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12 ENGLISH TENSES
- FORMULA - EXAMPLES
Te n se
Si g n a l w o r d s
Use
Fo r m
Ex a m p l e s
af f ir m at iv e
Ex a m p l e s
n egat iv e
Ex a m p l e s
in t er r ogat iv e
I w or k .
I don't w or k .
Do I w or k ?
He w o r k s.
He d o e sn ' t w o r k .
D o e s he w o r k ?
I go.
I don't go.
Do I g o?
He g o e s.
He d o e sn ' t g o .
D o e s he g o ?
I'm w or k ing.
I'm not w or k ing.
Am I w or k i n g?
He' s w o r k i n g .
He i sn ' t w o r k i n g .
I s he w o r k i n g ?
I'm goin g.
I'm not going.
Am I g oin g?
He' s g o i n g .
He i sn ' t g o i n g .
I s he g o i n g ?
I w or k ed.
I didn't w ork .
Did I w or k ?
He w o r k e d .
He d i d n ' t w o r k .
D i d he w o r k ?
I didn't go.
Did I g o?
He d i d n ' t g o .
D i d he g o ?
ev er y day
so m e t i m e s
alw ay s
Si m p l e
Pr e se n t
of t en
u su a l l y
•
•
•
•
•
•
se l d o m
som et hing happens repeat edly
how oft en som et hing happens
one act ion follows anot her
infinit ive
t hings in general
wit h verbs like ( t o love, t o
he/ she/ it :
hat e, t o t hink, et c.)
infinit ive + s
fut ure m eaning: t im et ables,
program m es
n ev er
f i r st ... t h e n
Pr e se n t
Pr o g r e ssi v e
now
•
at t h e m om en t
•
Lo o k !
som et hing is happening at t he
sam e t im e of speaking or
around it
fut ure m eaning: when you
have already d e ci d e d a n d
a r r a n g e d t o do it ( a fixed
plan, dat e)
b e ( a m / a r e / i s) +
infinit ive + ing
Li st e n !
l a st ...
Si m p l e
Pa st
... a g o
in 1990
y e st e r d a y
act ion t ook place in t he past ,
m ost ly connect ed wit h an
expression of t im e ( no connect ion
t o t he present )
regular:
in f in it iv e + ed
irregular:
I w ent .
(2 n d colu m n of t ab le
o f i r r e g u l a r v e r b s)
He w e n t .
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•
Pa st
Pr o g r e ssi v e
•
w hile
an act ion happened in t he
m iddle of anot her act ion
som eone was doing st h. at a
cert ain t im e ( in t he past ) - you w a s/ w e r e +
infinit ive + ing
don't know w het her it was
finished or not
I w as w or k in g .
I w a sn ' t w o r k i n g .
W as I w or k in g?
He w a s w o r k i n g .
He w a sn ' t w o r k i n g .
W a s he w o r k i n g ?
I w as goin g.
I w a sn ' t g o i n g .
W as I goin g?
He w a s g o i n g .
He w a sn ' t g o i n g .
W a s he g o i n g ?
I h av e w or k ed .
I h av en 't w or k ed .
Hav e I w or k ed?
He h a s w o r k e d .
He h a sn ’ t w o r k e d .
H a s he w o r k e d ?
I h av e g on e.
I h av en 't gon e.
Hav e I g on e?
He h a s g o n e .
He h a sn ’ t g o n e .
H a s he g o n e ?
I h av e been
w or k ing.
I h av en 't been
w or k ing.
Hav e I been
w or k ing?
He h a s b e e n
w or k ing.
He h a sn ' t b e e n
w or k ing.
H a s he b e e n
w or k ing?
I h av e been g oin g .
I h av en 't been goin g. Hav e I been g oin g?
He h a s b e e n
going.
He h a sn ' t b e e n
going.
j u st
y et
n ev er
ev er
Si m p l e
Pr e se n t
Pe r f e ct
•
alr eady
so f a r ,
•
you say t hat st h. has
happened or is finished in t he
past and it has a connect ion t o
t he present
act ion st art ed in t he past and
cont inues up t o t he present
up t o n ow ,
h a v e / h a s + p a st
p a r t i ci p l e *
* ( i n f i n i t i v e + e d ) or
( 3 r d co l u m n o f t a b l e
o f i r r e g u l a r v e r b s)
si n ce
for
r e ce n t l y
all day
t h e w h ole day
Pr e se n t Pe r f e ct
how long
Pr o g r e ssi v e
si n ce
•
•
act ion began in t he past and
has j ust st opped
how long t he act ion has been
happening
h av e/ h as + been +
infinit ive + ing
e m p h a si s: l e n g t h o f t i m e o f a n
a ct i o n
for
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H a s he b e e n
going?
