Note about the All-Tenses (page 1)
The All-Tenses table (page 1) illustrates the form and function of the present simple, present continuous/progressive, and past simple.
| Tense | Formation Rule | Affirmative | Negative | Interrogative | Signal words | Use/Function |
| Present Simple | subject+verb(s) | -I/You/We/They work/ study/finish/ miss -He/She/It works / studies/ finishes / misses | -I/You/We / They don’t (=do not) work/ study/ finish/ miss -He/She/It doesn’t (=does not) work/ study/miss | –Do I / You / we / they work / study / finish /miss ? –Does he/she/it work/study/ miss ? | -every+time expression (day ‚week‚ month…etc) sometimes/always/ often/ usually/ seldom /never/ rarely/ occasionally -on+a day of the week | -habits -repeated actions in the present time -general actions -future timetables or programs -natural facts -after verbs that can’t be put in the continuous tense (e.g.like‚love‚ believe …etc) -with conditional type 1 |
| Present Continuous/Progressive | Subject+am/are/is + verb-ing | -I am working -You/We/They/ are working -He/She/It is working | -I am not working -You/We/they aren’t (=are not) working -He/She/It isn’t (=is not) working | –Am I working? -Are you/we/ they working? -Is he/she/it working? | -now -at this moment -look! -listen! | -something happening at the time of speaking -future arrangements and fixed plans |
| Past Simple | -Regular verbs subject+verb-(e)d -Irregular verbs there is no rule to apply | -I/You/We/They /He/She/It liked worked/studied -I/You/We/They/ He/ She/It went/ spoke | – I/You/We/ They/ He/ She / It didn’t (=did not) like/ work/study -I/You/We/ They /He/ She/ It didn’t go/ speak | –Did I/You/ We/ They/ He/ She/It like/ work/ study ? –Did I/You/ We/They/ He/She/It go/ speak ? | -last……. ………… ago. -yesterday -in+month/ year/ season | -actions happened and completed at a definite time in the past explicitly known from the context – actions that happened and were completed at a time in the past implicitly known from the context -actions that occupied a period of time in the past, but now terminated -past habits -with conditional type 2 |
