Table of English Tenses Affirmative/Negative/ Tense Question Frequency adverbs (always, every , never, normally, often, facts, general

l truths seldom, sometimes, usually) if sentences type I (If I talk, ) future meaning: a timetable once a day, twice a month... or schedule on Tuesdays Use Signal Words

Simple Present

A: He speaks. N: He does not speak. Q: Does he speak?

Habitual actions

Present Continuous

A: He is speaking. N: He is not speaking. Q: Is he speaking?

at the moment, just, just now, Listen!, Look!, now, right now, at present action taking place only for today, tonight, tomorrow, next week a limited period of time action taking place in the moment of speaking

future Simple Past A: He spoke. N: He did not speak. Q: Did he speak?

action arranged for the yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day, last Friday if sentence type II (If I talked, )

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 Past Continuous A: He was speaking. N: He was not speaking. Q: Was he speaking? action going on at a certain time in the past

when, while, as long as

actions taking place at the same time action in the past that is interrupted by another action Present Perfect Simple A: He has spoken. N: He has not spoken. Q: Has he spoken? putting emphasis on the result For + periods of time Since + points in time action that is still going on already, ever, just, never, yet, so far, till now, up to now action that stopped recently once, before finished action that has an recently, lately How long? influence on the present Today, this week, this year,this action that has taken place morning, this afternoon once, never or several times before the moment of speaking

Present Perfect Continuous A: He has been speaking. all day, for 4 years, since 1993, putting emphasis on the N: He has not been speaking. how long?, the whole week course or duration (not the result) 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. N: He had not spoken.

action taking place before a

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

Q: Had he spoken?

certain time in the past sometimes interchangeable with past perfect progressive

if sentence type III (If I had talked, )

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

putting emphasis only on the fact (not the duration) action taking place before a certain time in the past

for, since, the whole day, all day

sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple putting emphasis on the duration or course of an action

Future Simple

A: He will speak. N: He will not speak. Q: Will he speak? Shall I/we in questions

in a year, next , tomorrow If-Sent. Type I (If you ask her, she will help you.) Time clauses (when, as soon as, spontaneous decision before, after, until..) assumption with regard to I think, I dont think, Im sure promise, hope, expect, believe the future suggestions, requests, offers probably, perhaps, maybe action in the future that cannot be influenced (predictions)

Be going to

A: He is going to speak. N: He is not going to speak. Q: Is he going to speak? future

decision made for the future evidence with regard to the

in one year, next week, tomorrow

Future Continuous

A: He will be speaking. in one year, next week, action that is going on at a N: He will not be speaking. tomorrow certain time in the future Q: Will he be speaking? action that is sure to happen in the near future A: He will have spoken. action that will be finished N: He will not have spoken. at a certain time in the future Q: Will he have spoken? A: He would speak. N: He would not speak. Q: Would he speak? A: He would have spoken. N: He would not have spoken. Q: Would he have spoken? by Monday, in a week

Future Perfect

Conditional Simple

action that might take place

if sentences type II (If I were you, I would go home.)

Condicional Perfect

if sentences type III action that might have taken (If I had seen that, I would have place in the past helped.)