VERB TENSES

Tense Key Words Use Form Example Example Examples

(affirmative) (negative) (negative)
Every…
sometimes Routines; how often something I/you/we/they:
always happens; I work. I don't work. Do I work?
one action that follows another; infinitive
often
Simple Present facts;
usually
with verbs like (love, hate, think...)
seldom timetables. he/she/it: He works. He doesn't work. Does he work?
never infinitive + s
first ... then

now

at the moment something that’s happening at the I'm working. I'm not working. Am I working?
Present Continuous be (am/are/is)
time of speaking. +
Look!
future meaning: when you have infinitive + ing
Listen! He's working. He isn't working. Is he working?
already decided and arranged
Today
to do it (a fixed plan, date)

action that took place in the past, regular: I worked. I didn't work. Did I work?
last ... mostly connected with an expression
Simple Past infinitive + ed
... ago of time (no connection to the present)

in 1990
irregular:
yesterday (2nd leading form) He went. He didn't go. Did he go?
 an action which happened
in the middle of another I was working. I wasn't working.
Past Continuous was/were + Was I working?
while action They weren't working.
They were working. Were they working?
infinitive + ing
someone was doing something
at a certain time (in the past) -
you don't know whether it was
finished or not.
just
yet
never
ever I have worked. I haven't worked. Have I worked?
have/has + past
Present Perfect A result; an experience; participle*
already
something that has happened
so far, or is finished in the past and it

up to now, has a connection to the present. *(infinitive +ed) or (3rd He has gone. He hasn’t gone. Has he gone?
action which started in the past leading form of irregular
since
Verbs).
and continues up to the present
for
recently

had + past participle* I had worked at the I hadn’t worked at the I had worked at the
after action completed and done in local hospital before I local hospital before I local hospital before I
became a father. became a father. became a father.
the past before a second
before action also in the past. *(infinitive +ed) or (3rd
Past Perfect when leading form of irregular
Verbs).