Table of Verb Tenses in English Grammar

Tense Positive/negative/question usage Signal words

1) Present Simple P: He speaks  Repeated/regular always, every
N: He does not speak action in the …, never,
Q: Does he speak? present; normally,
 General validity; often, seldom,
 Actions sometimes,
happening one usually if-
after the other; clause type I
 Confirmed (If I talk, …)
future actions
(time table,
Schedule);
2) Present Progressive P: He is speaking  action currently at the
(Present N: He is not speaking taking place; moment, just,
Continuous) Q: Is he speaking?  action limited to just now,
a particular Listen!, Look!,
timeframe; now, right
 already planned now
or agreed-upon
future action;
3) Past Simple P: He spoke.  a single or yesterday, 2
(Preterite) N: He did not speak. repeated action minutes ago,
Q: Did he speak? in the past; in 1990, the
 actions other day, last
happening one Friday
after the other if-clause type
in the past; II (If I talked,
 a new action …)
that interrupts
an action that
was already
taking place;
4) Past Progressive P: He was speaking.  emphasis on the while, as long
(Past/Preterite N: He was not speaking. process of an as
Continuous) Q: Was he speaking? action taking
place in the past;
 multiple actions
taking place at
the same time;
  an action that
was taking place
when
interrupted by a
new action;
5) Present Perfect P: He has spoken.  the result is already, ever,
N: He has not spoken. emphasized; just, never,
Q: Has he spoken?  action that lasts not yet, so far,
to the present till now, up to
moment; now
 action that has
just been
completed;
 completed
action with
influence on the
present;
 an action that
has
never/once/mor
e than once
taken place up to
the time of
speaking;
6) Present Perfect P: He has been speaking.  the action is all day, for 4
Progressive N: He has not been emphasised (not years, since
(Continuous) speaking. the result); 1993, how
Q: Has he been speaking?  action that has long?, the
lasted until the whole week
present time;
 completed
action with
influence on the
present;
7) Past Perfect P: He had spoken.  action taking already, just,
(Pluperfect/Past N: He had not spoken. place before a never, not yet,
Anterior) Q: Had he spoken? certain time in once, until
the past; that day
 sometimes if-clause type
interchangeable III (If I had
 with past perfect talked, …)
progressive;
 emphasises only
the fact that
something took
place before a
certain point in
the past;
8) Past Perfect P: He had been speaking.  action before a for, since, the
Progressive N: He had not been certain point in whole day, all
(Pluperfect speaking. the past; day
Continuous/ Past Q: Had he been speaking?  sometimes
Anterior interchangeable
Continuous) with past perfect
simple;
 emphasises the
action or length
of the action;
9) Future Simple (will) P: He will speak.  events in the in a year, next
N: He will not speak. future that …, tomorrow
Q: Will he speak? cannot be if-clause type
influenced; I (If you ask
 spontaneous her, she will
decision; help you.)
 suppositions supposition: I
about the future; think,
probably,
perhaps
10) Future (going to) P: He is going to speak.  pre-existing in one year,
N: He is not going to intention next week,
speak. regarding the tomorrow
Q: Is he going to speak? future;
 logical
conclusion
regarding the
future;
11) Future Progressive P: He will be speaking.  action that will in one year,
(Future N: He will not be be taking place next week,
Continuous) speaking. at a certain point tomorrow
Q: Will he be speaking? in the future;
  certain or
obvious events;
12) Future Perfect P: He will have spoken.  action that will by Monday, in
(Future II Simple) N: He will not have have been a week
spoken. completed by a
Q: Will he have spoken? future time;
13) Future Perfect P: He will have been  action that will for …, the last
Progressive (Future speaking. have been couple of
Perfect Continuous) N: He will not have been completed by a hours, all day
(Future II speaking. future time; long
Progressive) Q: Will he have been  emphasises the
speaking? length of the
action;
14) Conditional I P: He would speak.  action that could if-clause type
(Subjunctive II/ N: He would not speak. possibly take II
Present form of Q: Would he speak? place; (If I were you,
possibility) I would go
home.)
15) Conditional I P: He would be speaking.  action that could
Progressive N: He would not be possibly take
(Subjunctive II speaking. place;
Continuous/ Q: Would he be speaking?  emphasises the
Present Continuous action or the
form of possibility) length of the
action;
16) Conditional II P: He would have spoken.  action that if-clause type
(Subjunctive II/Past N: He would not have otherwise might III
Perfect form of spoken. have taken place (If I had seen
possibility) Q: Would he have in the past; that, I would
spoken? have helped.)
17) Conditional II P: He would have been  action that
Progressive speaking. otherwise might
(Subjunctive II N: He would not have have taken place
Continuous/Past been speaking. in the past;
Continuous Perfect Q: Would he have been  emphasises the
form of possibility) speaking? action or length
of the action;