Tense

Signal words

Use something happens repeatedly

Form

Examples affirmative I work. He works. I go.

every day sometimes always Simple Present or Present Simple often usually seldom never first ... then

how often something happens one action follows another things in general with the following verbs (to love, to hate, to think, etc.) future meaning: timetables, programmes something is happening at the same time of speaking or around it to be future (am/are/is) +i meaning: nfinitive + -ing when you have already decide d and arranged to do it (a fixed plan, date) action took place in the regular: infinitive + infinitive he/she/it + -s

He goes.

I'm working. He's working. I'm going.

now Present Progress at the ive or moment Present Continu Look! ous Listen!

He's going.

Simple Past

last ...

I worked. He worked.

or Past Simple

... ago in 1990 yesterday

past, mostly connected with an expression of time (no connection to the present) an action happened in the middle of another action someone was doing sth. at a certain time (in the past) you do not know whether it was finished or not

edirregular: 2nd column of table of irregular verbs

I went.

He went.

I was working. He was working. I was going. was/were +infi nitive + -ing He was going.

Past Progress ive or while Past Continu ous

just yet never Simple Present Perfect or Present Perfect ever already so far, up to now, since for recently Present Perfect Progress ive or Present Perfect Continu ous all day the whole day how long since action began in the past and has just have/has +bee stopped n + infinitive+ ing how long the action has been you say that sth. has happened or is finished in the past and it has a connection to the present

I have worked. He has worked. I have gone. have/has + pas t participle*

*(infinitive + ed) or (3rd column of table He has gone. action started of irregular in the past and verbs) continues up to the present

I have beenworking. He has beenworking. I have beengoing. He has beengoing.

for

happening emphasis: length of time of an action mostly when two actions in a story are related to each other: the action which had already happened is put into Past Perfect, the other action into Simple Past the past of the Present Perfect I had worked. He had worked. had + past participle* I had gone.

Simple Past already Perfect or just Past Perfect never (Simple)

*(infinitive + ed) or (3rd column of table He had gone. of irregular verbs)

Past Perfect how long Progress ive or since Past Perfect for Continu ous

how long something had been had + been +inf happening initive + ing before something else happened predictions about the future (you think that sth. will happen)

I had beenworking. He had beenworking. I had beengoing. He had beengoing. I'll work. He'll work. I'll go.

will future

you decide to do sth. spontaneously at the time of speaking, you haven't made a decision before main clause in

will + infinitive He'll go.

type I of the if clauses when you have I'm going towork. already decided to do He's going towork. be sth. in the (am/are/is)+ g future I'm going to go. oing to +infinitive what you think He's going togo. what will happen An action will be in progress at a certain time in the future. This action has begun before the certain time. Something happens because it normally happens. sth. will already have happened before a certain time in the future sth. will already have happened before a certain time in the future emphasis: length of time of an I'll be working. He'll beworking. I'll be going.

going to - future

Future Progress ive or Future Continu ous

will + be +infini tive + ing He'll be going.

Simple Future Perfect or Future Perfect Simple

will + have +pa I'll haveworked. st participle* He'll haveworked. *(infinitive + ed) or (3rd I'll have gone. column of table of irregular He'll have gone. verbs) I'll have beenworking. He'll have beenworking. will + have +be en + infinitive+ I'll have beengoing. ing He'll have beengoing.

Future Perfect Progress ive or Future Perfect Continu ous

action sth. that might happen Conditio nal Simple main clause in type II of the Conditional sentences I would work. would +infinitiv He would work. e I would go. He would go. I would beworking. sth. that might happen emphasis: length of time of an action sth. that might have happened in the past (It's too late now.) main clause in type III of the if clauses Conditio nal Perfect Progress ive or Conditio nal Perfect Continu ous He would beworking. would + be +inf I would begoing. initive + ing He would begoing. would + have + I would haveworked. past participle* He would haveworked. *(infinitive + ed) or (3rd I would havegone. column of table of irregular He would havegone. verbs) I would have been working. He would have beengoing. I would have been going.

Conditio nal Progress ive or Conditio nal Continu ous

Conditio nal Perfect

sth. that might have happened in the past (It's too late would + have + now.) been + infinitiv e+ ing emphasis: length of time of an action

He would have been going.