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