Explanations and Examples:
Tense Present Past Future
Simple Express habits or Describe an action Express an action
general truth. already completed. or circumstances
Describe a future Can be used with which hasn’t taken
event as part of a or without adverbs place yet.
plan or of time.
arrangement.
Continuous Describe action Express Express what will
going on at the uncompleted action be going on at
time of speaking. of the past. some time in the
Express temporary Describe persistent future.
action which may habits of the past. Express planned
not be happening events.
at the time of
speaking.
Perfect Express past Describe a Express an action
action which is not completed action of that will be
defined by a time the past that complete before
of occurrence. happened before another event
Express an action another event took takes place.
which started in the place.
past and has
continued up until
now.
Perfect Express and action Describe an action Describe and
which started at in the past that action that will
continuous some point in the began before a have happened for
past and may not certain point in the some time and will
be complete past and continued not be complete
up until that time. yet at a certain
point in the future.
, Tense Present Past Future
Simple A repeated An action that A plan for a
action. has ended. future action.
I play hockey I played I will run
every Friday. basketball. Thursday.
Continuous An action is An action that A future
happening was action that
now. happening will happen
when another for a length of
I am playing action time.
hockey now. happened.
I will be
I was playing running on
basketball, Thursday.
but it started
to rain.
Perfect An action that An action that An action that
has happened had will finish
at an happened before
unspecified before another
time. another one. future action.
I have played I had played I will have run
hockey. basketball before it
before it rains.
rained.
Perfect An action that An action that An action that
Tense Present Past Future
Simple Express habits or Describe an action Express an action
general truth. already completed. or circumstances
Describe a future Can be used with which hasn’t taken
event as part of a or without adverbs place yet.
plan or of time.
arrangement.
Continuous Describe action Express Express what will
going on at the uncompleted action be going on at
time of speaking. of the past. some time in the
Express temporary Describe persistent future.
action which may habits of the past. Express planned
not be happening events.
at the time of
speaking.
Perfect Express past Describe a Express an action
action which is not completed action of that will be
defined by a time the past that complete before
of occurrence. happened before another event
Express an action another event took takes place.
which started in the place.
past and has
continued up until
now.
Perfect Express and action Describe an action Describe and
which started at in the past that action that will
continuous some point in the began before a have happened for
past and may not certain point in the some time and will
be complete past and continued not be complete
up until that time. yet at a certain
point in the future.
, Tense Present Past Future
Simple A repeated An action that A plan for a
action. has ended. future action.
I play hockey I played I will run
every Friday. basketball. Thursday.
Continuous An action is An action that A future
happening was action that
now. happening will happen
when another for a length of
I am playing action time.
hockey now. happened.
I will be
I was playing running on
basketball, Thursday.
but it started
to rain.
Perfect An action that An action that An action that
has happened had will finish
at an happened before
unspecified before another
time. another one. future action.
I have played I had played I will have run
hockey. basketball before it
before it rains.
rained.
Perfect An action that An action that An action that
