Tense

Affirmative/Negative/Question

Use

Simple

A: He speaks.

Present

N: He does not speak.

Q: Does he speak?

action in the present taking place once, never or

several times

facts

actions taking place one after another

action set by a timetable or schedule

Signal Words
always, every , never, normally, often,
seldom, sometimes, usually
if sentences type I (If Italk, )

Present

A: He is speaking.

action taking place in the moment of speaking

at the moment, just, just now, Listen!, Look!,

Progressiv

N: He is not speaking.

action taking place only for a limited period of time

now, right now

Q: Is he speaking?

action arranged for the future

Simple

A: He spoke.

action in the past taking placeonce, never or several yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other

Past

N: He did not speak.

Q: Did he speak?

times

actions taking place one after another

action taking place in the middle of another action

day, last Friday

if sentence type II (If Italked, )

Past

A: He was speaking.

action going on at a certain time in the past

Progressiv

N: He was not speaking.

actions taking place at the same time

Q: Was he speaking?

action in the past that is interrupted by another action

Present

A: He has spoken.

putting emphasis on the result

already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till

Perfect

N: He has not spoken.

action that is still going on

now, up to now

Simple

Q: Has he spoken?

action that stopped recently

finished action that has an influence on the present

action that has taken place once, never or several

when, while, as long as

times before the moment of speaking

Present

A: He has been speaking.

Perfect

N: He has not been speaking.

putting emphasis on the course or duration (not the

result)

all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how long?,

the whole week

Progressiv

Q: Has he been speaking?

action that recently stopped or is still going on

finished action that influenced the present

Past

A: He had spoken.

action taking place before a certain time in the past

already, just, never, not yet, once, until that

Perfect

N: He had not spoken.

sometimes interchangeable with past perfect

day

Simple

Q: Had he spoken?

progressive

putting emphasis only on thefact (not the duration)

Past

A: He had been speaking.

action taking place before a certain time in the past

Perfect

N: He had not been speaking.

sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple

Progressiv

Q: Had he been speaking?

putting emphasis on theduration or course of an

if sentence type III (If Ihad talked, )

for, since, the whole day, all day

action

e
Future I

A: He will speak.

action in the future that cannot be influenced

in a year, next , tomorrow

Simple

N: He will not speak.

spontaneous decision

If-Satz Typ I (If you ask her, she will

Q: Will he speak?

assumption with regard to the future

help you.)
assumption: I think, probably, perhaps

Future I

A: He is going to speak.

decision made for the future

Simple

N: He is not going to speak.

conclusion with regard to the future

(going to)

in one year, next week, tomorrow

Q: Is he going to speak?

Future I

A: He will be speaking.

action that is going on at a certain time in the future

Progressiv

N: He will not be speaking.

action that is sure to happen in the near future

Q: Will he be speaking?

Future II

A: He will have spoken.

action that will be finished at a certain time in the

Simple

N: He will not have spoken.

in one year, next week, tomorrow

by Monday, in a week

future

Q: Will he have spoken?

Future II

A: He will have been speaking.

action taking place before a certain time in the future

for , the last couple of hours, all day long

Progressiv

N: He will not have been speaking.

Q: Will he have been speaking?

Conditional A: He would speak.

I Simple

putting emphasis on the courseof an action

action that might take place

N: He would not speak.

if sentences type II
(If I were you, I would go home.)

Q: Would he speak?
Conditional A: He would be speaking.

action that might take place

N: He would not be speaking.

putting emphasis on the course/ duration of the

Progressiv

Q: Would he be speaking?

action

e
Conditional A: He would have spoken.
II Simple

action that might have taken place in the past

N: He would not have spoken.

if sentences type III

(If I had seen that, Iwould have helped.)

Q: Would he have spoken?

Conditional A: He would have been speaking.

action that might have taken place in the past

II

N: He would not have been

puts emphasis on the course /duration of the action

Progressiv

speaking.

Q: Would he have been speaking?