English Tenses

PRESENT SIMPLE

1st form / he, she, it + s // they go, he goes

It is used with habits and general statements.

Key words: always, often, usually, every, never, generally, seldom, rarely, hardly ever, sometimes, normally

PRESENT PROGRESSIVE

am / is / are + verb + ing // I am going, he is playing

It is used when something is happening at the moment.

Key words: look, listen, now, at the moment

PAST SIMPLE

2nd form // he went, they played

It is used to tell or talk about a past action.

Key words: yesterday, last, ago, in 1970

PAST PROGRESSIVE

was / were + ing form // he was going

It is used to tell or talk about a long action in the past.

Key words: while, when

WILL FUTURE

will + 1st form ( N.: won't) // he will be, she will go

It is used to talk about the future.

Key words: tomorrow, next

FUTURE TENSES

Going to - FUTURE

am / is / are + going to + verb

Present progressive - FUTURE

Present tense - FUTURE

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE

have / has + 3rd form // she has gone

It is used when a past action started in the past and has just finished or is still happening. There has to be a relation to the present.

Key words: already, just, ever, never, yet, for, since

PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

have / has + been + ing form // he has been going

It is used like the simple form, but only with long actions.

Key words: how long, all day, for, since

PAST PERFECT SIMPLE

had + 3rd form // she had gone

It is used when an action had happened before another action in the past took place.

Key words: after, before

PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

had been + ing form // he had been going

It is used like the simple form, but only with long actions.

Key words: how long, before, after