Overview
Time expressions signal which tense to use. Present simple: every day, always, usually. Past simple: yesterday, last week, in 2010, ago. Present perfect: since, for, ever, never, just, already, yet. Past perfect: by the time, before, after, when (past). Future: tomorrow, next week, soon, by Friday. Matching the correct time expression to the correct tense is essential for accuracy.
Past & Present
- past simpleyesterday, last week, in 2010, ago, at 6pm
- pres. perfectsince, for, ever, never, just, already, yet, recently, lately
- past perfectby the time, before, after, already, never
- pres. simplealways, usually, often, every day, on Mondays
- pres. cont.now, at the moment, currently, right now, these days
Future
- future simpletomorrow, next week, soon, in a few days, one day
- future perfectby + time: By Friday, by 2030, by then
- future cont.this time tomorrow, at 8pm tonight, all day
- going totonight, this weekend, in the future, next year
Common Errors
- ❌ I have seen her yesterday → ✅ I saw her yesterday. (past simple)
- ❌ I know her since 2015 → ✅ I have known her since 2015.
- ❌ By Monday, I finish → ✅ By Monday, I will have finished.
When to use
Choosing Tenses
I last visited in 2019 vs I have visited twice.
Since vs For
since Monday / for three days.
Future by
By next month, she will have graduated.
Habitual
Every morning, he reads the paper.