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tense
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Affirmative/Negative/
Question
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Use
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Signal Words
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|---|
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Simple Present
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A: He speaks.
N: He does not speak.
Q: Does he speak?
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-
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
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always, every …, never, normally, often, seldom, sometimes, usually
if sentences type I (If I talk, …)
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Present Progressive
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A: He is speaking.
N: He is not speaking.
Q: Is he speaking?
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-
action taking place in the moment of speaking
-
action taking place only for a limited period of time
-
action arranged for the future
|
at the moment, just, just now, Listen!, Look!, now, right now
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Simple Past
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A: He spoke.
N: He did not speak.
Q: Did he speak?
|
-
action in the past taking place once, never or several times
-
actions taking place one after another
-
action taking place in the middle of another action
|
yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day, last Friday
if sentence type II (If I talked, …)
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Past Progressive
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A: He was speaking.
N: He was not speaking.
Q: Was he speaking?
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-
action going on at a certain time in the past
-
actions taking place at the same time
-
action in the past that is interrupted by another action
|
when, while, as long as
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Present Perfect Simple
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A: He has spoken.
N: He has not spoken.
Q: Has he spoken?
|
-
putting emphasis on the result
-
action that is still going 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
|
already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up to now
|
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Present Perfect Progressive
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A: He has been speaking.
N: He has not been speaking.
Q: Has he been speaking?
|
-
putting emphasis on the course or duration (not the result)
-
action that recently stopped or is still going on
-
finished action that influenced the present
|
all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how long?, the whole week
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Past Perfect Simple
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A: He had spoken.
N: He had not spoken.
Q: Had he spoken?
|
-
action taking place before a certain time in the past
-
sometimes interchangeable with past perfect progressive
-
putting emphasis only on the fact (not the duration)
|
already, just, never, not yet, once, until that day
if sentence type III (If I had talked, …)
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Past Perfect Progressive
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A: He had been speaking.
N: He had not been speaking.
Q: Had he been speaking?
|
-
action taking place before a certain time in the past
-
sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple
-
putting emphasis on the duration or course of an action
|
for, since, the whole day, all day
|
|
Future I Simple
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A: He will speak.
N: He will not speak.
Q: Will he speak?
|
|
in a year, next …, tomorrow
If-Satz Typ I (If you ask her, she will help you.)
assumption: I think, probably, perhaps
|
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Future I Simple
(going to)
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A: He is going to speak.
N: He is not going to speak.
Q: Is he going to speak?
|
|
in one year, next week, tomorrow
|
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Future I Progressive
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A: He will be speaking.
N: He will not be speaking.
Q: Will he be speaking?
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|
in one year, next week, tomorrow
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Future II Simple
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A: He will have spoken.
N: He will not have spoken.
Q: Will he have spoken?
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by Monday, in a week
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Future II Progressive
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A: He will have been speaking.
N: He will not have been speaking.
Q: Will he have been speaking?
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|
for …, the last couple of hours, all day long
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|
Conditional I Simple
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A: He would speak.
N: He would not speak.
Q: Would he speak?
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|
if sentences type II
(If I were you, I would go home.)
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Conditional I Progressive
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A: He would be speaking.
N: He would not be speaking.
Q: Would he be speaking?
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|
|
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Conditional II Simple
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A: He would have spoken.
N: He would not have spoken.
Q: Would he have spoken?
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if sentences type III
(If I had seen that, I would have helped.)
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Conditional II Progressive
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A: He would have been speaking.
N: He would not have been speaking.
Q: Would he have been speaking?
|
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