English Grammar Table Of Tenses

4/20/2019 Posted admin

English Grammar Table Of Tenses Worksheets

Tense	Signal words	Use	Form	Examples affirmative	Examples negative	Examples interrogative
Simple Present or Present Simple	every day sometimes always often usually seldom never first ... then	something happens repeatedly how often something happens one action follows another things in general with the following verbs (to love, to hate, to think, etc.) future meaning: timetables, programmes	infinitive (he/she/it) + -s	I work.	I don't work.	Do I work?
				He works.	He doesn'twork.	Does he work?
				I go.	I don't go.	Do I go?
				He goes.	He doesn'tgo.	Does he go?
Present Progressive or Present Continuous	now at the moment 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)	to be (am/are/is) + infinitive + -ing	I'mworking.	I'mnot working.	Am I working?
				He'sworking.	He isn'tworking.	Is he working?
				I'mgoing.	I'mnotgoing.	Am I going?
				He'sgoing.	He isn'tgoing.	Is he going?
Simple Past or Past Simple	last ... ... ago in 1990 yesterday	action finished in the past, mostly connected with an expression of time (no connection to the present)	regular: infinitive + -ed irregular: 2nd column of table of irregular verbs	I worked.	I didn'twork.	Did I work?
				He worked.	He didn'twork.	Did he work?
				I went.	I didn'tgo.	Did I go?
				He went.	He didn'tgo.	Did he go?
Past Progressive or Past Continuous	while	an action happened in the middle of another action someone was doing sth. at a certain time (in the past) - you do not know whether it was finished or not	was/were + infinitive + -ing	I was working.	I wasn'tworking.	Was I working?
				He wasworking.	He wasn'tworking.	Was he working?
				I was going.	I wasn'tgoing.	Was I going?
				He was going.	He wasn'tgoing.	Was he going?
Simple Present Perfect or Present Perfect	just yet never ever already so far up to now since for recently	you say that sth. has happened or is finished in the past and it has a connection to the present action started in the past and continues up to the present	have/has + past participle*	I have worked.	I haven'tworked.	Have I worked?
				He hasworked.	He hasn'tworked.	Has he worked?
				I havegone.	I haven'tgone.	Have I gone?
				He hasgone.	He hasn'tgone.	Has he gone?
Present Perfect Progressive or Present Perfect Continuous	all day the whole day how long since for	action began in the past and has just stopped how long the action has been happening emphasis: length of time of an action	have/has + been + infinitive + -ing	I havebeenworking.	I haven'tbeenworking.	Have I beenworking?
				He hasbeenworking.	He hasn'tbeenworking.	Has he beenworking?
				I havebeengoing.	I haven'tbeengoing.	Have I beengoing?
				He hasbeengoing.	He hasn'tbeengoing.	Has he beengoing?
Simple Past Perfect or Past Perfect (Simple)	already just never	mostly when two actions in a story are related to each other: the action which had already happened is put into Past Perfect, the other action into Simple Past the past of Present Perfect	had + past participle*	I had worked.	I hadn't worked.	Had I worked?
				He had worked.	He hadn'tworked.	Had he worked?
				I hadgone.	I hadn'tgone.	Had I gone?
				He hadgone.	He hadn'tgone.	Had he gone?
Past Perfect Progressive or Past Perfect Continuous	how long since for	how long something had been happening before something else happened	had + been + infinitive + ing	I hadbeenworking.	I hadn'tbeenworking.	Had I beenworking?
				He hadbeenworking.	He hadn'tbeenworking.	Had he beenworking?
				I hadbeengoing.	I hadn'tbeengoing.	Had I beengoing?
				He hadbeengoing.	He hadn'tbeengoing.	Had he beengoing?
will - future	predictions about the future (you think that sth. will happen) 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	will + infinitive	I'llwork.	I won'twork.	Will I work?
			He'llwork.	He won'twork.	Will he work?
			I'llgo.	I won'tgo.	Will I go?
			He'llgo.	He won'tgo.	Will he go?
going to - future	when you have already decided to do sth. in the future what you think what will happen	to be (am/are/is) + going to + infinitive	I'm going to work.	I'mnot going to work.	Am I going to work?
			He's going to work.	He'snot going to work.	Is he going to work?
			I'm going to go.	I'mnot going to go.	Am I going to go?
			He's going to go.	He'snot going to go.	Is he going to go?
Future Progressive or Future Continuous	An action will be in progress at a certain time in the future. This action has begun before the certain time. Something happens because it normally happens.	will + be + infinitive + ing	I'llbeworking.	I won'tbeworking.	Will I beworking?
			He'llbeworking.	He won'tbeworking.	Will he beworking?
			I'llbegoing.	I won'tbegoing.	Will I begoing?
			He'llbegoing.	He won'tbegoing.	Will he begoing?
Simple Future Perfect or Future Perfect Simple	sth. will already have happened before a certain time in the future	will + have + past participle*	I'llhaveworked.	I won'thaveworked.	Will I haveworked?
			He'llhaveworked.	He won'thaveworked.	Will he haveworked?
			I'llhavegone.	I won'thavegone.	Will I havegone?
			He'llhavegone.	He won'thavegone.	Will he havegone?
Future Perfect Progressive or Future Perfect Continuous	sth. will already have happened before a certain time in the future emphasis: length of time of an action	will + have + been + infinitive + ing	I'll have beenworking.	I won'thavebeenworking.	Will I havebeen working?
			He'llhavebeenworking.	He won'thavebeenworking.	Will he havebeenworking?
			I'llhavebeengoing.	I won'thavebeengoing.	Will I havebeenworking?
			He'llhavebeengoing.	He won'thavebeengoing.	Will he havebeenworking?
Conditional Simple	sth. that might happen main clause in type II of the Conditional sentences	would + infinitive	I would work.	I wouldn'twork.	Would I work?
			He would work.	He wouldn'twork.	Would he work?
			I wouldgo.	I wouldn'tgo.	Would I go?
			He would go.	He wouldn'tgo.	Would he go?
Conditional Progressive or Conditional Continuous	sth. that might happen emphasis: length of time of an action	would + be + infinitive + ing	I wouldbeworking.	I wouldn'tbeworking.	Would I beworking?
			He would beworking.	He wouldn'tbeworking.	Would he beworking?
			I would begoing.	I wouldn'tbegoing.	Would I begoing?
			He would begoing.	He wouldn'tbegoing.	Would he begoing?
Conditional Perfect	sth. that might have happened in the past (It's too late now.) main clause in type III of the if clauses	would + have + past participle*	I would haveworked.	I wouldn'thaveworked.	Would I haveworked?
			He would haveworked.	He wouldn'thaveworked.	Would he haveworked?
			I would havegone.	I wouldn'thavegone.	Would I havegone?
			He would havegone.	He wouldn'thavegone.	Would I havegone?
Conditional Perfect Progressive or Conditional Perfect Continuous	sth. that might have happened in the past (It's too late now.) emphasis: length of time of an action	would + have + been + infinitive + ing	I would havebeenworking.	I wouldn'thavebeenworking.	Would I havebeenworking?
			He would havebeengoing.	He wouldn'thavebeengoing.	Would he havebeenworking?
			I would havebeengoing.	I wouldn'thavebeengoing.	Would I havebeengoing?
			He would havebeengoing.	He wouldn'thavebeengoing.	Would he have beengoing?

