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Table of English Tenses

This document provides a table summarizing English tenses. It lists 14 tenses including simple present, present continuous, simple past, and future tenses. For each tense it provides the affirmative, negative and question forms, typical uses, and example signal words that indicate when that tense is used. The table acts as a reference for understanding how each tense is formed and applied in the English language.

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468 views2 pages

Table of English Tenses

This document provides a table summarizing English tenses. It lists 14 tenses including simple present, present continuous, simple past, and future tenses. For each tense it provides the affirmative, negative and question forms, typical uses, and example signal words that indicate when that tense is used. The table acts as a reference for understanding how each tense is formed and applied in the English language.

Uploaded by

javier_adan82
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Table of English Tenses

tense Affirmative/Negative/Question Use Signal Words


Simple Present A: He speaks. Habits and routines always, every …, never, normally,
N: He does not speak. General facts often, seldom, sometimes, usually
Q: Does he speak? timetables or schedules if sentences type I (If I talk, …)

Present Continuous A: He is speaking. action taking place in the moment of speaking at the moment, just, just now,
N: He is not speaking. action taking place only for a limited period of Listen!, Look!, now, right now
Q: Is he speaking? time
action arranged for the future

Simple Past A: He spoke. action in the past taking place once, never or yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990,
N: He did not speak. several times the other day, last Friday. when
Q: Did he speak? actions taking place one after another if sentence type II (If I talked, …)
action taking place in the middle of another
action

Past Continuous A: He was speaking. action going on at a certain time in the past while, as, as long as, at 3 o’clock
N: He was not speaking. actions taking place at the same time (any time)
Q: Was he speaking? action in the past that is interrupted by another
action

Present Perfect Simple A: He has spoken. putting emphasis on the result already, ever, just, never, yet, so
N: He has not spoken. action that stopped recently far, till now, up to now
Q: Has he spoken? finished action that is still going on or has an
influence on the present

Present Perfect Continuous A: He has been speaking. putting emphasis on the duration (not the all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how
N: He has not been speaking. result) long?, the whole week
Q: Has he been speaking? action that recently stopped or is still going on
finished action that influenced the present

Past Perfect Simple A: He had spoken. action taking place before another action in already, just, never, not yet, once,
N: He had not spoken. the past until that day, after
Q: Had he spoken? if sentence type III (If I had
talked, …)
Past Perfect Continuous A: He had been speaking. action taking place before another action in for, since, the whole day, all day
N: He had not been speaking. the past
Q: Had he been speaking? sometimes interchangeable with past perfect
simple
putting emphasis on the duration of an action

Future Simple(Will) A: He will speak. spontaneous decision in a year, next …, tomorrow


N: He will not speak. predictions without evidence If-Sentences Type I (If you ask her,
Q: Will he speak? she will help you.)
Predictions: I think, probably,
perhaps
Future Be going to A: He is going to speak. Future plans or intentions in one year, next week, tomorrow
N: He is not going to speak. Prediction with evidence
(going to) Q: Is he going to speak?
Future Continuous A: He will be speaking. action that is going on at a certain time in the in one year, next week, tomorrow
N: He will not be speaking. future
Q: Will he be speaking?

Future Perfect Simple A: He will have spoken. action that will be finished at a certain time in by Monday, by the time you…., in
N: He will not have spoken. the future a week
Q: Will he have spoken?
Future Perfect Continuous A: He will have been speaking. action taking place before a certain time in the for …, the last couple of hours, all
N: He will not have been speaking. future day long
Q: Will he have been speaking? putting emphasis on the course of an action

Conditional Simple A: He would speak. action that might take place if sentences type II
N: He would not speak. (If I were you, I would go home.)
Q: Would he speak?
Conditional Continuous A: He would be speaking. action that might take place
N: He would not be speaking. putting emphasis on the duration of the action
Q: Would he be speaking?
Conditional Perfect Simple A: He would have spoken. action that might have taken place in the past if sentences type III
N: He would not have spoken. (If I had seen that, I would have
Q: Would he have spoken? helped.)

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