English Tenses With Examples and Time Indicators

Tense
Affirmative/Negative/Question
1. Present Simple
+
S
S + V - s, es (III sg)
Do/Does + S + V 1
S + do/does + not + V 1
Use
A: He speaks.
N: He does not speak.
Q: Does he speak?
- 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
- non-progressive verbs
Signal Words
always, every , never, normally,
often, seldom, sometimes, usually,
rarely, from time to time,
once/twice a week/a month, on
Monday, in winter
if sentences type I (If I talk, )
2. Present Continuous
+
S
S + am/is/are + V ing
Am/Is/Are + S + V ing
S + am/is/are + not + V ing
at the moment, just, just now,

Listen!, Look!, now, right now
A: He is speaking.
N: He is not speaking.
Q: Is he speaking?
- action taking place in the moment of

speaking
- action taking place only for a limited period

of time
- action arranged for the future
3. Past Simple
+
S
?
S
S + V 2/ed
Did + S + V 1
A: He spoke.
N: He did not speak.
Q: Did he speak?
S + was/were + V ing
Was/were+ S + V ing
or several times
- actions taking place one after another
- action taking place in the middle of another
yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990,

the other day, last Friday
if sentence type II (If I talked, )
action
S + did + not + V 1
4. Past Continuous
+
S
?
- action in the past taking place once, never
A: He was speaking.
N: He was not speaking.
Q: Was he speaking?
- 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
in clauses with when, while, as

long as, at this time yesterday,
at two oclock yesterday
another action
S + was/were + not + V -ing
5. Present Perfect Simple

+
S
?
S
S + have/has + V 3/ed
A: He has spoken.
N: He has not spoken.
Q: Has he spoken?
Have/has + S + V 3/ed
- putting emphasis on the result
- action that stopped recently
- finished action that has an influence on the
already, ever, just, never, not yet, so

far, till now, up to now, lately,
recently, the last years
present
S + have/has + not + V 3/ed
- action that has taken place once, never or

several times before the moment of
speaking
6. Present Perfect Continuous

+
S
?
S
S + have/has + been + V ing
A: He has been speaking.

N: He has not been speaking.
Q: Has he been speaking?
Have/has + S + been + V ing

S + have/has + not + been + V ing
7. Past Perfect Simple

+
S
?
S
S + had + V 3/ed
A: He had spoken.
N: He had not spoken.
Q: Had he spoken?
Had + S + V 3/ed
S + had + not + V 3/ed
all day, for 4 years, since 1993,

how long?, the whole week
- 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
already, just, never, not yet, once,

until that day, after after, before
before
if sentence type III (If I had
talked, )
- putting emphasis only on the fact (not the

duration)
S + had + been + V ing
A: He had been speaking.

N: He had not been speaking.
Q: Had he been speaking?
Had + S + been + V ing

S + had + not + been + V ing
9a. Future I Simple

+ S + shall/will + V 1
S
duration (not the result)
8. Past Perfect Continuous

+
S
?
- putting emphasis on the course or
- action taking place before a certain time in

the past
for, since, the whole day, all day,

How long?
- sometimes interchangeable with past

perfect simple
- putting emphasis on the duration or

course of an action
Shall/will + S + V 1
A: He will speak.
- action in the future that cannot be
in a year, next , tomorrow

If-Sentence type I (If you ask her,
S + shall/will + V 1
9b. Going to Future

+
S
S + am/is/are + going to + V 1
10. Future I Continuous

+
S
S + will + be + V ing
N: He will not speak.

Q: Will he speak?
A: He is going to speak.
N: He is not going to speak.
Q: Is he going to speak?
A: He will be speaking.
N: He will not be speaking.
Q: Will he be speaking?
influenced
- spontaneous decision
- assumption with regard to the future
- decision made for the future
- conclusion with regard to the future
- action that is going on at a certain time in

the future
- action that is sure to happen in the near

future
she will help you.)

assumption: I think, probably,
perhaps
in one year, next week, tomorrow
at this time tomorrow, at 6 oclock

tomorrow

English Tenses With Examples and Time Indicators

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English Tenses With Examples and Time Indicators

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What are the different tenses described in the document and what do they express?

What are the different tenses described in the document and what do they express?

How do questions differ in structure from statements for each tense?

How do questions differ in structure from statements for each tense?

Tense

- action in the present taking place once,

- actions taking place one after another

- action set by a timetable or schedule

S + am/is/are + not + V ing

at the moment, just, just now,

- action taking place in the moment of

- action taking place only for a limited period

- action arranged for the future

- actions taking place one after another

- action taking place in the middle of another

yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990,

- action in the past taking place once, never

- 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

in clauses with when, while, as

S + was/were + not + V -ing

5. Present Perfect Simple

- putting emphasis on the result

- action that stopped recently

- finished action that has an influence on the

already, ever, just, never, not yet, so

S + have/has + not + V 3/ed

- action that has taken place once, never or

6. Present Perfect Continuous

S + have/has + been + V ing

A: He has been speaking.

Have/has + S + been + V ing

7. Past Perfect Simple

all day, for 4 years, since 1993,

- action that recently stopped or is still going

- finished action that influenced the present

- action taking place before a certain time in

- sometimes interchangeable with past

already, just, never, not yet, once,

- putting emphasis only on the fact (not the

S + had + been + V ing

A: He had been speaking.

Had + S + been + V ing

9a. Future I Simple

duration (not the result)

8. Past Perfect Continuous

- putting emphasis on the course or

- action taking place before a certain time in

for, since, the whole day, all day,

- sometimes interchangeable with past

- putting emphasis on the duration or

- action in the future that cannot be

in a year, next , tomorrow

9b. Going to Future

10. Future I Continuous

N: He will not speak.

- assumption with regard to the future