Table of English Tenses

AFFIRMATIVE /
TENSE NEGATIVE / QUESTION
USE SIGNAL WORDS

- Action in the present taking place once, never or several times. always, every …, never,
A: He speaks. - Habits – Daily routines, normally, often, seldom,
Simple
N: He does not speak. - Historic present sometimes, usually
Present
Q: Does he speak? - Facts: actions taking place one after another; action set by a if sentences type I (If I talk,
timetable or schedule. …)

- Action taking place in the moment of speaking (NOW).

Present A: He is speaking. - Action taking place only for a limited period of time (AROUND at the moment, just, just
Continuous / N: He is not speaking. NOW). now, Listen!, Look!, now,
Progressive Q: Is he speaking? - Action arranged for the future (plan). right now
- Prediction based on evidence.
yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in
A: He spoke. - Action in the past taking place once, never or several times. 1990, the other day, last
Simple Past N: He did not speak. - Actions taking place one after another. Friday
Q: Did he speak? - Action taking place in the middle of another action. if sentence type II (If I talked,
…)
Past A: He was speaking. - Action going on at a certain time in the past.
Continuous / N: He was not speaking. - Actions taking place at the same time. when, while, as long as
Progressive Q: Was he speaking? - Action in the past that is interrupted by another action.
Present A: He has spoken. - Life experience. already, ever, just, never, not
Perfect N: He has not spoken. yet, so far, till now, up to
- Putting emphasis on the result.
Q: Has he spoken? now
- Action that is still going on (UNFINISHED).
- Action that stopped recently, or finished action that has an

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Present A: He has been speaking.
Perfect N: He has not been
Continuous / speaking.
Progressive Q: Has he been speaking?
A: He had spoken.
Past Perfect N: He had not spoken.
Q: Had he spoken?
A: He had been speaking.
Past Perfect N: He had not been
Progressive speaking.
Q: Had he been speaking?
A: He will speak.
Future I
N: He will not speak.
Simple
Q: Will he speak?
Future I A: He is going to speak.
Simple N: He is not going to speak.
(going to) Q: Is he going to speak?
A: He will be speaking.
Future I
N: He will not be speaking.
Progressive
Q: Will he be speaking?
A: He will have spoken.
Future II
N: He will not have spoken.
Simple
Q: Will he have spoken?
Future II A: He will have been
Progressive speaking.
influence on the present.
- Action that has taken place once, never or several times before
the moment of speaking.
- Putting emphasis on the course or duration (not the result). all day, for 4 years, since
- Action that recently stopped or is still going on. 1993, how long?, the whole
- Finished action that influenced the present. week
- Action taking place before a certain time in the past. already, just, never, not yet,
once, until that day
- Sometimes interchangeable with past perfect progressive.
if sentence type III (If I had
- Putting emphasis only on the fact (not the duration). talked, …)
- Action taking place before a certain time in the past.
for, since, the whole day, all
- Sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple.
day
- Putting emphasis on the duration or course of an action.
in a year, next …, tomorrow
- Action in the future that cannot be influenced. If-Satz Typ I (If you ask her,
- Spontaneous decision, offer, promise, request . she will help you.)
- Assumption with regard to the future. assumption: I think,
probably, perhaps
- Decision made for the future / Action arranged for the future
(plan). in one year, next week,
- Conclusion with regard to the future. tomorrow
- Prediction based on evidence.
- Action that is going on at a certain time in the future.
in one year, next week,
- Action that is sure to happen in the near future. tomorrow
- Action that will be finished at a certain time in the future. by Monday, in a week
- Action taking place before a certain time in the future. for …, the last couple of
hours, all day long
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 N: He will not have been
speaking.
- Putting emphasis on the course of an action.
Q: Will he have been
speaking?
A: He would speak. if sentences type II
Conditional I
N: He would not speak. - Action that might take place. (If I were you, I would go
Simple
Q: Would he speak? home.)
A: He would be speaking.
Conditional I N: He would not be - Action that might take place.
Progressive speaking. - Putting emphasis on the course / duration of the action.
Q: Would he be speaking?
A: He would have spoken.
if sentences type III
Conditional II N: He would not have
- Action that might have taken place in the past. (If I had seen that, I would
Simple spoken.
have helped.)
Q: Would he have spoken?
A: He would have been
speaking.
Conditional II N: He would not have been - Action that might have taken place in the past.
Progressive speaking. - Puts emphasis on the course / duration of the action.
Q: Would he have been
speaking?

MSc. Julio Reyes

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