Tense Affirmative/Negative/Question Use Signal Words: Simple Present

tense
Simple
Present
Affirmative/Negative/Question
A: He speaks.
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?
Use
Signal Words
action in the present taking place once, never or always, every , never, normally,
often, seldom, sometimes, usually
several times
if sentences type I (If I talk, )
facts
actions taking place one after another
action set by a timetable or schedule
action taking place in the moment of speaking at the moment, just, just now, Listen!,
Look!, now, right now
action taking place only for a limited period of time
action arranged for the future
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
action going on at a certain time in the past
actions taking place at the same time
yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the

other day, last Friday
if sentence type II (If I talked, )
when, while, as long as
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
action that is still going on
action that stopped recently
finished action that has an influence on the
already, ever, just, never, not yet, so

far, till now, up to now
present
action that has taken place once, never or several
times before the moment of speaking

Present
A: He has been speaking.
Perfect
N: He has not been speaking.
Progressive Q: Has he been speaking?
Past Perfect A: He had spoken.

Simple
N: He had not spoken.
Q: Had he spoken?
putting emphasis on the course or duration (not all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how
long?, the whole week
the result)
action that recently stopped or is still going on
finished action that influenced the present
action taking place before a certain time in the

past
sometimes interchangeable with past perfect
already, just, never, not yet, once,

until that day
if sentence type III (If I had
talked, )
progressive
putting emphasis only on the fact(not the
duration)
Past Perfect A: He had been speaking.
Progressive N: He had not been speaking.
Q: Had he been speaking?
for, since, the whole day, all day
past
sometimes interchangeable with past perfect

simple
putting emphasis on theduration or course of an

action
Future I
Simple
Future I
(going
to)Simple
A: He will speak.
N: He will not speak.
Q: Will he speak?
A: He is going to speak.
N: He is not going to speak.
Q: Is he going to speak?
action in the future that cannot be influenced
spontaneous decision
assumption with regard to the future
decision made for the future
conclusion with regard to the future
in a year, next , tomorrow

If (If you ask her, she will help you.)
assumption: I think,probably, perhaps
in one year, next week, tomorrow
Future I
A: He will be speaking.
Progressive N: He will not be speaking.
Q: Will he be speaking?
Future II
Simple
A: He will have spoken.

N: He will not have spoken.
Q: Will he have spoken?
Conditional A: He would be speaking.

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

future
Future II
A: He will have been speaking.
Progressive N: He will not have been speaking.

Q: Will he have been speaking?
Conditional A: He would speak.

I Simple
N: He would not speak.
Q: Would he speak?
action that is going on at a certain time in the

future
for , the last couple of hours, all day

long
putting emphasis on the courseof an action
action that might take place
action that might take place
putting emphasis on the course /duration of the
if sentences type II
(If I were you, I would go home.)
action
Conditional A: He would have spoken.
II Simple
N: He would not have spoken.
Q: Would he have spoken?
action that might have taken place in the past
Conditional A: He would have been speaking.

II
N: He would not have been
Progressive speaking.
Q: Would he have been speaking?
action that might have taken place in the past

puts emphasis on the course /duration of the
action
if sentences type III

(If I had seen that, I would have
helped.)

Tense Affirmative/Negative/Question Use Signal Words: Simple Present

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tense

Simple Past A: He spoke.

actions taking place one after another

action set by a timetable or schedule

action arranged for the future

action in the past taking place once, never or

actions taking place one after another

action taking place in the middle of another action

action going on at a certain time in the past

actions taking place at the same time

yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the

when, while, as long as

action in the past that is interrupted by another

putting emphasis on the result

action that is still going on

action that stopped recently

finished action that has an influence on the

already, ever, just, never, not yet, so

times before the moment of speaking

Past Perfect A: He had spoken.

action that recently stopped or is still going on

finished action that influenced the present

action taking place before a certain time in the

already, just, never, not yet, once,

action taking place before a certain time in the

for, since, the whole day, all day

sometimes interchangeable with past perfect

putting emphasis on theduration or course of an

action in the future that cannot be influenced

assumption with regard to the future

decision made for the future

conclusion with regard to the future

in a year, next , tomorrow

in one year, next week, tomorrow

A: He will have spoken.

Conditional A: He would be speaking.

in one year, next week, tomorrow

action that is sure to happen in the near future

action that will be finished at a certain time in the by Monday, in a week

Progressive N: He will not have been speaking.

Conditional A: He would speak.

action that is going on at a certain time in the

action taking place before a certain time in the

for , the last couple of hours, all day

putting emphasis on the courseof an action

action that might take place

action that might take place

putting emphasis on the course /duration of the

action that might have taken place in the past

Conditional A: He would have been speaking.

action that might have taken place in the past

if sentences type III

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