Affirmative/Negative/Quest Signal

tense Use
ion Words

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

Chart—Active Verb Tenses

  Past Present Future
Simple An action that ended at a An action that exists , is A plan for future
point in the past. usual, or is repeated. action.
  cooked cook / cooks will cook
(time clue)* e.g. He cooked yesterday. e.g. He cooks dinner e.g. He will cook
every Friday. tomorrow.
Progressive An action was happening An action that is An action that will be
be + main verb (past progressive) when happening now. happening over time, in
+ing another action happened the future, when
(simple past). something else
happens.
  was / were cooking am / is / are cooking will be cooking
(time clue)* e.g. He was cooking e.g. He is cooking now. e.g. He will be cooking
 when the phone rang. when you come.
Perfect An action that ended An action that An action that will end
have + main verb before another action or happened at an before another action
time in the past. unspecified time in the or time in the future.
past.
  had cooked has / have cooked will have cooked
(time clue)* e.g. He had cooked the e.g. He has cooked e.g. He will have
dinner when the phone many meals. cooked dinner by the
rang. time you come.
Perfect An action that happened An action occurring An action occurring
Progressive over time, in the past, over time that started in over time, in the future,
have + be + main before another time or the past and continues before another action
verb + ing action in the past. into the present. or time in the future.
  had been cooking has / have been will have been cooking
cooking
(time clue)* e.g. He had been cooking e.g. He has been e.g. He will have been
for a long time before he cooking for over an cooking all day by the
took lessons. hour. time she gets home.

Present Tense
I do do, I do
Present Continuous Tense
I am doing, I am doing tomorrow
Present Perfect Tense
I have done
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
I have been doing

Past Tense
I did do, I did
Past Continuous Tense
I was doing
Past Perfect Tense
I had done
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
I had been doing

Future Tense
I will do
Future Continuous Tense
I will be doing
Future Perfect Tense
I will have done
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
I will have been doing