Table of English Tenses

tense
Simple
Present

Affirmative/Negative/Question
A: He speaks.
N: He does not speak.
Q: Does he speak?

Use
action in the present taking

place once, never or several times

facts

actions taking place one after

Signal Words
always, every , never,
normally, often, seldom,
sometimes, usually
if sentences type I (If Italk, )

another
action set by a timetable or

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

action taking place in the

at the moment, just, just now,

Listen!, Look!, now, right now

moment of speaking
action taking place only for a

limited period of time

action arranged for the future

Simple
Past

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

yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in

action in the past taking placeonce, 1990, the other day, last Friday
if sentence type II (If
never or several times
Italked, )
actions taking place one after
another
action taking place in the middle of

another action
Past
A: He was speaking.
Progressive N: He was not speaking.
Q: Was he speaking?

action going on at a certain time in

when, while, as long as

the past
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

action that is still going on

action that stopped recently

finished action that has an

already, ever, just, never, not

yet, so far, till now, up to now

influence on the 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?

putting emphasis on the course or

duration (not the result)

action that recently stopped or is

all day, for 4 years, since 1993,

how long?, the whole week

still going on
finished action that influenced the

present
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

already, just, never, not yet,

once, until that day
if sentence type III (If Ihad
talked, )

past perfect progressive

putting emphasis only on

thefact (not the duration)

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

action taking place before a certain

for, since, the whole day, all

day

time in the past

sometimes interchangeable with

past perfect simple

putting emphasis on theduration

or course of an action
Future I
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

in a year, next , tomorrow

If-Satz Typ I (If you ask her,
she will help you.)
assumption: I think, probably,
perhaps

future
Future I
Simple

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

(going to)

decision made for the future

conclusion with regard to the

in one year, next week,

tomorrow

future

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

action that is going on at a certain

in one year, next week,

tomorrow

time in the future

action that is sure to happen in the

near future

Future II
Simple

A: He will have spoken.

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

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

action that will be finished at a

by Monday, in a week

certain time in the future

action taking place before a certain

for , the last couple of

hours, all day long

time in the future

putting emphasis on the courseof

an action

Conditiona A: He would speak.

l I Simple
N: He would not speak.
Q: Would he speak?

action that might take place

Conditiona A: He would be speaking.

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

action that might take place

putting emphasis on

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

the course/ duration of the action

Conditiona A: He would have spoken.
l II Simple N: He would not have spoken.
Q: Would he have spoken?

Conditiona A: He would have been speaking.

l II
N: He would not have been
Progressive speaking.
Q: Would he have been speaking?

action that might have taken place

in the past

if sentences type III

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

action that might have taken place

in the past
puts emphasis on
the course /duration of the action

Graphic Comparison
Legend

Legend

moment in time

action that takes place once, never or several times

actions that happen one after another

actions that suddenly take place

action that started before a certain moment and lasts beyond that
moment

period of time

actions taking place at the same time

Result

Course /
Duration

action taking place before a certain moment in time

puts emphasis on the result

action taking place before a certain moment in time

puts emphasis on the course or duration of the action

English Tenses Examples

Explanation

Past

Present

Future

Simple Past

Simple Present

Future I Simple

action that takes place once, never or

several times

He played football every He plays football every He will / is going to play

Tuesday.
Tuesday.
football every Tuesday.

actions that happen one after another

He played football and

then he went home.

He plays football and

then he goes home.

He will play football and

then he will go home.

state

He loved football.

He loves football.

He will love football.

Past Progressive

Present Progressive

action going on at that moment

He was playing football.

He is playing football.

He will be playing
football.

actions taking place at the same time

He was playing football

and she was watching.

He is playing football
and she is watching.

He will be playing football

and she will be watching.

Past Perfect Simple

action taking place before a certain
moment in time; emphasises the result

He had won five

matches until that day.
Past Perfect
Progressive

action taking place before a certain

moment in time (and beyond),
emphasises the duration

He had been playing

football for ten years.

Present Perfect
Simple
He has won five
matches so far.
Present Perfect
Progressive
He has been playing
football for ten years.

Future I Progressive

Future II Simple
He will have won five
matches by then.
Future II Progressive
He will have been playing
football for ten years.