 action in the present taking place once, always, every …, never, normally,

Present Simple A: He speaks.

never or several times often, seldom, sometimes, usually
N: He does not doesn’t
speak.  facts if sentences type I (If I talk, …)
Q: Does he speak?  actions taking place one after another
 action set by a timetable or schedule
Present A: He is speaking.  action taking place in the moment of at the moment, just, just now,
Continuous N: He is not isn’t speaking Listen!, Look!, now, right now
speaking.
 action taking place only for a limited
Q: Is he speaking?
period of time
 action arranged for the future
Present Perfect A: He has spoken.  putting emphasis on the result already, ever, just, never, not yet,
Simple N: He has not hasn’t so far, till now, up to now
 action that is still going on
spoken.
Q: Has he spoken?  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
Present Perfect A: He has been  putting emphasis on the course or all day, for 4 years, since 1993,
Continuous speaking. duration (not the result) how long?, the whole week
N: He has not been
 action that recently stopped or is still
speaking.
Q: Has he been going on
speaking?  finished action that influenced the present


Simple Past A: He spoke/walked.  action in the past taking place once, never yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the
N: He did not or several times other day, last Friday
speak/walk. if sentence type II (If I talked, …)
 actions taking place one after another
Q: Did he speak/walk?
 action taking place in the middle of
another action
Past Continuous A: He was speaking.  action going on at a certain time in the when, while, as long as
N: He was not speaking. past
Q: Was he speaking?
 actions taking place at the same time
 action in the past that is interrupted by
another action
Past Perfect A: He had spoken.  action taking place before a certain time in already, just, never, not yet, once, until
Simple N: He had not spoken. the past that day
Q: Had he spoken? if sentence type III (If I had talked, …)
 sometimes interchangeable with past
perfect progressive
 putting emphasis only on the fact (not the
duration)
Past Perfect A: He had been  action taking place before a certain time in for, since, the whole day, all day
Continuous speaking. the past
N: He had not been
 sometimes interchangeable with past
speaking.
Q: Had he been perfect simple
speaking?  putting emphasis on the duration or
course of an action

Future I Simple A: He will speak. in a year, next …, tomorrow

action in the future that cannot be influenced
N: He will not speak. If- I (If you ask her, she will help you.)
 Q: Will he speak?  spontaneous decision assumption: I think, probably, we
might …, perhaps
 assumption with regard to the future
Future A: He is going to speak.  decision made for the future in one year, next week, tomorrow
N: He is not going to
(going to)  conclusion with regard to the future
speak.
Q: Is he going to speak?
Future I A: He will be speaking.  action that is going on at a certain time in in one year, next week, tomorrow
Continuous N: He will not be the future
speaking.
action that is sure to happen in the near
Q: Will he be speaking? 
future
Future II Simple A: He will have spoken.  action that will be finished at a certain by Monday, in a week
N: He will not have time in the future
spoken.
Q: Will he have
spoken?
Future II A: He will have been  action taking place before a certain time in for …, the last couple of hours, all day
Continuous speaking. the future long
N: He will not have
 putting emphasis on the course of an
been speaking.
Q: Will he have been action
speaking?
Conditional I A: He would speak.  action that might take place if sentences type II
Simple N: He would not speak. (If I were you, I would go home.)
Q: Would he speak?
Conditional I A: He would be  action that might take place
Continuous speaking.
 putting emphasis on the course / duration
N: He would not be
 speaking. of the action
Q: Would he be
speaking?
Conditional II A: He would have  action that might have taken place in the if sentences type III
Simple spoken. past (If I had seen that, I would have
N: He would not have helped.)
spoken.
Q: Would he have
spoken?
Conditional II A: He would have been  action that might have taken place in the
Continuous speaking. past
N: He would not have
 puts emphasis on the course / duration of
been speaking.
Q: Would he have been the action
speaking?