*(infinitive + -ed) or (3rd column of table of irregular verbs)

We sometimes use Continuous instead of Progressive. Some signal words can be found in more tenses. We did not list signal words in the future tenses as there are no definite ones. Always remember what action is described.

Change Auxiliary Verbs

Remember that each tense changes in the auxiliary verb, rather than the main verb. The main verb is either in its simple form (do/did, play/played, make/made), the present participle (going, playing, watching, eating) or the past participle (had, done, thought, etc.).

I am watching TV right now.
You are watching TV right now.
He is watching TV right now.

Be Careful with Present Simple and Past Simple Positive

English Grammar Table Of Tenses Worksheets

The only tenses that do not take an auxiliary verb are the present simple and past simple.

She teaches Russian on Tuesdays.
They played soccer yesterday.

Use Time Expressions

In order to choose the correct tense, make sure to check the time expressions used before you conjugate. You need to know when something happens before you can decide which tense to use. In this first example, 'right now' implies the present continuous tense.

We're learning English right now.

In the second example, the phrase 'for three years' indicates duration of time in the present perfect tense.

He has lived in New York for three years.

Keep Verbs Together

Keep the auxiliary and main verb together in positive and negative sentences. The only word that should ever come between the auxiliary and main verb is in a question (the subject) and adverbs of frequency.

She has worked her for a long time.
Peter didn't understand the question.

Exceptions:

What were they doing at 7 p.m.?
He hasn't often traveled abroad.

Differences Between Action and Stative Verbs

Only action verbs are used in continuous and perfect continuous tenses. Stative verbs, verbs that state how something is or appears, are not used in the continuous and perfect continuous tenses. In the first example, the verb 'playing' indicates action.

They are playing tennis at the moment.

In this second example, 'want' implies a state of being (not 'wanting').

They want to play tennis at the moment.

Learn Tense Types

There are four types of tenses: simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous. It's helpful to learn groups of tenses together based on the principal function of each type. Here's an overview:

Simple tenses focus on complete events.
Continuous tenses focus on action at a specific moment in time and cannot be used with stative verbs.
Perfect tenses focus on what has been completed from one time to another.
Perfect continuous tenses focus on how long something has been happening from one time to another.

Check Your Understanding

Decide whether the following statements about tenses in English are true or false.

Each English tense has an auxiliary verb.
Positive, negative, and questions always include an auxiliary verb.
Continuous tenses focus on completed events.
It's possible to place an adverb of frequency such as 'usually' between the auxiliary and main verb.
Perfect tenses focus on an action or a state that begins at one point in time and continues to the next.
Perfect continuous tenses focus on how long an action or continues from one point to the next.

Answers

True: All tenses in English have an auxiliary verb. However, auxiliary verbs are dropped in the positive form of the present simple and past simple.
False: Drop auxiliary verbs in present simple and past simple positive sentences.
False: Continuous tenses focus on actions happening at a specific moment in time.
True: It's possible to place adverbs of frequency between the auxiliary and main verb.
True: Perfect tenses focus on events and states over periods of time.
False: Stative verbs are not used in continuous forms.

Tense Tables

Need more review? These tables outline the positive, negative, and question forms of the 13 verb tenses.

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