Tense

Affirmative/Negative/Questi

Use

on

Present Simple

A: He speaks.

action in the

always,

present taking

every , never,

N: He does not speak.

place once,

Q: Does he speak?

never or several
times

facts

actions taking
place one after

Signal Words

normally, often,
seldom,
sometimes,
usually
if sentences

another

type I (If I

action set by a

talk, )

timetable or
schedule
Present

A: He is speaking.

Continuous

N: He is not speaking.

action taking

at the moment,

place in the

just, just now,

moment of

Q: Is he speaking?

speaking

action taking place

Listen!, Look!,
now, right now

only for a limited

period of time

action arranged
for the future

Past Simple

A: He spoke.

N: He did not speak.

action in the past

yesterday, 2

taking place once,

minutes ago, in

never or several

Q: Did he speak?

times

actions taking
place one after
another

action taking place

1990, the other

day, last Friday
if sentence type
II (If I
talked, )

in the middle of
another action
Past Continuous

A: He was speaking.

N: He was not speaking.

action going on

when, while, as

at a certain time in

long as

the past

Q: Was he speaking?

actions taking
place at the same
time

action in the past

that is interrupted
by another action

Present Perfect

A: He has spoken.

Simple

N: He has not spoken.

Q: Has he spoken?

putting emphasis

already, ever,

on the result

just, never, not

action that is still

yet, so far, till

going 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.

Continuous

N: He has not been speaking.

putting emphasis

all day, for 4

on the course or

years, since

duration (not the

Q: Has he been speaking?

result)

action that
recently stopped

1993, how
long?, the whole
week

or is still going on

finished action
that influenced the
present

Past Perfect

A: He had spoken.

Simple

N: He had not spoken.

action taking place

already, just,

before a certain

never, not yet,

time in the past

Q: Had he spoken?

sometimes
interchangeable
with past perfect
progressive

putting emphasis

once, until that

day
if sentence type
III (If I had
talked, )

only on the fact

(not the duration)
Past Perfect

A: He had been speaking.

Continuous

N: He had not been speaking.

action taking place

for, since, the

before a certain

whole day, all

Q: Had he been speaking?

time in the past

day

sometimes
interchangeable
with past perfect
simple

putting emphasis
on the duration
or course of an
action

Future Simple

A: He will speak.

action in the future in a year,

that cannot be

N: He will not speak.

influenced

Q: Will he speak?

spontaneous
decision

assumption with
regard to the
future

next ,
tomorrow
If-Satz Typ I (If
you ask her, she
will help you.)
assumption: I
think, probably,
perhaps

Future Simple

A: He is going to speak.

(going to)

N: He is not going to speak.

Q: Is he going to speak?

decision made for

in one year,

the future

next week,

conclusion with

tomorrow

regard to the
future
Future Continuous A: He will be speaking.

N: He will not be speaking.

action that is

in one year,

going on at a

next week,

certain time in the

Q: Will he be speaking?

tomorrow

future

action that is sure

to happen in the
near future

Future Perfect

A: He will have spoken.

Simple

N: He will not have spoken.

action that will be

by Monday, in a

finished at a

week

certain time in the

Q: Will he have spoken?

future
Future Perfect

A: He will have been speaking.

Continuous

N: He will not have been

speaking?

for , the last

before a certain

couple of hours,

time in the future

speaking.
Q: Will he have been

action taking place

putting emphasis
on the course of

all day long

an action
Conditional I

A: He would speak.

Simple

N: He would not speak.

action that might

if sentences

take place

type II

Q: Would he speak?

(If I were you, I

would go
home.)

Conditional I

A: He would be speaking.

Continuous

N: He would not be speaking.

Q: Would he be speaking?

action that might

take place

putting emphasis
on the course /
duration of the
action

Conditional II

A: He would have spoken.

Simple

N: He would not have spoken.

action that might

if sentences

have taken place

type III

in the past

Q: Would he have spoken?

(If I had seen

that, I would
have helped.)

Conditional II

A: He would have been

Continuous

speaking.

have taken place

in the past

N: He would not have been

speaking.
Q: Would he have been
speaking?

action that might

puts emphasis on
the course /
duration of the
action