tense Affirmative/Negative/Question

Simple Present A: He speaks.

N: He does not speak.

Q: Does he speak?

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?
Past Progressive A: He was speaking.
N: He was not speaking.
Q: Was he speaking?

Present Perfect SimpleA: 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?

Future I Simple A: He will speak.

N: He will not speak.

Q: Will he speak?

Future I Simple A: He is going to speak.

(going to) N: He is not going to speak.
Q: Is he going to speak?
Future I Progressive A: He will be speaking.

N: He will not be speaking.

Q: Will he be speaking?
Future II Simple A: He will have spoken.

N: He will not have spoken.

Q: Will he have spoken?
Future II Progressive A: He will have been speaking.

N: He will not have been speaking.

Q: Will he have been speaking?
Conditional I Simple A: He would speak.

N: He would not speak.

Q: Would he speak?
Conditional I Progressive
A: He would be speaking.

N: He would not be speaking.

Q: Would he be speaking?
Conditional II Simple A: He would have spoken.

N: He would not have spoken.

Q: Would he have spoken?

Conditional II Progressive
A: He would have been speaking.

N: He would not have been

speaking.

Q: Would he have been speaking?

 Use

action in the present taking place regularly, never or several times

facts
actions taking place one after another
action set by a timetable or schedule

action taking place in the moment of speaking

action taking place only for a limited period of time

action arranged for the future

action in the past taking place once, never or several times

actions taking place one after another

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

sometimes interchangeable with past perfect progressive

putting emphasis only on the 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

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

action that will be finished at a certain time in the future

action taking place before a certain time in the future

putting emphasis on the courseof an action

action that might take place

action that might take place

putting emphasis on the course/ duration of the action

action that might have taken place in the past

action that might have taken place in the past

puts emphasis on the course / duration of the action

 Signal Words
always, every …, never, normally, often, seldom,
sometimes, usually

if sentences type I (If I talk, …)

at the moment, just, just now, Listen!, Look!, now,

right now

yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day,

last Friday

if sentence type II (If I talked, …)

while, as long as

already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up

to now

all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how long?, the

whole week

already, just, never, not yet, once, until that day

if sentence type III (If I had talked, …)

for, since, the whole day, all day

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

in one year, next week, tomorrow

by Monday, in a week

for …, the last couple of hours, all day long

if sentences type II

(If I were you, I would go home.)

if sentences type III

(If I had seen that, I would have helped.)

Problems with the English tenses? Have a look at the time line, it might help you understand
when to use which tense. As there is a similarity between past, present and future tenses,
there are just a few rules to keep in mind.

If you know how to use the present progressive correctly to express present actions, you will
as well be able to use the past progressive correctly to express past actions.
→ Legend

Legend

moment in time
§  action that takes place once, never or several times
§  actions that happen one after another
§  actions that suddenly take place

period of time
§  action that started before a certain moment and lasts beyond that moment
§  actions taking place at the same time

Result
§  action taking place before a certain moment in time
§  puts emphasis on the result

Course / Duration
§  action taking place before a certain moment in time
§  puts emphasis on the course or duration of the action
English Tenses – Examples
Explanation Past Present Future
Simple Past Simple Present Future I Simple
M action that takes place once,
o He played football every Tuesday. He plays football every Tuesday. He will / is going to play football every Tuesday.
never or several times
m
e actions that happen one He played football and then he went
He plays football and then he goes home. He will play football and then he will go home.
n after another home.
t state He loved football. He loves football. He will love football.
Past Progressive Present Progressive Future I Progressive
P
e action going on at that
He was playing football. He is playing football. He will be playing football.
r moment
i actions taking place at the He was playing football and she was He will be playing football and she will be
o He is playing football and she is watching.
same time watching. watching.
d
R Past Perfect Simple Present Perfect Simple Future II Simple
e
action taking place before a
s He had won five matches until that
certain moment in time; He has won five matches so far. He will have won five matches by then.
u day.
emphasises the result
l
t Past Perfect Progressive Present Perfect Progressive Future II Progressive
u
r action taking place before a
a certain moment in time (and He had been playing football for ten
He has been playing football for ten years. He will have been playing football for ten years.
t beyond), emphasises the years.
i duration
o