Tense

Affirmat./Negat./Question

                   
Use

 
Signal Words

Present
Simple

A: He speaks.
N: He does not speak.
Q: Does he speak?
A: They speak.
N: They do not speak
Q: Do they speak?

* Action in the present taking place once, never or several times
* Facts actions taking place one after another action set by a timetable or schedule.
* General statements
* Telling jokes, stories, tales.

always, every …, never, normally, often, seldom, sometimes, usually
if sentences type I (If I talk, …)

Present
Continuous
 (Progressive)

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

* Action taking place in the moment of speaking.
* Action taking place only for a limited period of time
* Action arranged for the future
* Repetitive actions which implies complaint

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

Past Simple  

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

* 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
* Complete actions in the past

yesterday, 5 minutes ago, in 2005, the other day, last Monday
if sentence type II (If I talked, …)

Past Continuous

(Progressive)

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

* Action going on at a certain time in the past.
* Action at the same time.
* Action in the past that is interrupted by another action.

when, while, as long as

Present Perfect Simple

A: He has spoken.
N: He has not spoken.
Q: Has he spoken?

* 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.

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

Present Perfect Continuous

(Progressive)

A: He has been speaking.
N: He has not been speaking.
Q: Has he been 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.

all day, for 7 years, since 1997, how long?, the whole week

Past Perfect Simple

A: He had spoken.
N: He had not spoken.
Q: Had he spoken?

* 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)

already, just, never, not yet, once, until that day
if sentence type III (If I had talked, …)

Past Perfect Continuous

(Progressive)

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

* 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.

for, since, the whole day, all day

Future  Simple

A: He will speak.
N: He will not speak.
Q: Will he speak?

* Action in the future that cannot be influenced.
* Spontaneous decision.
* Assumption with regard to the future.
* Predictions with no evidence in the present.
* Promises & Warnings.

in a year, next …, tomorrow
If sentence type I (If you ask her, she will help you.)
assumption: I think, probably, we might…, perhaps

Be going to  

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

* Decision made for the future.
* Conclusion regarding to the future
* Predictions with evidence in the present.

in one year, next week, tomorrow

Future Continuous

(Progressive)

A: He will be speaking.
N: He will not be speaking.
Q: Will he be speaking?

* Action that is going on at a certain time in the future.
* Action that is sure to happen in the near future.

in one year, next week, tomorrow

Future Perfect Simple

A: He will have spoken.
N: He will not have spoken.
Q: Will he have spoken?

* Action that will be finished at a certain time in the future.

by Friday, in a week

Future
Perfect
Continuous

A: He will have been
     speaking.
N: He will not have been   
     speaking.
Q: Will he have been
     speaking?

* Action taking place before a certain time in the future.
* Putting emphasis on the course of an action.

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

Conditional Simple

A: He would speak.
N: He would not speak.
Q: Would he speak?

* Action that might take place.

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

Conditional
Continuous
(Progressive)

A: He would be speaking.
N: He would not be speaking.
Q: Would he be speaking?

* Action that might take place.
* Putting emphasis on the course / duration of the action.

Conditional Perfect Simple

A: He would have spoken.
N: He would not have spoken.
Q: Would he have spoken?

* Action that might have taken place in the past.

if sentences type III
(If I had seen that, I would have helped.)

Conditional
Perfect
Continuous

A: He would have been
    speaking.
N: He would not have been
     speaking.
Q: Would he have been
     speaking?

* Action that might have taken place in the past.
* Puts emphasis on the course / duration.