Table of English Tenses

tense Affirmative/Negative/Question Use Signal Words

Simple Present A: He speaks. Habits and routines always, every …, never, normally,
N: He does not speak. General facts often, seldom, sometimes, usually
Q: Does he speak? timetables or schedules if sentences type I (If I talk, …)

Present Continuous A: He is speaking. action taking place in the moment of speaking at the moment, just, just now,
N: He is not speaking. action taking place only for a limited period of Listen!, Look!, now, right now
Q: Is he speaking? time
action arranged for the future

Simple Past A: He spoke. action in the past taking place once, never or yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990,
N: He did not speak. several times the other day, last Friday. when
Q: Did he speak? actions taking place one after another if sentence type II (If I talked, …)
action taking place in the middle of another
action

Past Continuous A: He was speaking. action going on at a certain time in the past while, as, as long as, at 3 o’clock
N: He was not speaking. actions taking place at the same time (any time)
Q: Was he speaking? action in the past that is interrupted by another
action

Present Perfect Simple A: He has spoken. putting emphasis on the result already, ever, just, never, yet, so
N: He has not spoken. action that stopped recently far, till now, up to now
Q: Has he spoken? finished action that is still going on or has an
influence on the present

Present Perfect Continuous A: He has been speaking. putting emphasis on the duration (not the all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how
N: He has not been speaking. result) long?, the whole week
Q: Has he been speaking? action that recently stopped or is still going on
finished action that influenced the present

Past Perfect Simple A: He had spoken. action taking place before another action in already, just, never, not yet, once,
N: He had not spoken. the past until that day, after
Q: Had he spoken? if sentence type III (If I had
talked, …)
Past Perfect Continuous A: He had been speaking. action taking place before another action in for, since, the whole day, all day
N: He had not been speaking. the past
Q: Had he been speaking? sometimes interchangeable with past perfect

Future Simple(Will) A: He will speak.
N: He will not speak.
Q: Will he speak?
Future Be going to A: He is going to speak.
N: He is not going to speak.
(going to) Q: Is he going to speak?
Future Continuous A: He will be speaking.
N: He will not be speaking.
Q: Will he be speaking?
Future Perfect Simple A: He will have spoken.
N: He will not have spoken.
Q: Will he have spoken?
Future Perfect Continuous A: He will have been speaking.
N: He will not have been speaking.
Q: Will he have been speaking?
Conditional Simple A: He would speak.
N: He would not speak.
Q: Would he speak?
Conditional Continuous A: He would be speaking.
N: He would not be speaking.
Q: Would he be speaking?
Conditional Perfect Simple A: He would have spoken.
N: He would not have spoken.
Q: Would he have spoken?
simple
putting emphasis on the duration of an action
spontaneous decision
predictions without evidence
Future plans or intentions
Prediction with evidence
action that is going on at a certain time in the
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 course of an action
action that might take place
action that might take place
putting emphasis on the duration of the action
action that might have taken place in the past
in a year, next …, tomorrow
If-Sentences Type I (If you ask her,
she will help you.)
Predictions: I think, probably,
perhaps
in one year, next week, tomorrow
in one year, next week, tomorrow
by Monday, by the time you…., 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.)