Tense

Time expression

Example sentence

Present

Present Simple

  – every day/week/month/year

  – always, usually, often, sometimes, occasionally, frequently, generally, seldom, rarely, never

  – once/twice a week/month/year

  – two times a week/month/year

  I go to church every Sunday.

  Wendy rarely gets angry. She is a good person.

  I visit my grandfather twice a month.
 

  Roger attends to the meeting two times a week.

Present Continuous

  now, nowadays, these days, right now, today, at this moment, at present

  Harris is watching a movie right now.
  I am going to the school today.

Present Perfect

  already, just, yet, for, since, never, ever, so far, lately, recently, this week/month/year

  I have never met her before.
  Jane has worked at the bakery shop for 1 year.

Past

Past Simple

  – yesterday

  – years, weeks, months, days, hours ago

  – last month/week/year

  I went to see my father at his office yesterday.

  The class ended one hour ago.

  My sister went to the United States last week.

Past Continuous

  a certain time specified: yesterday at __am/afternoon/10 pm

  Laura was calling me last night at 9 pm.

Past Perfect

  by the time

  I had finished homework by the time you arrived.

Future

Future Simple

  – tomorrow, soon, later this evening, in the near future

  – next week/month/year

  – in a few days/weeks/months

  I will see my girlfriend tomorrow.

  Our family will have a family trip next month.

  People will come back to work in a few days.

Future Continuous

  – at this time tomorrow

  – in __ weeks/ days/ years

  At this time tomorrow, I will be studying for the final exam.

  We will be traveling to Thailand in 3 weeks.

Future Perfect

  by the time

  They will have arrived by 5 pm.