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•
alr eady
Si m p l e Pa st
Pe r f e ct
j u st
n ev er
•
m ost ly when t wo act ions in a
st ory are relat ed t o each
ot her: t he act ion which had
already happened is put int o
Past Perfect , t he ot her act ion
int o Sim ple Past
t he past of t he Present Perfect
h a d + p a st
p a r t i ci p l e *
* ( i n f i n i t i v e + e d ) or
( 3 r d co l u m n o f t a b l e
o f i r r e g u l a r v e r b s)
how long
Pa st Pe r f e ct
Pr o g r e ssi v e
si n ce
how long som et hing had been
happening before som et hing else
happened
h ad + been +
infinit ive + ing
for
•
•
w ill - fut ure
•
•
going t o future
•
predict ions about t he fut ur e
( you t hink t hat st h will
happen)
you decide t o do st h.
spont aneously at t he t im e of
speaking
m ain clause in t ype I of t he
Condit ional sent ences
I h ad w or k ed .
I h adn 't w or k ed.
Had I w or k ed?
He h a d w o r k e d .
He h a d n ' t w o r k e d .
H a d he w o r k e d ?
I h ad gon e.
I hadn't gone.
Had I g on e?
He h a d g o n e .
He h a d n ' t g o n e .
H a d he g o n e ?
I h ad been
w or k ing.
I h adn 't been
w or k ing.
Had I been
w or k ing?
He h a d b e e n
w or k ing.
He h a d n ' t b e e n
w or k ing.
H a d he b e e n
w or k ing?
I h ad been goin g.
I h adn 't been g oin g .
Had I been goin g?
He h a d b e e n
going.
He h a d n ' t b e e n
going.
H a d he b e e n
going?
I'll w or k .
I w on't w ork .
W ill I w ork ?
He' l l w o r k .
He w o n ' t w o r k .
W i l l he w o r k ?
I'll go.
I w on't go.
W ill I go?
He' l l g o .
He w o n ' t g o .
W i l l he g o ?
I ' m going t o
w or k .
I ' m n o t going t o
w or k .
A m I going t o
w or k ?
He' s going t o
w or k .
He' s n o t going t o
w or k .
I s he going t o
w or k ?
I ' m going t o g o .
I ' m n o t going t o g o .
A m I going t o g o ?
He' s going t o g o .
He' s n o t going t o g o .
I s he going t o g o ?
w ill + infinit ive
when you have already
decided t o do st h. in t he fut ure
b e ( a m / a r e / i s) +
what you t hink what will
going t o + i n f i n i t i v e
happen
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
Fu t u r e
Pr o g r e ssi v e
Fu t u r e Pe r f e ct
Si m p l e
Fu t u r e
Pe r f e ct
Pr o g r e ssi v e
Co n d i t i o n a l
Si m p l e

An act ion will be in progress at
a cert ain t im e in t he fut ure.
This act ion has begun before
w ill + be + in fin it iv e
t he cert ain t im e.
Som et hing happens because it + i n g
norm ally happens.
w i l l + h a v e + p a st
p a r t i ci p l e *
st h. will already have happened
before a cert ain t im e in t he fut ure
st h. will already have happened
before a cert ain t im e in t he fut ure
e m p h a si s: l e n g t h o f t i m e o f a n
a ct i o n


st h. t hat m ight happen
m ain clause in t ype I I of t he
Condit ional sent ences
* ( i n f i n i t i v e + e d ) or
( 3 r d co l u m n o f t a b l e
o f i r r e g u l a r v e r b s)
w ill + h av e + b een +
in fin it ive + in g
I'll be w or k in g.
I w on 't be w or k in g.
He' l l b e w o r k i n g .
He w o n ' t b e w o r k i n g . W i l l he b e w o r k i n g ?
I'll be goin g.
I w on 't be goin g.
W ill I be goin g?
He' l l b e g o i n g .
He w o n ' t b e g o i n g .
W i l l he b e g o i n g ?
I'll h av e w or k ed.
I w on 't h av e w or k ed. W ill I h av e w or k ed?
He' l l h a v e
w or k ed.
He w o n ' t h a v e
w or k ed.
W i l l he h a v e
w or k ed?
I'll h av e g on e.
I w on ' t h av e g on e.
W ill I h av e gon e?
He' l l h a v e g o n e .
He w o n ' t h a v e g o n e .
W i l l he h a v e g o n e ?
I'll h av e b een
w or k in g.
I w on 't h av e b een
w or k in g.
W ill I h av e b een
w or k in g?
He' l l h a v e b e e n
w or k in g.
He w o n ' t h a v e b e e n
w or k in g.
W i l l he h a v e b e e n
w or k in g?
I 'll h av e b een
goin g.
I w on ' t h av e b een
goin g.
W ill I h av e b een
goin g?
He' l l h a v e b e e n
goin g.
He w o n ' t h a v e b e e n
goin g.
W i l l he h a v e b e e n
goin g?
I w ou ld w or k .
I w ou ldn 't w or k .
W ou ld I w or k ?
He w o u l d w o r k .
He w o u l d n ' t w o r k .
W o u l d he w o r k ?
I w ou ld go.
I w ou ldn 't go.
W ou ld I go?
He w o u l d g o .
He w o u l d n ' t g o .
W o u l d he g o ?
W ill I be w or k in g?
w ou ld + in fin it ive
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