tense Affirmative/Negative/Question Use Signal Words

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

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