Verb (to play) I play I am playing

Tense
Present simple more... Present continuous more...

Use Regular activities - routine - habits Continuous action now or at the present time. Finished part of a continuous action Completed actions in an unfinished period of time Recent events (no time mentioned) Past action with a result in the present. Experiences (no time mentioned) Actions begun in the past which continue today. Finished actions at a specific time in the past. Continuous actions at a specific time in the past. Actions before a specific time in the past. Past continuous actions Predictions Spontaneous decisions or offers Future continuous actions Completed future action.

Example Anne and Sophie play tennis on Saturday afternoons. Anne and Sophie are playing at the moment. So far they have played two sets. They have played several other matches this month. Their parents have just arrived. Sophie has broken her racket so she's got to change it. They have played in many tournaments. They have been playing tennis since 2 pm. Last Saturday Sophie played in another tournament. At 2.30 pm they were starting the second set. Before they arrived, two other people had played a match. When their parents arrived, they were already playing. Sophie will win the match today. I'll lend you my tennis racket! Next Saturday they will be playing in another town. By September, they will have played 12 matches. At 4 pm Anne and Sophie will have been playing for 2 hours. I would play tennis if I had a racket.

I have played

Present Perfect Simple more...

I have been playing I played I was playing I had played I had been playing I will play I will be playing I will have played I will have been playing I would play I would be playing I would have played I would have been playing

Present Perfect Continuous more... Past Simple more... Past Continuous more... Past Perfect Simple more... Past Perfect Continuous more... Future simple more... Future continuous Future perfect Future perfect continuous

Continuous future action completed at a given time. Probable action in an imaginary Conditional Simple more... situation Continuous action in an imaginary Conditional Continuous situation. Speculating about hypothetical Conditional Perfect situations in the past.
Cond. Perfect Continuous

Anne would be playing tennis if you came on a Saturday afternoon. I would have played yesterday if you had asked me. I would have been playing with Continuous hypothetical situations. Anne if I had won my last match.

tense
Simple Present

Affirmative/Negative/Question
A: He speaks. N: He does not speak. Q: Does he speak?

Use
action in the present taking place once, never or several times

Signal Words

always, every , never, normally, often, seldom, sometimes, usually facts if sentences type I actions taking place one after (If I talk, )

another Present Progressive A: He is speaking. N: He is not speaking. Q: Is he speaking? Simple Past A: He spoke. N: He did not speak. Q: Did he speak? action set by a timetable or schedule at the moment, just, just now, Listen!, Look!, action taking place only for a now, right now limited period of time action taking place in the moment of speaking action arranged for the future yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day, last Friday actions taking place one after if sentence type II (If I talked, ) another action in the past taking place once, never or several times action taking place in the middle of another action action going on at a certain time in the past actions taking place at the same time action in the past that is interrupted by another action putting emphasis on the result action that is still going 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 putting emphasis on the course or duration (not the result) action that recently stopped or is still going on finished action that influenced the present action taking place before a certain time in the past already, just, never, not yet, once, until that all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how long?, the whole week already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up to now when, while, as long as

Past Progressive A: He was speaking. N: He was not speaking. Q: Was he speaking? Present Perfect Simple A: He has spoken. N: He has not spoken. Q: Has he spoken?

Present Perfect Progressive A: He has been speaking. N: He has not been speaking. Q: Has he been speaking? Past Perfect Simple A: He had spoken. N: He had not spoken. Q: Had he spoken?

 Past Perfect Progressive A: He had been speaking. N: He had not been speaking. Q: Had he been speaking?

day sometimes interchangeable if sentence type with past perfect progressive III (If I had putting emphasis only on the talked, ) fact (not the duration) action taking place before a certain time in the past sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple putting emphasis on the duration or course of an action action in the future that cannot be influenced spontaneous decision assumption with regard to the future in a year, next , tomorrow If-Satz Typ I (If you ask her, she will help you.) assumption: I think, probably, perhaps in one year, next week, tomorrow for, since, the whole day, all day

Future I Simple

A: He will speak. N: He will not speak. Q: Will he speak?

Future I Simple (going to) Future I Progressive

A: He is going to speak. N: He is not going to speak. Q: Is he going to speak? A: He will be speaking. N: He will not be speaking. Q: Will he be speaking?

decision made for the future conclusion with regard to the future action that is going on at a certain time in the future action that is sure to happen in the near future

in one year, next week, tomorrow

Future II Simple

Future II Progressive

A: He will have spoken. N: He will not have spoken. Q: Will he have spoken? A: He will have been speaking. N: He will not have been speaking. Q: Will he have been speaking? A: He would speak. N: He would not speak. Q: Would he speak?

action that will be finished at by Monday, in a week a certain time in the future action taking place before a certain time in the future putting emphasis on the course of an action action that might take place if sentences type II (If I were you, I would go home.) for , the last couple of hours, all day long

Conditional I Simple

Conditional I Progressive

A: He would be speaking. N: He would not be speaking. Q: Would he be speaking?

action that might take place putting emphasis on the course / duration of the action action that might have taken if sentences type III place in the past (If I had seen that,

Conditional II Simple

A: He would have spoken. N: He would not have spoken. Q: Would he have spoken?

I would have helped.) Conditional II Progressive A: He would have been speaking. N: He would not have been speaking. Q: Would he have been speaking? action that might have taken place in the past puts emphasis on the course / duration of the action