Time Markers
yesterday
Simple Past
My brother plays football every Saturday
Present Simple
play + every day
I play football every day
He plays tennis every day
When do we use the Present Simple?
We use it for routines, habits and facts.
right now
Present Continuous
Look! The dog is running in the garden
Present Continuous
study + at the moment
We are studying English at the moment
When do we use the Present Continuous?
We use it for actions happening now or around now.
already
Present Perfect
We went to the cinema last Friday.
Simple Past
Mark visited his grandparents last week
When do we use the Simple Past?
We use it for completed actions in the past.
while
Past Continuous
I have never eaten sushi
Present Perfect
match + just + start
The football match has just started
When do we use the Past Continuous?
We use it for an action that was in progress at a particular moment in the past, often with another action.
next year
Future going to
They were having dinner when the phone rang
Past Continuous + Simple Past
While + he + cook + she + wash the dishes
While he was cooking, she was washing the dishes
When do we use the Present Perfect?
We use it for past experiences or actions connected to the present.