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