Simple Present Repeated/regular P: He speaks. always, every …,
action in the present N: He does not speak. never, normally, General validity Q: Does he speak? often, seldom, Actions happening sometimes, usually one after the other
Present Progressive Action currently P: He is speaking. at the moment, just,
taking place N: He is not speaking. just now, Listen!, Action limited to a Q: Is he speaking? Look!, now, right particular timeframe now
Past Simple A single or repeated P: He spoke. yesterday, 2 minutes
action in the past N: He did not speak. ago, in 1990, the Actions happening Q: Did he speak? other day, last one after the other Friday in the past A new action that interrupts an action that was already taking place Past Progressive Emphasis on the P: He was speaking. while, as long as process of an action N: He was not speaking. taking place in the Q: Was he speaking? past Multiple actions taking place at the same time An action that was taking place when interrupted by a new action Present Simple (future Confirmed future P: It leaves meaning) actions (time table, N: It does not leave schedule) Q: Does it leave? Present progressive Already planned or P: I am going (future meaning) agreed-upon future N: I am not going action Q: Am I going? Future (be going to) Pre-existing P: He is going to speak. in one year, next intention regarding N: He is not going to speak. week, tomorrow the future Q: Is he going to speak? Logical conclusion regarding the future Future (will) P: He will speak Events in the future in a year, next …, N: He will not speak. that cannot be tomorrow, Q: Will he speak? influenced first conditional Spontaneous sentences (If you decision ask her, she will help Suppositions about you.), the future supposition: I think, probably, perhaps Present Perfect Simple P: He has spoken. The result is already, ever, just, N: He has not spoken. emphasized never, not yet, so Q: Has he spoken? Action that lasts to far, till now, up to the present moment now Action that has just been completed Completed action with influence on the present An action that has never/once/more than once taken place up to the time of speaking Present Perfect Progressive P: He has been speaking. The action is all day, for 4 years, N: He has not been emphasized (not the since 1993, how speaking. result) long?, the whole Q: Has he been speaking? Action that has week lasted until the present time Completed action with influence on the present Past Pefect P: He had spoken. Action taking place already, just, never, N: He had not spoken. before a certain not yet, once, until Q: Had he spoken? time in the past that day Sometimes interchangeable with past perfect progressive Emphasises only the fact that something took place before a certain point in the past