VERB TENSES

TENSE

Present
Simple

AFF / NEG / QUESTION

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

TRANSLATION

A: l habla.
N: l no habla.
Q: Habla l?

USE
action in the present
happening once, never or
several times
facts
actions taking place one after
another

KEY WORDS
always, every , never,
normally, often, hardly ever,
sometimes, usually
If (conditional sentences
type I: If I talk, )

action in a timetable/schedule

Present
Continuous

Past
Simple

Past
Continuous

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

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

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

A: l est hablando.
N: l no est hablando.
Q: Est l hablando?

A: l habl.
N: l no habl.
Q: Habl l?

action happening in the

moment of speaking
action happening only for a
limited period of time
an action planned for the
future
action in the past happening
once, never or several times
actions happening one after
another
action happening in the
middle of another action
action happening at a certain
time in the past

at the moment, just, just

now, Listen!, Look!, now,
right now

yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in

1990, the other day, last
Friday
If (conditional sentences
type II: If I talked, )

A: l estaba hablando.
actions happening at the same
when, while, as long as
N: l no estaba hablando.
time
Q: Estaba l hablando?
action in the past that is
interrupted by another action

VERB TENSES
TENSE

Present Perfect

Past Perfect

Future

Future
(going to)
Conditional

AFF / NEG / QUESTION

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

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

TRANSLATION
A: l ha hablado.
N: l no ha hablado.
Q: Ha hablado l?

A: l haba hablado.
N: l no haba hablado.
Q: Haba hablado l?

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

A: l hablar.
N: l no hablar.
Q: Hablar l?

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

A: l va a hablar.
N: l no va a hablar.
Q: Va l a hablar?

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

A: l hablara.
N: l no hablara.
Q: Hablara l?

USE
giving importance to the
result
action that is still hapening
action that stopped recently
finished action that has an
influence on the present

KEY WORDS
already, just, for, since,
never, ever, (not) yet, so far,
till now, up to now

action taking place before

another action in the past
sometimes interchangeable
with past perfect continuous

already, just, never, not yet,

once, until that day

putting emphasis only on the

fact (not the duration)
action in the future that
cannot be influenced
spontaneous decision
what we think will happen the
future
decision made for the future
what we see/feel is going to
happen in the future
action that might happen

in a year, next , tomorrow

If (conditional sentences
type I: If you ask her, she will
help you.)
Assumption: I think,
probably, perhaps
in one year, next week,
tomorrow
If (conditional sentences
type II: If I were you, I would
go home.)

VERB TENSES
TENSE

Future
Continuous

Future Perfect

AFF / NEG / QUESTION

A: He will be speaking.
N: He wont be speaking.
Q: Will he be speaking?

A: He will have spoken.

N: He wont have spoken.
Q: Will he have spoken?

TRANSLATION

USE

KEY WORDS

A: l estar hablando.
N: l no estar hablando.
Q: Estar hablando l?

action that will be in progress

at a certain time in the future.
This action has begun before
that moment.

at, when, in a year

A: l habr hablado.
N: l no habr hablado.
Q: Habr hablado l?

action that will already have

happened before a certain
time in the future.
(When there are two actions
in the future, this happens
before).

by + time expression