tense

Affirmative/Negative/Question

Use
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 action taking place in the moment of speaking 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 action in the past that is interrupted by another action 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

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

Simple Present

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?

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

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

yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day, last Friday if sentence type II (If Italked, )

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

when, while, as long as

Present Perfect Simple

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

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

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 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 putting emphasis only on the fact (not the duration) action taking place before a certain time in the past sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple putting emphasis on the duration or courseof an action 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

all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how long?, the whole week

Past Perfect Simple

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

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

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

for, since, the whole day, all day

Future I Simple

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

in a year, next , tomorrow If-Satz Typ I (If you ask her, shewill help you.) assumption: I think, probably, perhaps in one year, next week, tomorrow

Future I Simple (going to)

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

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 time in the future action that is sure to happen in the near future action that will be finished at a certain time in the future

in one year, next week, tomorrow

Future II Simple

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

by Monday, in a week

Future II A: He will have been speaking. Progressive N: He will not have been speaking. Q: Will he have been speaking? Conditional I Simple A: He would speak. N: He would not speak. Q: Would he speak?

action taking place before a certain time in the future putting emphasis on the course of an action action that might take place

for , the last couple of hours, all day long

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

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

action that might take place putting emphasis on the course / duration of the action action that might have taken place in the past if sentences type III (If I had seen that, I would have helped.)

Conditional II Simple

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

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

Tenses: forms, signal words and functions:

tenses forms examples signal words
I hope, I expect, I believe soon, in the next few days, in the future, tomorrow, this evening

functions
The "will-future" gives expression to ... ...an action that will take place in the future ...to a spontaneous decision and/or ...to an action that can't be planned (e.g. weather).

will-future

will + infinitive

My friend hopes he'll get a good job.

going tofuture

am, is, are + going to + verb (infinitive) am

He is going to apply for a job as a secretary in a big firm next week.

in the next few days, in the future, this evening, next weekend now, just, at the moment, look !, right now, still

The "going to-future" gives expression to an action that somebody intends / is going to do in the future(planned)

present progressive

is + verb +-ing are

He is writing letters of application now. He is applying for the job at 3 p.m. tommorrow.

The "present progressive" gives expression to an action that is going on at the moment The "present progressive" gives expression to an action that is planned to happen at a certain date in the future The "simple present" gives expression to ... - a repeated action that often, sometimes ... happens, but notto an action that is happening at the moment (see "present progressive"). - to a list of facts.

at 3 p.m. tomorrow

He always reads the vacancies in the newspapers. he

every day, always, often, normally, usually, regularly, sometimes, occasionally, seldom, on Sundays, at weekends First... then.. afterwards

simple present

she + verb +-s it

First he reads the vacancies in the newspapers, then he does his work. The moon goes round the earth and the earthgoes round the sun.

- to an "eternal truth". this week, this month, this year, today, since, for.., ...ever...? ...yet? not... yet. already, just, recently, lately yesterday, last week, The "present perfect" gives expression to an action that started in the past and goes on in the present.

present perfect

have, has + -ed or + 3 rd form

He has been unemployed for half a year.

past

verb + - ed 2nd

or

He worked as a lorry driver.

The "simple past" gives expression to an action that started in the past and finished in the past

form

last month, last .... Before(conj.).... While father was doing the washing up Mum was phoning Granny. at ten o'clock last night when while up to that time in the past. "married" to a clause in "simple past" After (conj.)... The "past progressive" gives expression to apparently continuous uninterrupted actions in the past (perhaps suddenly interrupted by an action in "simple past") The "past perfect" gives expression to an action which started in the past and ended before another action in the past started

past progressive

was / were + ing

past perfect

After he had survived an accident he gave up this job. had + - ed or + 3rd form He had survived an accident before he gave up this job