The Tense Chart

Examples Examples Examples

Tense Signal words Use Form
affirmative negative question
every day
always - something happens
sometimes repeatedly (routine) I work. I don't work. Do I work?
Simple usually - how often something He works. He doesn't work. Does he work?
I /we /they /you + V1 he/she/it + V1+s
Present often happens I go. I don't go. Do I go?
hardly - one action follows another He goes. He doesn't go. Does he go?
never - things in general
first ... then
I'm working. I'm not working. Am I working?
Now I am He's working. He isn't working. Is he working?
These days - something is happening at We’re working We aren’t working Are we going home?
Present
At the moment the same time of speaking or he/she/it is + V-ing
Continuous
Look! around it I'm going home I'm not going home. Am I going home?
Listen! we/they/you are He's going home. He isn't going home Is he going home?
We’re going home We aren’t going home Are we going home?

Subject + V2
last ... action took place in the past, I worked. I didn't work. Did I work?
--------------------------
Simple ... ago connected with an expression He worked. He didn't work. Did he work?
V2 = (* regular: V1+ ed)
Past in 1990 of time (no connection to the I went. I didn't go. Did I go?
V2= (* irregular: Look at the table
yesterday present) He went. He didn't go. Did he go?
of irregular verbs)

I was working. I was not working. Was I working?

- an action happened in the I was He was working. He was not working. Was he working?
middle of another action We were working We were not working Were we going home?
Past
while - someone was doing he/she/it was + V-ing
Continuous
something at a certain time I was going home I was not going home. Was I going home?
(in the past) - you don't know we/they/you were He was going home. He was not going home Was he going home?
whether it was finished or not We were going home We were not going home. Were we going home?
 The verb “be” can be an auxiliary verb (helping verb) or a main verb in English.

“be” as a main verb in the Simple Present (am, are, is) “be” as a main verb in the Simple Past (was, were)
affirmative negative yes/no question affirmative negative yes/no question
I: I:
I am from England. I am not from England. Am I from England? I was here. I was not here. Was I here?
he, she, it: he, she, it:
He is from England. He is not from England. Is he from England? He was here. He was not here. Was he here?
we, you, they: we, you, they:
We are from England. We are not from England. Are we from England We were here. We were not here. Were we here?

“be” as a helping verb in the Present Continuous (am, are, is) +Ving
affirmative negative yes/no question
I:
I am reading a book. I am not reading a book. Am I reading a book?
he, she, it:
He is reading a book. He is not reading a book. Is he reading a book?
we, you, they:
We are reading a book. We are not reading a book. Are we reading a book

“be” as a helping verb in the Past Continuous (was, were) +Ving

affirmative negative yes/no question
I:
I was reading a book. I was not reading a book. Was I reading a book?
he, she, it:
He was reading a book. He was not reading a book. Was he reading a book?
we, you, they:
We were reading a book. We were not reading a book. Were we reading a book