English Verb Tenses: Simple, Continuous, Perfect

Present Simple

Indicators: Always, often, usually, generally, sometimes, seldom, hardly ever, never, every..., once/twice a..., three times a..., on days of the week, by day, weekly, regularly, at first..., then.., Monday...

Past Simple

Indicators:

• Determined time: Last week, yesterday, six weeks ago...
• Indeterminate time: The other day, ages ago, a long time ago...
• The previous day, week...
• The day, week before...

Future Simple

Indicators: Tomorrow, next week, probably, maybe, perhaps, I (hope, think, believe, expect...), spontaneous decisions, predictions, favors, uncertain future.

Present Continuous

Indicators:

• Am + -ing
• At present, currently, now, right now, at the moment, at this moment
• "Today" (contrasting a habit)
• This afternoon, tonight, tomorrow, next week, month (to refer to the future)

Past Continuous

Indicators:

• Was + -ing
• At that moment, time, at this moment, time
• While, as, when, all (day, the morning...), the whole day...

Future Continuous

Indicators:

• Will be + -ing
• This time (tomorrow, next week)
• Actions interrupted in the future, when
• Parallel actions in the future, while, and

Present Perfect Simple

Indicators:

• Have + V3
• Lately, recently, since, for, already, just, yet, never (auxiliary + never + verb), ever (subject + ever + verb), how long, so far, up to now, today, this year
• After adjectives and superlatives
• The first time, the only time

Past Perfect Simple

Indicators:

• Had + V3
• Before + past simple....+ past perfect
• After + past perfect....+ past simple
• Indicators from the present perfect

Future Perfect Simple

Indicators:

• Will have + V3
• By three o'clock..., by June, by next Sunday
• When + present simple
• By the time + present simple (how much time until a point in the future)

Present Perfect Continuous

Indicators:

• Have been + -ing
• This (week, month...), all + (day, week...), since (when), for (ten years...), recently
• Particles from the present perfect

Past Perfect Continuous

Indicators:

• Had been + -ing
• That + day, week, those + day, week
• When + past simple
• For + time (how much time until a point in the past)
• Particles from the present perfect

Future Perfect Continuous

Indicators: Will have been + -ing. An action that begins in the future and will last for a period of time before being interrupted by another action.