English Tenses Timeline Chart When do we use?
TIMELINE
PAST TIME
^ | •
An action in the past taking place once, never, several times. “I bought a new car last week.” “He visited his parents every weekend”
^ | PAST SIMPLE Past Continuous (yesterday, last year, two days ( time markers: while, when, all day, all ago, last month, a year ago) evening, at that time, as) | • It puts emphasis on the course of an action in the past
•
An action in the past taking place in the middle of another action. “When I was having breakfast, the phone suddenly rang” •
“He was playing football” •
Two actions happening at the same time in the past.
“While I was preparing dinner, he was washing the dishes”
If sentences type II “If I had a lot of money, I would share it with you”
•
It expresses an action that began in the past and is still going on or has just finished. It has an influence on the present. It puts emphasis on the result.
^ | PRESENT PERFECT (already, yet, just) |
Example: “She has lived in California for many years.” “I have never been to Australia.” “I have lost my key.” “School has not started yet” “He works five days a week.”
Present Perfect Continuous •
(for, since, how long) It expresses an action that recently stopped or is still going on. It puts emphasis on the duration or continuous course of the action.
Example: “She has been working for two hours” “I have been living here since 2010” “I have been working all afternoon” ^ | PRESENT SIMPLE (usually, often, seldom, never, always, occasionally, sometimes, generally, normally)
Present Continuous (now, at the moment)