Tense Signal words Use Form Examples
Every day Routines
Always Permanent situations I always do my homework in the evening
Usuallly Facts, systems or process Infinitive John doesn’t live in London, he lives in
Often With State Verbs which describe what we like, I / you / we / they Madrid.
Sometimes think and feel (want, like, believe, understand, (live, study, work) What do you usually do at weekends?
Present Simple
Seldom etc.) He/she/it + s1 I don’t like fish.
Never (lives, studies, works) I am a teacher and you are students.
First … then FUTURE: timetables and programmes Auxiliary verb: do / does The train leaves at 4 pm tomorrow.
Now An action happening at the same time of I’m reading an interesting book.
At the moment speaking or around it.
This ... (evening ....) Temporary actions Am / are / is + infinitive+ He is staying in a luxurious hotel
Present Continuous Look! Irritating repetitive actions (always, forever, ing2
Listen! never) (I am writing) You aren’t listening!
Today FUTURE: fixed plans and arrangements
We are setting up tomorrow!
Just A past action that has a connection to the
Yet present. Mum! I’ve passed my exam!
Never An action started in the past and continues up Biden has won the election
Ever to the present. We have been friends since primary school.
Already They haven’t travelled abroad
So far
Present Perfect Simple
Up to now Have / has + past participle3
Since (I have written)
For
Recently
Today / This ..... (week,
year, etc)
All day An action started in the past and has just Pete has been studying all morning.
The whole day stopped They have been running for an hour.
Present Perfect Have / has been + infinitive
How long How long the action has been happening.
Continuous + ing
Since
(I have been writing)
For (emphasis: length of time of an action)
1
+es – kisses, watches, fixes, goes. + ies – studies, carries
2
-ing rules: most verbs + ing, working, doing. Verbs ending –e - write – writing. Verbs ending –ie – lie – lying. One-syllable – stop – stopping, two-syllable permit – permitting, travel –
travelling.
3
The past participle in regular verbs + ed, work – worked. + d when the verb ends –e, live – lived. One-syllable verb, stop – stopped, two-syllable permit – permitted, travel - travelled
Irregular verbs, 3rd column of the table of irregular verbs.
Last .... (week, year, An action finished in the past without Regular verbs: + ed I went to the cinema
etc) connection to the present, mostly with an (lived, worked, studied) They ate fish and chips
... ago expression of time. Irregular verbs: (2nd column He didn’t study for the exam
Past Simple In 1995 of the irregular verbs) Did your parents go shopping?
Yesterday (wrote, brought, slept, He was tired
Used to / would ( I used to have lunch at school, but went)
now I eat at home) Auxiliary verb: did
While An action happened in the middle of another He was playing his favourite game when the
action (which is shorter) phone rang.
Past Continuous
An action happening at a certain time in the past Were / was + infinitive + ing Last night at 9 we were having dinner.
John wasn’t feeling well so he went home.
Already for something that started in the She didn't want to move. She had lived in
Just past and continued up to a later time in the past Liverpool all her life.
never when we are reporting our experience up to a My eighteenth birthday was the worst day
Past Perfect Simple point in the past Had + past participle I had ever had.
for something that happened in the past and is I couldn't get into the house. I had lost my
important at a later time in the past keys.
T o show that something started in the Everything was wet. It had been raining for
Past Perfect Continuous past and continued up to a time in the Had + been + infinitive + ing hours.
past or was important at that time in the past
Tomorrow to express a situation or intention in the future It will be a nice day tomorrow.
Next ... (week, year, to make a prediction. I hope you will come to my party
summer, etc) to express willingness / unwillingness to do I'll see you tomorrow.
something. Tim will be at the meeting.
to make promises or threats
Futute simple (will)
when making a spontaneous decision Will /won’t + infinitive
in the interrogative to make a suggestion or
offer
in the interrogative to ask for help
Today to talk about plans or intentions I'm going to drive to work today.
Next ... to make predictions based on evidence we can Be careful! You are going to fall.
Going to Am/are/is + going to +
Look! see
infinitive
Be careful!
an action happening before and after a specific I'll be working at eight o'clock. Can you come
Future continuous time in the future Will + be + infinitive + ing later?
plans, arrangements and intentions They'll be coming to see us next week.
By the time an action that will be completed between now You can come at 6 o'clock. I will have
Future Perfect Will + have + past participle
By then and some point in the future. done my homework by then.
Future Perfect By the time to show that something will continue up until a Will + have + been + By the time I retire I will have been
Continuous By then particular event or time in the future. infinitive+ ing working here for 45 years!
an action that might happen I would buy a new car if I had money
Simple conditional main clause in type II of the Conditional Would + infinitive He wouldn’t go
sentences
an action that might happen emphasising the I would be working
Conditional continuous Would + be + infinitive + ing
length of time of the action
an action that might have happened in the past I would have done it but I didn’t have time
Would + have + past
Conditional perfect main clause in type III of the conditional
participle
sentences John would have come if he could.
Conditional perfect an action that might have happened in the past, Would + have + been + It would have been working without
continuous emphasising the length of time of the action infinitive + ing problems but there was a power cut
