Englische Zeitformen: Übersicht und Signalwörter

Present Simple

Bildung: I go / he goes / I don't go / does she go?

Signalwörter: always, usually, normally, regularly, often, frequently, sometimes, rarely, seldom, never, once a month, every day, in the evening, at 11 o'clock, at night, on Saturdays, how often?

Present Continuous

Bildung: I am going / you are not going / is he going?

Signalwörter: now, right now, at the moment, this week, this month, this year, currently, today, tomorrow, next week, on Sunday

Past Simple

Bildung: I had / I did not have / did you work?

Signalwörter: yesterday, last week, two days ago, in 2004, in the 1950s, in the 19th century, when, then

Verwendung: Abfolge mehrerer aufeinanderfolgender Handlungen in der Vergangenheit.

Past Continuous

Bildung: I was working / you were not working / was I working?

Signalwörter: at eight o'clock last night, last month, last year, when, while, as

Verwendung: Längere Handlung in der Vergangenheit, die unterbrochen wurde, als etwas anderes geschah.

Future Simple

Bildung: will + infinitive / will not + infinitive

Signalwörter: this evening, later, next week, soon, at midnight, at 11 o'clock, in the future, in March, tomorrow, in an hour, in a few minutes, in a day

Going to

Bildung: am / is / are + going to + infinitive

Signalwörter: this evening, later, next week, soon, at 10 o'clock, tomorrow, in an hour, tonight

Future Continuous

Bildung: will be + Verb-ing

Verwendung: Beschreibt, was zu einem bestimmten Zeitpunkt in der Zukunft gerade geschehen wird.

Signalwörter: at this time tomorrow, at this time next year, on Thursday

Present Perfect Simple

Bildung: have / has + past participle (3. Form)

Verwendung: Vergangene Handlungen ohne genauen Zeitpunkt sowie Handlungen, die in der Vergangenheit begonnen haben und noch andauern.

Signalwörter: always, so far, never, ever, only, but, recently, lately, already, in recent years, since, for, how long?

Past Perfect Simple

Bildung: had + past participle (3. Form)

Verwendung: Zeigt, dass eine Handlung vor einer anderen vergangenen Handlung abgeschlossen war (had been, had left).

Signalwörter: until, before, by the time, after, already, never, simply

Future Perfect Simple

Bildung: will have + past participle (3. Form)

Verwendung: Beschreibt eine Handlung, die bis zu einem bestimmten Zeitpunkt in der Zukunft abgeschlossen sein wird (will have finished).

Signalwörter: by this time next week, from ten until then, from August to the end of May

Present Perfect Continuous

Bildung: have / has + been + Verb-ing

Verwendung: Handlungen, die in der Vergangenheit begonnen haben und bis in die Gegenwart andauern, sowie eben beendete Handlungen, deren Auswirkungen in der Gegenwart sichtbar sind (has been writing, have been rehearsing).

Signalwörter: since, for, all summer, all day, lately

Past Perfect Continuous

Bildung: had + been + Verb-ing

Verwendung: Handlungen, die vor einer anderen, kurzen vergangenen Handlung länger andauerten (had been writing).

Signalwörter: all morning, when, by the time, before, after