Tenses Chart English

TEN FORMS (Affirmative-A / ADVERBS AND TIME

SES
USE
Negative-N / Question-Q) EXPRESSIONS

 Every (day, morning…)

 In the (morning,
afternoon…)
 On (Sunday…)
 Action in the present
 Adverb of Frequency
taking place regularly,
Always(100%)
never or several times
PRESENT

Usually (90%)
 Facts
Normally / Generally(80%)
 Actions taking place
Often / Frequently (70%)
one after another
Sometimes (50%)
 Action set by a
Occasionally (30%)
timetable or schedule
Seldom (10%)
Hardly ever / Rarely (5%)
Never (5%)
 Once, twice (a day,week)
 Timetable (at 3…)
 Yesterday
 Last (day,Friday, week
month, year)
 Action in the past  The other day
taking place once,  The day before
never or several times yesterday
 Actions taking place  Ago
PAST
SIMPLE

one after another A little while ago

 Action taking place in 2 minutes ago
the middle of another An hour ago
action One week ago
5 years ago
 in 1990
 When (interrupted action)

 Tomorrow
 Decision made for the  Next (day, week, year…)
FUTURE

future  The day after tomorrow

 Conclusion with regard  In (3 minutes, 5 days, one
to the future year, the future…)
 Later
 Soon

1
Tenses Chart English

TEN FORMS (Affirmative-A / ADVERBS AND TIME

SES
USE
Negative-N / Question-Q) EXPRESSIONS

 Now
 Right now
 Action taking place in  At the moment
the moment of  At this moment
speaking  At present
PRESENT

 Action taking place  Still

only for a limited  Today
period of time  Just now
 Action arranged for  Listen!
the future  Look!
 To night (expressing
future)
CONTINUOUS (PROGRESSIVE)

 Action going on at a  While/ As

certain time in the (simultaneous actions)
past  Long as
 Actions taking place at  All day yesterday
PAST

the same time  Yesterday:

 Action in the past that At 6 o’clock
is interrupted by From 5 to 7
another action The whole day
When he came…

 Action that is going

on at a certain time in
 At 5 o’clock tomorrow
FUTURE

the future
 This time on Sunday
 Action that is sure to
 When I come…
happen in the near
future

2
Tenses Chart English

TEN FORMS (Affirmative-A / ADVERBS AND TIME

SES
USE
Negative-N / Question-Q) EXPRESSIONS

 Already
 Putting emphasis on
 Just
the result
 Yet / Not yet
 Action that is still
 Ever (?)/never
going on
 So far
 Action that stopped
 Till now
recently
PRESENT

 Up to now
 Finished action that
 Of late
has an influence on
 This (morning, year..)
the present
 Recently/lately
 Action that has taken
 For
place once, never or
 Since
several times before
 Today
the moment of
 How long?
speaking
 These 5 years

 Action taking place  By the time

before a certain time  By 6 o’clock
in the past  By the end of…
PERFECT

 Sometimes  Before
interchangeable with  After
PAST

past perfect  When my mother came

progressive home, I had done my
 Putting emphasis only homework.
on the fact (not the  Preceding action:
duration) He wanted to Know what
she had bought

 By the time
 Action taking place
 By (2020)
before a certain time
FUTURE

 When my mother comes

in the future
home, I will have been
 Putting emphasis on
doing my homework
the course of an action
 for an hour…,

3
Tenses Chart English

TEN FORMS (Affirmative-A / ADVERBS AND TIME

SES
USE
Negative-N / Question-Q) EXPRESSIONS

 Putting emphasis on
the course or
duration (not the  All day
PRESENT

result)  For an hour,4 years…

 Action that recently  Since 2 o’clock, 1993…
stopped or is still  How long?
going on  The whole week
 finished action that  The whole day
influenced the present

 Action taking place

PERFECT CONTINUOUS

before a certain time

in the past
 Sometimes
 For…
PAST

interchangeable with
past perfect simple
 Since…
 Putting emphasis on
the duration or
course of an action

 Action taking place

before a certain time
FUTURE

 For …,
in the future
 The last couple of hours
 Putting emphasis on
 All day long
the course of an action