English tenses

English tenses - Complex Test 1

Exercises - English tenses

TenseSignal words

Use FormExamplesaffirmative

Examplesnegative

Examplesinterrogative

SimplePresentorPresent 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.) 

infinitive he/she/it + -s I work.  I don't work. 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

future meaning:

PresentProgressive 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'm working. I'm not working. Am Iworking

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

SimplePastor 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 + -edirregular:2nd column of table of irregular verbs

I worked.  I didn't work.  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?

PastProgressive orPast 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 Iwork

He wasworking.He wasn'tworking.

Was hework

I was going. I wasn't going. Was I going

He was going. He wasn'tgoing. Was hegoing

SimplePresentPerfectorPresentPerfect

just 

yet 

never 

ever 

already 

so far, 

up to now, 

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* 

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

I have worked.  I haven'tworked.  Have Iwork

He has worked. He hasn'tworked. Has hework

I have gone. I haven't gone. Have I gone

He has gone. He hasn't gone. Has he gone

since 

for 

Present PerfectProgressive orPresentPerfectContinuous

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 have beenworking.

I haven't beenworking.

Have I been

He has beenworking.

He hasn't beenworking.

Has he been

I have beengoing.

I haven't beengoing.

Have I been

He has beengoing.

He hasn't beengoing.

Has he been

SimplePastPerfectorPastPerfect(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

had + past participle* 

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

I had worked. I hadn'tworked. Had Iwork

He had worked. He hadn'tworked. Had hework

I had gone. I hadn't gone. Had I gone

He had gone. He hadn't gone. Had he gone

other action into Simple Past 

Past Perfect Progressive orPast Perfect Continuous

how long 

since 

for

how long something had been happening before something else happened

had + been +infinitive + ing

I had beenworking.

I hadn't beenworking.

Had I been

He had beenworking.

He hadn't beenworking.

Had he been

I had beengoing.I hadn't beengoing.

Had I been

He had beengoing.

He hadn't beengoing.

Had he been

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

will + infinitive I'll work. I won't work. Will I work

He'll work. He won't work. Will hework

I'll go. I won't go. Will I go?

He'll go. He won't go. Will he go?

made a decision before 

going to - future

 

when you have already decided to do sth. in the future 

what you think what will happen

be (am/are/is)+ going to +infinitive

I'm going towork.I'm not going towork.

Am I going to

He's going towork.

He's not going to work.

Is he going to

I'm going to go.I'm not going togo.

Am I going to

He's going togo.He's not going to go.

Is he going to

Future Progressive orFuture 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

will + be +infinitive + ingI'll be working.

I won't beworking.

Will I bework

He'll beworking.He won't beworking.

Will he bework

I'll be going. I won't begoing. Will I bego

He'll be going. He won't begoing. Will he bego

normally

SimpleFuturePerfectorFuture PerfectSimple

 

sth. will already have happened before a certain time in the future

will + have +past participle* 

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

I'll haveworked.I won't haveworked.

Will I have

He'll haveworked.

He won't haveworked.

Will he have

I'll have gone. I won't havegone. Will I have

He'll have gone.He won't havegone.

Will he have

FuturePerfectProgressive orFuturePerfectContinuous

 

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't have been working.

Will I havebeenworking?

He'll have beenworking.

He won't have been working.

Will he havebeenworking?

I'll have beengoing.

I won't havebeen going.

Will I havebeenworking?

He'll have beengoing.

He won't havebeen going.

Will he havebeenworking?

Conditional Simple

  sth. that might happen 

would +infinitiveI would work.

I wouldn't work.

Would I work?

He would work. He wouldn'twork. Would he work?

main clause in type II of the

I would go. I wouldn't go. Would I go

He would go.He wouldn't go.

Would he go?

Conditional ProgressiveorConditionalContinuous

 

sth. that might happen 

emphasis: length of time of an action

would + be +infinitive + ing

I would beworking.

I wouldn't beworking.

Would I be

He would beworking.

He wouldn't beworking.

Would he be

I would begoing.I wouldn't begoing.

Would I be

He would begoing.

He wouldn't begoing.

Would he be

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* 

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

I would haveworked.

I wouldn't haveworked.

Would I have

He would haveworked.

He wouldn't have worked.

Would hehavework

I would havegone.

I wouldn't havegone.

Would I have

He would havegone.

He wouldn't have gone.

Would I have

Conditional Perfect Progressi

  sth. that might have happened in the past

would + have +been + infinitive+ ing

I would have been working.

I wouldn't have been working. 

Would I havebeenworking?

He would have beengoing.

He wouldn't have beengoing.

Would he have been

veorConditional

(It's too late now.) 

emphasis:

I would have been going.

I wouldn't have been going.

Would I havebeenoing?

He would have been going.

He wouldn't have beengoing.

Would he have been