Table of English Tenses PDF

Table of English Tenses
Simple tenses
THE PAST THE PRESENT THE FUTURE
Signal words Signal words Signal words
last ... / ... ago. / .. in 1990 / yesterday every day - sometimes – always - often - Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow,
usually seldom- never first ... then tonight, soon, next week/year…,
in a week/month…, in two/three
days/weeks…
Use Use Use
action took place in the past, mostly -something happens repeatedly -predictions about the future
connected with an expression of time -how often something happens (you think that sth. will happen)
(no connection to the present) -one action follows another -you decide to do sth. spontaneously at
-Complete actions in the past -things in general after the following verbs the time of speaking, you haven't made
-Past habits (to love, to hate, to think, etc.) a decision before
future meaning: timetables, programmes -main clause in type I of the if clauses
Form Form Form
Base form + -ed (regular) Base form / he/she/it + -s will + base form
Irregular: 2nd column I do/go / I don't do/go / Do I do/go? I will work / do / go
I worked / did / went He does/ goes / He doesn't do/go I won’t work / do / go
I didn't work / do / go Does he do/go?
Did I work/ do / go? will I work/ do / go?
EXAMPLES EXAMPLES EXAMPLES

I did my homework last night I do my homework every night I will do the homework after school.

While, when, as, Now, at the moment, at present, these days, This time next week/year/month… and
all morning/evening… still, nowadays, today, tonight… (except for other time expressions with future
future use) reference
Look! Listen!
Use Use Use
-an action happened in the middle of -something is happening at the same time of -An action will be in progress at a certain
another action speaking or around it time in the future.
-someone was doing sth. at a certain time -future meaning: when you have already -This action has begun before the certain
(in the past) - you do not know whether it decided and arranged to do it (a fixed plan, time.
was finished or not date) - An action which will definitely happen in
-Simultaneous past actions the future as the result of a routine or
arrangement.
Form Form Form
S+ was/were +base form + -ing S+ (am/are/is) + base form + -ing will + be + base form + ing
He was doing / They were doing I am doing I'll be doing / He'll be doing
He wasn't doing / They weren't doing He is doing / They are doing I won’t be doing / He won’t be doing
Was he doing? / Were they doing? He isn't doing / They aren't doing Will I be doing?
Is he doing? / Are they doing? Will he be doing?
I was doing my homework when my Sorry, I am doing my homework at the
friend Isabel arrived. moment. I’ll call you back! At 5 PM I will be doing my homework.
Perfect tenses
THE PAST THE PRESENT THE FUTURE
Before, after, already, just, for, since, till, For, since, already, yet, always, just, ever, Before, by, by then, by the time, until, till
until, when, by, by the time, never never, so far, today, this week/month…,
how long, lately, recently
Use Use Use
-mostly when two actions in a story are -You say that sth. has happened or is finished -sth. will already have happened before a
related to each other: the action which in the past and it has a connection to the certain time in the future
had already happened is put into Past present -For an action which will be finished before
Perfect, the other action into Simple Past -Action started in the past and continues up to a stated future time.
-the past of the Present Perfect the present
-An action that has recently finished
Form Form Form
had + past participle* have/has + past participle* will + have + past participle*
*(base form + -ed) or (irregular verbs) *(base form + -ed) or (irregular verbs) *(base form + -ed) or (irregular verbs)
I had worked/done – I hadn’t done I have worked/done – I haven’t done I'll have worked/done – I won’t have
Had Iworked? Have I done? – She has done done – Will I have done?
When my friend came, I had already Look! I have done my homework. Here it is! I will have done my homework by 8
done my homework. o’clock
Already, just, never,For, since, how long, all day,for, since, how long, lately, recently, all *This tense is not used very much
before, until morning/year…, the whole day by, by then, by the time, for
Use Use Use

how long something had been happening -action began in the past and has just stopped -sth. will already have happened before a
before something else happened -how long the action has been happening certain time in the future
-emphasis: length of time of an action -emphasis: length of time of an action
Form Form Form
had + been + base form + ing have/has + been + base form + -ing will + have + been+ base form + ing
I had been doing – I hadn’t been I have been doing – I haven’t been doing
doing - Had I been doing? Have I been doing? – She has been doing
I had been waiting for half an hour I’ve been doing homework all day and it is I will have been doing homework for
when he arrived. still not finished. over an hour by the time my friends
arrive.
Yolanda Giménez Ballesteros/September 2013

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EXAMPLES EXAMPLES EXAMPLES

Signal words Signal words Signal words

Use Use Use

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