Tense

Signal
words

every day
sometimes
always
Simple
Presentor
Present
Simple

Use

something happens
repeatedly

often
usually

things in general

seldom

with the following

verbs (to love, to
hate, to think, etc.)

first ... then

Examples
negative

I work.

I don't work.

Examples
interrogative

Do I work?

He works. He doesn'twork. Does hework?

I go.

I don't go.

Do I go?

He goes.

He doesn't go.

Does he go?

how often something

happens
one action follows
another

never

Examples
affirmative

Tense

Signal
Use
words

now

Present
at the
Progressive moment
or Present
Continuous Look!
Listen!

something is
happening at the
same time of
speaking or around
it
future meaning:
when you have
already decided
and arranged to
do it (a fixed plan,
date)

Form

Examples
Examples
affirmative negative

Examples
interroga
tive

I'm working.

I'm not working.

He's working.

He isn'tworking. Is heworking?

I'm going.

I'm not going.

Am I going?

He's going.

He isn't going.

Is he going?

Am Iworking?

to be
(am/are/is)
+ verb+ -ing

Tense

Signal
words

Use

Form

Examples
Examples
affirmative negative
I worked.

action
finished in
the past,
last ...
mostly
Simple
connected
... ago
Pastor
with an
Past
in 1990 expression
Simple
of time (no
yesterday connection
to the
present)

regular:
verb +-ed
irregular:

I didn't work.

Examp
les
interro
gative

Did I
work?

He worked. He didn't work

.

Did he
work
?

I went.

I didn't go.

Did I
go?

He went.

He didn't go.

Did he
go?

check list
of irregular
verbs

Tense

Signal
Use
words

Form

Examples
affirmative

Examples
negative

I was working I wasn't

.
working.

an action happened
in the middle of
another action
Past
While
Progressive When
or
As
Past Contin
uous

someone was doing was/were +

sth. at a certain
verb +-ing
time (in the past) you do not know
whether it was
finished or not

Examp
les
interro
gative
Was I
working
?
Was he
working
?

He was
working.

He wasn't
working.

I was going.

I wasn't going Was I g

.
oing?

He was going.

He wasn't
going.

Was he
going?

Tense

Signal
words

Use

Form

just

Examples
affirmative

I have worked. I haven't

worked.

yet

Present
Perfect

Examples
negative

Examples
interrogative

Have I
worked?

you say that

He has worked He hasn't
Has he
never sth. has
.
worked.
worked?
happened or is
I have gone.
I haven't gone. Have I gone?
finished in the
ever
past and it has have/ha
already a connection to s+
the present

Verb in
so far, action started past
in the past and participl
continues up to e
up to
now
since
for
recentl
y

the present

He has gone.

He hasn't gone
Has he gone?
.

Signal
Tense
words

Use

Form

predictions about
the future (you
think that sth. will
happen)
Simple
future

Tomorrow
tonight
next .
In 2020

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

Examples
affirmative

Examples
negative

I'll work.

I won't work.

Examples
interroga
tive

Will I work?

He'll work. He won't work.

Will he
work?

I'll go.

I won't go.

Will I go?

He'll go.

He won't go.

Will he go?

will +
verb in
base form