Summary Charts of English Tenses

Meaning 1: Regular action in the present.

Adverbs of frequency: usually, every day, often, sometimes, rarely.

Examples: I usually work till seven o'clock. He visits them sometimes.

Meaning 2: Stating a fact, general truth, state or condition.

Examples: He lives in Moscow and works at a bank. The sun rises in the east.

Meaning: The action is going on right now.

Adverbs of time: now, right now, at this moment.

Examples: You are reading this file now. I'm writing a letter at the moment.

Meaning 1: The action has just ended.

Adverbs of time: already, just, yet.

Examples: He has already done it. I have just seen him.

Meaning 2: Reporting how things have developed by now.

Adverbs of time: by now, so far, never, ever, since, lately.

Examples: She has never visited Rome. So far, he has written five books.

Meaning: The action has lasted for some time by now.

Adverbs of time: so far, by now, since, lately, for an hour, for a week, for five years.

Examples: She has been working as a teacher since she graduated from college. He has been sleeping for two hours already.

Note: Simple Present can replace the Simple Future with the meaning "according to timetable".

Examples: The ship arrives next week. He works tomorrow.

Note: Present Continuous can replace the Simple Future with the meaning "preplanned action".

Examples: I'm going to leave tomorrow. I am leaving tomorrow.

Note: Present Perfect can replace the Present Perfect Continuous for the action that has lasted for some time by now.

Example: He has slept for two hours already.

Note: Present Perfect Continuous shows the action that has lasted for some time by now and is still going on.

Example: How long have you been waiting here?

Note: Simple Present is used instead of the Present Continuous with stative verbs.

Examples: I see a little boy now. I understand what you mean.

Note: Stative verbs "know, understand, remember, like, love, hate, want, see, hear, seem, look", etc. are not used in the Continuous tenses.

Note: Present Perfect is used instead of the Present Perfect Continuous with stative verbs.

Examples: She has known them for six years. She has loved him all her life.

Note: Stative verbs "know, understand, remember, like, love, hate, want, see, hear, seem, look", etc. are not used in the Continuous tenses.

Meaning: The action happened in the past.

Adverbs of time: yesterday, last week, last year, in 1995, in 2009, two hours ago.

Examples: I saw him an hour ago. He came back last Friday. They visited London in 2009.

Meaning: The action was going on (1) when another past action happened or (2) at some point of time in the past.

Adverbs of time: while, when, at five o'clock yesterday.

Examples: When he came in, I was reading a letter. We were watching TV at three o'clock yesterday.

Meaning: The action happened before another past action or before some point of time in the past.

Adverbs of time: by the time, before, after, by 1998, by yesterday, by last Sunday.

Examples: By the time he returned, she had already left. All residents had left the village by last week.

Meaning: The action lasted for some time before another past action or before some point of time in the past.

Adverbs of time: by the time, before, after, by yesterday, by 2005, for two hours, for a long time.

Examples: By the time he returned, I had been working for six hours. By 2006, he had been living in that house for twenty years.

Note: Use the Simple Past for completed past actions, including the actions that lasted for some time or happened one after another in the past.

Examples: He sold cars for three years, then quit his job, and started to write short stories.

Note: Use the Simple Past instead of the Past Continuous with stative verbs.

Examples: She looked quite good when I visited her yesterday.

Note: Past Perfect can replace the Past Perfect Continuous for the action that lasted for some time before another action in the past.

Examples: By the time he returned, I had worked for six hours.

Note: Use the Past Perfect instead of the Past Perfect Continuous with stative verbs.

Examples: She had known him for five years by the time they got married.

Meaning: The action will happen in the future.

Adverbs of time: tomorrow, in a few days, next week, in 2015, in the future.

Examples: I think he will return next week. I will probably see him in a few days.

Meaning: The action will be going on (1) when another future action happens or (2) at some point of time in the future.

Adverbs of time: at three tomorrow, this time next year, two days from now, when.

Examples: He'll be sleeping at two tomorrow. When you come to the library, I'll be sitting by the central window.

Meaning: The action will happen before another future action or before some point of time in the future.

Adverbs of time: by the time, by 2025, by tomorrow, before.

Examples: By the time I get there, she will have already left. By 2050, scientists will have found the cure for cancer.

Meaning: The action will last for some time before another future action or before some point of time in the future.

Adverbs of time: by the time, by 2030, by tomorrow, before, for two hours, for a long time.

Examples: By the time he returns, I will have been working for nine hours. By 2020, he will have been living here for fifty years.

Meaning 1: Regular action in the present.

Adverbs of frequency: usually, every day, often, sometimes, rarely.

Examples: Mail is usually delivered at eight o'clock. This blog is updated every day.

Meaning 2: Stating a fact, general truth, state or condition.

Examples: English is spoken in many countries. Water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen.

Meaning: The action is going on at this moment.

Adverbs of time: now, right now, at this moment.

Examples: He is being examined by the doctor at the moment. The report is being typed right now.

Meaning 1: The action has just ended.

Adverbs of time: already, just, yet.

Examples: The letter has already been sent. We have just been informed of his arrival.

Meaning 2: Reporting how things have developed by now.

Adverbs of time: by now, so far, never, ever, since, lately.

Examples: So far, ten workers have been fired. He has never been invited to their house before.

–

Meaning: The action happened in the past.

Adverbs of time: yesterday, last week, last year, in 1996, in 2010, two hours ago.

Examples: His house was built a year ago. She was offered a good job last week. The telephone was invented by Alexander Bell.

Meaning: The action was going on (1) when another past action happened or (2) at some point of time in the past.

Adverbs of time: while, when, at five o'clock yesterday.

Examples: When I came to the hospital, Tom was being examined by the doctor.

Meaning: The action happened before another past action or before some point of time in the past.

Adverbs of time: by the time, before, after, by 1990, by yesterday, by last week.

Examples: By the time I returned, the work on the project had been finished. By 1995, all apartments in the new building had been sold.

–

Meaning: The action will happen in the future.

Adverbs of time: tomorrow, in a few days, next week, in 2015, in the future.

Examples: The film will be released in a month. This work will be done tomorrow.

–

Meaning: The action will happen before another future action or before some point of time in the future.

Adverbs of time: by the time, by 2025, by tomorrow, before.

Examples: By the time you return, the report will have been typed. By 2050 the cure for cancer will have been found.

–