continuo
us
• Something happens
because it normally He'll begoi He won'tb Will he begoi
ng. e going. ng?
happens.

I'll havew I won'thav Will I havew

orked. eworked. orked?

Simple He won'th
He'll have Will he have
Future sth. will already have aveworke
will + hav worked. worked?
Perfect happened before a d.
e+ past
or Future certain time in the
participle*
Perfect future I'll havego I won'thav Will I havego
Simple ne. e gone. ne?

He'll have He won'th Will he have

gone. ave gone. gone?

I'll have I won'thav

Will I havebe
• sth. will already have beenworki e beenwor
Future enworking?
ng. king.
Perfect happened before a
Progressi will + hav
certain time in the He'll have He won'th Will he have
ve or e+ been + i
beenworki ave beenw beenworking
Future future nfinitive +
ng. orking. ?
Perfect ing
Continuo • emphasis: length of
us I won'thav
time of an action I'll havebe Will I havebe
e beengoin
en going. enworking?
g.
 He'll have He won'th Will he have
been going ave beeng beenworking
. oing. ?

I wouldwo I wouldn't Would I wor

rk. work. k?
• sth. that might
happen He would He wouldn Would he wo
Conditio work. 'twork. rk?
would + in
nal • main clause in type II finitive
Simple I would go I wouldn't
of the Conditional Would I go?
. go.
sentences
He wouldg He wouldn Would he go
o. 'tgo. ?

I wouldn't
I would be Would I bew
beworking
working. orking?
.
Conditio
nal • sth. that might He would He wouldn
Progressi Would he be
happen would + b be workin 'tbeworki
ve or working?
e+ infiniti g. ng.
Conditio • emphasis: length of ve+ ing
nal
time of an action I would I wouldn't Would I beg
Continuo
us begoing. be going. oing?

He would He wouldn Would he be

be going. 'tbe going. going?

I would I wouldn't
Would I hav
havework havework
eworked?
ed. ed.
• sth. that might have
He would He wouldn
happened in the past Would he ha
would + h havework 'thavewor
Conditio veworked?
(It's too late now.) ave + past ed. ked.
nal
participle
Perfect
• main clause in type * I would I wouldn't Would I hav
have gone. have gone. egone?
III of the if clauses
He wouldn
He would Would I hav
'thave gon
have gone. egone?
e.

Conditio I would I wouldn't Would I hav

would + h
nal have been have been ebeenworkin
ave + been
Perfect working. working. g?
 Progressi + infinitiv He would He wouldn Would he ha
ve or e + ing have been 'thave bee ve beenworki
Conditio • sth. that might have going. ngoing. ng?
nal
happened in the past
Perfect I would I wouldn't
Continuo (It's too late now.) Would I hav
have been have been
us ebeen going?
going. going.
• emphasis: length of
time of an action He would He wouldn Would he ha
have been 'thave bee ve beengoing
going. ngoing. ?

*(infinitive + -ed) or (3rd column of table of irregular verbs)