Tense

Affirmative/Negative/Question

1. Present Simple
+
S

S + V - s, es (III sg)

Do/Does + S + V 1

S + do/does + not + V 1

Use

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

- non-progressive verbs

Signal Words
always, every , never, normally,
often, seldom, sometimes, usually,
rarely, from time to time,
once/twice a week/a month, on
Monday, in winter
if sentences type I (If I talk, )

2. Present Continuous
+
S

S + am/is/are + V ing

Am/Is/Are + S + V ing

S + am/is/are + not + V ing

at the moment, just, just now,

Listen!, Look!, now, right now

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

3. Past Simple
+
S
?
S

S + V 2/ed
Did + S + V 1

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

S + was/were + V ing
Was/were+ S + V ing

or several times

- actions taking place one after another

- action taking place in the middle of another

yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990,

the other day, last Friday
if sentence type II (If I talked, )

action

S + did + not + V 1

4. Past Continuous
+
S
?

- action in the past taking place once, never

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

- action going on at a certain time in the past

- actions taking place at the same time

- action in the past that is interrupted by

in clauses with when, while, as

long as, at this time yesterday,
at two oclock yesterday

another action

S + was/were + not + V -ing

5. Present Perfect Simple

+
S
?
S

S + have/has + V 3/ed

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

Have/has + S + V 3/ed

- putting emphasis on the result

- 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, lately,
recently, the last years

present

S + have/has + not + V 3/ed

- action that has taken place once, never or

several times before the moment of
speaking

6. Present Perfect Continuous

+
S
?
S

S + have/has + been + V ing

A: He has been speaking.

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

Have/has + S + been + V ing

S + have/has + not + been + V ing

7. Past Perfect Simple

+
S
?
S

S + had + V 3/ed

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

Had + S + V 3/ed
S + had + not + V 3/ed

all day, for 4 years, since 1993,

how long?, the whole week

- 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 progressive

already, just, never, not yet, once,

until that day, after after, before
before
if sentence type III (If I had
talked, )

- putting emphasis only on the fact (not the

duration)

S + had + been + V ing

A: He had been speaking.

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

Had + S + been + V ing

S + had + not + been + V ing

9a. Future I Simple

+ S + shall/will + V 1
S

duration (not the result)

8. Past Perfect Continuous

+
S
?

- putting emphasis on the course or

- action taking place before a certain time in

the past

for, since, the whole day, all day,

How long?

- sometimes interchangeable with past

perfect simple

- putting emphasis on the duration or

course of an action

Shall/will + S + V 1

A: He will speak.

- action in the future that cannot be

in a year, next , tomorrow

If-Sentence type I (If you ask her,

S + shall/will + V 1

9b. Going to Future

+
S

S + am/is/are + going to + V 1

10. Future I Continuous

+
S

S + will + be + V ing

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

influenced

- spontaneous decision

- assumption with regard to the future

- decision made for the future

- conclusion with regard to the future

- action that is going on at a certain time in

the future

- action that is sure to happen in the near

future

she will help you.)

assumption: I think, probably,
perhaps

in one year, next week, tomorrow

at this time tomorrow, at 6 oclock

tomorrow