Tense
|
Affirmative/Negative/Question
|
Use
|
Signal Words
|
Simple Present
|
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
|
always, every …, never, normally, often, seldom, sometimes, usually
if sentences type I (If I talk, …) |
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
|
at the moment, just, just now, Listen!, Look!, now, right now
| |
Simple Past
|
A: He spoke.
N: He did not speak. Q: Did he speak? |
§ action in the past taking place once, never or
§ several times :
§ actions taking place one after another
§ action taking place in the middle of another
§ action
|
yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day, last Friday
if sentence type II (If I talked, …) |
Past Progressive
|
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 another
§ action
|
when, while, as long as
|
Present Perfect Simple
|
A: He has spoken.
N: He has not spoken. Q: Has he spoken? |
§ putting emphasis on the result
§ action that is still going on
§ 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
|
already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up to now
|
Present Perfect Progressive
|
A: He has been speaking.
N: He has not been speaking. Q: Has he been speaking? |
§ putting emphasis on the course or duration
§ (not the result)
§ action that recently stopped or is still going on
§ finished action that influenced the present
|
all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how long?, the whole week
|
Past Perfect Simple
|
A: He had spoken.
N: He had not spoken. Q: Had he spoken? |
§ action taking place before a certain time in the
§ past sometimes interchangeable with past
§ perfect progressive
§ putting emphasis only on the fact (not the
§ duration)
|
already, just, never, not yet, once, until that day
if sentence type III (If I had talked, …) |
Past Perfect Progressive
|
A: He had been speaking.
N: He had not been speaking. Q: Had he been speaking? |
§ action taking place before a certain time in the
§ past sometimes interchangeable with past
§ perfect simple
§ putting emphasis on the duration or course of
§ an action
|
for, since, the whole day, all day
|
Future I Simple
|
A: He will speak.
N: He will not speak. Q: Will he speak? |
§ action in the future that cannot be influenced
§ spontaneous decision
§ assumption with regard to the future
|
In a year, next …, tomorrow
If- (If you ask her, she will help you.) assumption: I think, probably, we might …, perhaps |
Future I Simple
(going to)
|
A: He is going to speak.
N: He is not going to speak. Q: Is he going to speak? |
§ decision made for the future
§ conclusion with regard to the future
|
in one year, next week, tomorrow
|
Future I Progressive
|
A: He will be speaking.
N: He will not be speaking. Q: Will he be speaking? |
§ action that is going on at a certain time in the
§ future
§ action that is sure to happen in the near future
|
in one year, next week, tomorrow
|
Future II Simple
|
A: He will have spoken.
N: He will not have spoken. Q: Will he have spoken? |
§ action that will be finished at a certain time in
§ the future
|
by Monday, in a week
|
Future II Progressive
|
A: He will have been speaking.
N: He will not have been speaking. Q: Will he have been speaking? |
§ action taking place before a certain time in the
§ future
§ putting emphasis on the course of an action
|
for …, the last couple of hours, all day long
|
Conditional I Simple
|
A: He would speak.
N: He would not speak. Q: Would he speak? |
§ action that might take place
|
If sentences type II
(If I were you, I would go home.) |
Conditional I Progressive
|
A: He would be speaking.
N: He would not be speaking. Q: Would he be speaking? |
§ action that might take place
§ putting emphasis on the course / duration of
§ the action
| |
Conditional II Simple
|
A: He would have spoken.
N: He would not have spoken. Q: Would he have spoken? |
§ action that might have taken place in the past
|
If sentences type III
(If I had seen that, I would have helped.) |
Conditional II Progressive
|
A: He would have been speaking.
N: He would not have been speaking. Q: Would he have been speaking? |
§ action that might have taken place in the past
§ puts emphasis on the course / duration of the
§ action
|
English
|
Usage
|
Example
|
On
|
days of the week
|
on Monday
|
In
|
months / seasons
time of day
year
after a certain period of time (when?)
|
in August / in winter
in the morning
in 2006
in an hour
|
At
|
for night
for weekend
a certain point of time (when?)
|
at night
at the weekend
at half past nine
|
Since
|
from a certain point of time (past till now)
|
since 1980
|
For
|
over a certain period of time (past till now)
|
for 2 years
|
Ago
|
a certain time in the past
|
2 years ago
|
Before
|
earlier than a certain point of time
|
before 2004
|
To
|
telling the time
|
ten to six (5:50)
|
Past
|
telling the time
|
ten past six (6:10)
|
to / till / until
|
marking the beginning and end of a period of time
|
from Monday to/till Friday
|
till / until
|
in the sense of how long something is going to last
|
He is on holiday until Friday.
|
By
|
in the sense of at the latest
up to a certain time
|
I will be back by 6 o’clock.
By 11 o'clock, I had read five pages
|
English
|
Usage
|
Example
|
in
|
room, building, street, town, country
book, paper etc.
car, taxi
picture, world
|
in the kitchen, in London
in the book
in the car, in a taxi
in the picture, in the world
|
at
|
meaning next to, by an object
for table
for events
place where you are to do something typical (watch a film, study, work)
|
at the door, at the station
at the table
at a concert, at the party
at the cinema, at school, at work
|
on
|
attached
for a place with a river
being on a surface
for a certain side (left, right)
for a floor in a house
for public transport
for television, radio
|
the picture on the wall
London lies on the Thames.
on the table
on the left
on the first floor
on the bus, on a plane
on TV, on the radio
|
by, next to, beside
|
left or right of somebody or something
|
Jane is standing by / next to / beside the car.
|
under
|
on the ground, lower than (or covered by) something else
|
the bag is under the table
|
below
|
lower than something else but above ground
|
the fish are below the surface
|
over
|
covered by something else
meaning more than
getting to the other side (also across)
overcoming an obstacle
|
put a jacket over your shirt
over 16 years of age
walk over the bridge
climb over the wall
|
above
|
higher than something else, but not directly over it
|
a path above the lake
|
across
|
getting to the other side (also over)
getting to the other side
|
walk across the bridge
swim across the lake
|
through
|
something with limits on top, bottom and the sides
|
drive through the tunnel
|
to
|
movement to person or building
movement to a place or country
for bed
|
go to the cinema
go to London / Ireland
go to bed
|
into
|
enter a room / a building
|
go into the kitchen / the house
|
towards
|
movement in the direction of something (but not directly to it)
|
go 5 steps towards the house
|
onto
|
movement to the top of something
|
jump onto the table
|
from
|
in the sense of where from
|
a flower from the garden
|
English
|
Usage
|
Example
|
from
|
who gave it
|
a present from Jane
|
Of
|
who/what does it belong to
what does it show
|
a page of the book
the picture of a palace
|
By
|
who made it
|
a book by Mark Twain
|
On
|
walking or riding on horseback
entering a public transport vehicle
|
on foot, on horseback
get on the bus
|
In
|
entering a car / Taxi
|
get in the car
|
Off
|
leaving a public transport vehicle
|
get off the train
|
out of
|
leaving a car / Taxi
|
get out of the taxi
|
By
|
rise or fall of something
travelling (other than walking or horse riding)
|
prices have risen by 10 percent
by car, by bus
|
At
|
for age
|
she learned Russian at 45
|
about
|
for topics, meaning what about
|
we were talking about you
|
