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
if sentences type I ( If I talk , )
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
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
if sentence type II ( If I talked , )
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
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
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
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)
if sentence type III ( If I had talked , )
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