English Tenses

PRESENT TENSE SIMPLE

Affirmative Interrogative
Negative

I work Do I work?
I don’t work
You work Do you work ?
You don’t work
He/She/It works Does he/she/it work?
He/She/It doesn’t work
We work Do we work?
We don’t work
You work Do you work?
You don’t work
They work Do they work?
They don’t work

Meaning

A – an habitual action
B – a characteristic or fact about someone or something
C – verbs which cannot normally be used in the continuous, eg . : to belong, to
like, to understand

PRESENT TENSE CONTINUOUS

Affirmative Interrogative Negative

I am working Am I working? I am
not working
You are working Are you working? You are not
working
He/She/It is working Is he/she/it working? He/She/It is
not working
We are working Are we working? We are not
working
You are working Are you working? You are not
working
They are working Are they working? They are not
working

Meaning
A – an action which is taking place at the moment of speaking
B – an arrange future

PAST TENSE SIMPLE

Affirmative Interrogative Negative

I worked Did I work?

I didn’t work
You worked Did you work?
You didn’t work
He/She/It worked Did he/she/it work?
He/She/It didn’t work
We worked Did we work?
We didn’t work
You worked Did you work?
You didn’t work
They worked Did they work?
They didn’t work

Meaning
A – an action completed in the past at a specific time (stated or understood)

PAST TENSE CONTINUOUS

Affirmative Interrogative Negative

I was working Was I working? I

wasn’t working
You were working Were you working? You weren’t
working
He/She/It was working Was he/she/it working? He/She/It wasn’t
working
We were working Were we working? We weren’t
working
You were working Were you working? You weren’t
working
They were working Were they working? They weren’t
working

Meaning
A – an action which was in progress when another action occurred ( second

action is expressed in the past simple )

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE

Affirmative Interrogative Negative

I have worked Have I work?

I haven’t work
You have worked Have you work? You
haven’t work
He/She/It has worked Has he/she/it work? He/She/It
hasn’t work
We have worked Have we work? We
haven’t work
You have worked Have you work? You
haven’t work
They have worked Have they work? They
haven’t work

Meaning

A – an action which occurred at an unspecified time in the past

B – an action which occurred in the past but the result of which is evident in
the present – often a recent past action
C – a state or activity starting in the past which still pertains to the present

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Affirmative Interrogative
Negative

I have been working Have I been working? I haven’t

been working
You have been working Have you been working? You haven’t been
working
He/She/It has been working Has he/she/it been working? He/She/It hasn’t been

working
We have been working Have we been working We haven’t been
working
You have been working Have you been working? You haven’t been
working
They have been working Have they been working? They haven’t been
working

Meaning

A – an activity (usually temporary) which started in the past and continues up

to the present

PAST PERFECT SIMPLE

Affirmative Interrogative Negative

I had worked Had I work ?

I hadn’t work
You had worked Had you work?
You hadn’t work
He/She/It had worked Had he/she/it work?
He/She/It hadn’t work
We had worked Had we work? We
hadn’t work
You had worked Had you work? You
hadn’t work
They had worked Had they work? They
hadn’t work

Meaning

A – the earlier of two actions which occurred in the past , the second of
which is the simple past
Used either:
a) when there is ambiguity over which action occurred first
or
b) when the first action refers to a time period earlier than that of the main
narrative