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Cram Up Grammar Tenses

Table of English Tenses

tense Affirmative/Negative/Question Use Signal Words

action in the present

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

Present A: He is speaking. at the

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

action in the past taking

place once, never or yesterday, 2
several times minutes ago,
in 1990, the
A: He spoke.
other day, last
Simple Past N: He did not speak. actions taking place one
Friday
Q: Did he speak? after another if sentence
type II (If
action taking place in the I talked, )
middle of another action

action going on at a
certain time in the past

A: He was speaking. actions taking place at

Past while, as long
N: He was not speaking. the same time
Progressive as
Q: Was he speaking?
action in the past that is
interrupted by another
action

Present A: He has spoken. already, ever,

Perfect N: He has not spoken. putting emphasis on just, never,
Simple Q: Has he spoken? the result not yet, so far,
till now, up to
action that is still going now
on

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

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

action taking place

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

action taking place

before a certain time in
the past

Past A: He had been speaking. sometimes for, since, the

Perfect N: He had not been speaking. interchangeable with past whole day, all
Progressive Q: Had he been speaking? perfect simple day

putting emphasis on
the duration or course of
an action

Future I A: He will speak. in a year,

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

Future I decision made for the

Simple A: He is going to speak. future in one year,
N: He is not going to speak. next week,
(going to) Q: Is he going to speak? conclusion with regard to tomorrow
the future

action that is going on at

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

A: He will have spoken. action that will

Future II by Monday,
N: He will not have spoken. be finished at a certain
Simple in a week
Q: Will he have spoken? time in the future

action taking place

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

if sentences
A: He would speak. type II
Conditiona action that might take
N: He would not speak. (If I were you,
l I Simple place
Q: Would he speak? I would
go home.)
Conditiona A: He would be speaking.
lI N: He would not be speaking. action that might take
Progressive Q: Would he be speaking? place
 putting emphasis on
the course / duration of
the action

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

action that might have

A: He would have been speaking. taken place in the past
Conditiona
N: He would not have been
l II
Progressive
speaking. puts emphasis on
Q: Would he have been speaking? the course / duration of
the action

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