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le of English Tenses

tense Affirmative/Negative/Question Use Signal Words

 action in the present always,
Simple Present A: He speaks.
taking place regularly, every , never,
N: He does not speak. never or several times normally, often,
Q: Does he speak? facts seldom,
actions taking place one sometimes,
after another
usually
action set by a timetable
if sentences
or schedule
type I (If I
talk, )

Present Progressive A: He is speaking. action taking place in at the moment,

N: He is not speaking. the moment of speaking just, just now,
Q: Is he speaking? action taking place only Listen!, Look!,
for a limited period of now, right now
time
action arranged for the
future

Simple Past A: He spoke. action in the past taking yesterday, 2

N: He did not speak. place once, never or
Q: Did he speak? several times
actions taking place one
after another
action taking place in the
middle of another action
minutes ago, in
1990, the other
day, last Friday
if sentence type
II (If I
talked, )

Past Progressive A: He was speaking. action going on at a while, as long

N: He was not speaking. certain time in the past as
Q: Was he speaking? actions taking place at the
same time
action in the past that is
interrupted by another
action

Present Perfect Simple A: He has spoken. putting emphasis on the already, ever,
N: He has not spoken. result just, never, not
Q: Has he spoken? action that is still going yet, so far, till
on now, up to now
 action that stopped
recently
finished action that has an
influence on the present
action that has taken place
once, never or several
times before the moment
of speaking

Present Perfect A: He has been speaking. putting emphasis on the all day, for 4
Progressive N: He has not been speaking. course or duration (not years, since
the result)
Q: Has he been speaking? 1993, how
action that recently long?, the
stopped or is still going
whole week
on
finished action that
influenced the present

Past Perfect Simple A: He had spoken. action taking place before already, just,
N: He had not spoken. a certain time in the past never, not yet,
Q: Had he spoken? sometimes once, until that
interchangeable with past day
perfect progressive
if sentence type
putting emphasis only on
III (If I had
the fact (not the duration)
talked, )

Past Perfect Progressive A: He had been speaking. action taking place before for, since, the
N: He had not been speaking. a certain time in the past whole day, all
Q: Had he been speaking? sometimes day
interchangeable with past
perfect simple
putting emphasis on the
duration or course of an
action

Future I Simple A: He will speak. action in the future that in a year,

N: He will not speak. cannot be influenced next ,
Q: Will he speak? spontaneous decision tomorrow
assumption with regard to If-Satz Typ I (If
the future you ask her, she
 will help you.)
assumption: I
think, probably,
perhaps

Future I Simple A: He is going to speak. decision made for the in one year,

(going to) N: He is not going to speak. future next week,

Q: Is he going to speak? conclusion with regard to tomorrow
the future

Future I Progressive A: He will be speaking. action that is going on at in one year,

N: He will not be speaking. a certain time in the next week,
future
Q: Will he be speaking? tomorrow
action that is sure to
happen in the near future

Future II Simple A: He will have spoken. action that will be by Monday, in

N: He will not have spoken. finished at a certain time a week
in the future
Q: Will he have spoken?

Future II Progressive A: He will have been speaking.
N: He will not have been
speaking.
Q: Will he have been speaking?
action taking place before for , the last
a certain time in the couple of hours,
future
all day long
putting emphasis on the
course of an action

Conditional I Simple A: He would speak. action that might take if sentences

N: He would not speak. place type II
Q: Would he speak? (If I were you, I
would go
home.)

Conditional I Progressive A: He would be speaking. action that might take

N: He would not be speaking. place

Q: Would he be speaking? putting emphasis on the

course / duration of the
action

Conditional II Simple A: He would have spoken. action that might have if sentences
N: He would not have spoken. taken place in the past type III
Q: Would he have spoken? (If I had seen
 that, I would
have helped.)

Conditional II
A: He would have been speaking. action that might have
Progressive N: He would not have been taken place in the past

speaking. puts emphasis on the

Q: Would he have been course / duration of the

action
speaking?

Simple Tenses:

Simple tenses are used whenever we are talking about a point in time.

Past Simple Present Simple Future Simple

Use for an action that Use when making a Use for an action that will

happened at a point in general statement of truth happen at a point in time

time in the past. at the present point in in the future.

e.g. I ate breakfast this time. e.g. I will eat breakfast

morning. e.g. I eat breakfast later.

every day.

Continuous Tenses:
Continuous tenses are used whenever we are talking about a length of time.

Past Continuous Present Continuous Future Continuous

Use for an action that was Use for an action that is Use for an action that will

happening for a length of happening now.e.g. be happening for a length

time in the past when Right now, I am eating of time in the future.e.g.

another action happened breakfast. I will be eating breakfast

in the middle of it.e.g. I from 9:00 to 9:30.

was eating breakfast

when my brother arrived.

Perfect Tenses:

Perfect tenses are used whenever we are talking about a point in time before another point in

time.

Past Perfect Present Perfect Future Perfect

Use for an action that Use for an action that Use for an action that will

happened in the past happened in the past happen in the future

 before another action.e.g. before the present before another action.e.g.

I had already eaten moment.e.g. I have I will have already

breakfast when my already eaten breakfast. eaten breakfast by the

brother arrived. time my brothers arrives.

Perfect Continuous Tenses:

Perfect continuous tenses are used whenever we are talking about a length of time up to a

point in time.

Past Perfect Continuous Present Perfect Future Perfect

Use for an action that was Continuous Continuous

happening for a length of Use for an action that was Use for an action that will

time in the past up to the happening for a length of be happening in the future

moment when another time up to the present for a length of time up to

action happened.e.g. I moment.e.g. I have the moment when another

had been eating been eating my breakfast action will happen.e.g. I

breakfast for 30 minutes for 30 minutes. will have been eating my

when my brother arrived. breakfast for 30 minutes

by the time you arrive.