This table of tenses in English grammar provides an overview of the 12 different verb tenses

with examples in the positive, negative and interrogative or question form. You will also find
tips on the usage of each tense and common signal words to help you recognise the tenses. For a
detailed lesson including exercises, click on the name of the tense.

tense positive/negative/question usage signal words

 repeated/regular
always,
action in the
every …,
present
never,
 P: He speaks.  general validity
normally,
Simple Present  N: He does not speak.  actions happening
often, seldom,
 Q: Does he speak? one after the other
sometimes,
Present  confirmed future
usually if-
actions (time table,
clause type I
schedule)
(If I talk, …)

 action currently
taking place
at the
 action limited to a
 P: He is speaking. moment, just,
Present Progressive particular
 N: He is not speaking. just now,
timeframe
 Q: Is he speaking? Listen!,
Present Continuous  already planned or
Look!, now,
agreed-upon future
right now
action

 a single or repeated
action in the past yesterday, 2
 actions happening minutes ago,
one after the other in 1990, the
Simple Past P: He spoke.
in the past other day, last
N: He did not speak.
 a new action that Friday
Preterite Q: Did he speak?
interrupts an action if-clause type
that was already II (If I
taking place talked, …)

 emphasis on the
process of an action
Past Progressive
P: He was speaking. taking place in the
while, as long
N: He was not speaking. past
Preterite Continuous as
Q: Was he speaking?  multiple actions
Past Continuous
taking place at the
same time

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 tense positive/negative/question usage signal words

 an action that was

taking place when
interrupted by a
new action

 the result is
emphasised
 action that lasts to
the present moment
 action that has just
been completed already, ever,
Present Perfect P: He has spoken.  completed action just, never,
N: He has not spoken. with influence on not yet, so far,
Perfect Q: Has he spoken? the present till now, up to
 an action that has now
never/once/more
than once taken
place up to the time
of speaking

 the action is
emphasised (not
the result)
all day, for 4
Present Perfect P: He has been speaking.  action that has
years, since
Progressive N: He has not been lasted until the
1993, how
speaking. present time
long?, the
Perfect Continuous Q: Has he been speaking?  completed action
whole week
with influence on
the present

 action taking place

before a certain
time in the past already, just,
 sometimes never, not yet,
Past Perfect
P: He had spoken. interchangeable once, until
N: He had not spoken. with past perfect that day
Pluperfect
Q: Had he spoken? progressive if-clause type
Past Anterior
 emphasises only III (If I had
the fact that talked, …)
something took
place before a

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 tense positive/negative/question usage signal words

certain point in the

past

 action before a
certain point in the
Past Perfect past
Progressive  sometimes
P: He had been speaking.
interchangeable for, since, the
N: He had not been
Pluperfect with past perfect whole day, all
speaking.
Continuous simple day
Q: Had he been speaking?
Past Anterior  emphasises the
Continuous action or length of
the action

in a year,
next …,
 events in the future
tomorrow
that cannot be
if-clause type
influenced
P: He will speak. I (If you ask
 spontaneous
Future (will) N: He will not speak. her, she will
decision
Q: Will he speak? help you.)
 suppositions about
supposition: I
the future
think,
probably,
perhaps
 pre-existing
P: He is going to speak. intention regarding
in one year,
N: He is not going to the future
Future (going to) next week,
speak.  logical conclusion
tomorrow
Q: Is he going to speak? regarding the future

 action that will be

taking place at a
P: He will be speaking.
Future Progressive certain point in the in one year,
N: He will not be
future next week,
speaking.
Future Continuous  certain or obvious tomorrow
Q: Will he be speaking?
events

P: He will have spoken.  action that will by Monday, in

Future Perfect
N: He will not have have been a week

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 tense positive/negative/question usage signal words

spoken. completed by a
Q: Will he have spoken? future time

 action that will

P: He will have been
Future Perfect have been
speaking. for …, the last
Progressive completed by a
N: He will not have been couple of
future time
speaking. hours, all day
Future Perfect  emphasises the
Q: Will he have been long
Continuous length of the action
speaking?

Conditional I if-clause type

P: He would speak.  action that could II
Subjunctive II N: He would not speak. possibly take place (If I were you,
Present Q: Would he speak? I would go
Form of Possibility home.)
Conditional I
 action that could
Progressive P: He would be speaking.
possibly take place
N: He would not be
 emphasises the
Subjunctive II speaking.
action or the length
Continuous (Present) Q: Would he be
of the action
Continuous Form of speaking?
Possibility
Conditional II P: He would have spoken.  action that if-clause type
N: He would not have otherwise might III
Subjunctive II (Past) spoken. have taken place in (If I had seen
Perfect Form of Q: Would he have the past that, I would
Possibility spoken? have helped.)
 action that
Conditional II
P: He would have been otherwise might
Progressive
speaking. have taken place in
N: He would not have the past
Subjunctive II
been speaking.  emphasises the
Continuous (Past)
Q: Would he have been action or length of
Continuous Perfect
speaking? the action
Form of Possibility