Simple present: [verb]

- Regularly repeated actions

He never forgets his wallet.
She plays piano.
- Facts or Generalizations: true before, true now, always true
Cats like milk.
He looks ugly.
- Scheduled events in the near future
The party starts in two hours.
The train leaves in a few minutes.
- Now (non-continuous verbs)
I am here.
She is not here.
Active vs. Passive:
- Once a week, Tom Cleans the car.
- Once a week, the car is cleaned (by Tom).
Adverbs:
- You only speak English.
- The train never comes on time.
Present continuous: [am/is/are + present participle]
- Now (normal verbs)
You are learning math now.
You are not sleeping now.
They are reading.
- Longer actions in progress right now
I am studying to become a doctor.
I am not reading Shakespeare.
Aren't you teaching at the university?
- Near future
I am meeting a friend tomorrow.
He is coming with us to the game.
- Repetition/irritation with "always"
They are always complaining.
He is not constantly complaining, the way she is.
Non-continuous verbs (emotion/possession/etc. that are not physical actions) can
not be used in continuous tenses
Adverbs:
- You are still watching TV.
- Are you still watching TV?
Active vs. Passive:
- Right now, Tom is washing the car.
- Right now, the car is being washed.
Simple past: [VERB+ed or irregular]
- Completed actions in the past
I saw a movie yesterday.
I didn't travel to Japan last year.
- A series of completed actions
I finished work, walked to the park, and checked my email.
Did you arrive from the airport, check into the hotel, and meet the others yes
terday?
- Duration in the past
They sat at the park for three hours.
I lived in Brazil for two years.
He did not study French for three decades.
- Habits in the past (similar to used to)
He played the piano every day.
She never went to work on time.
He did not read any books when he was a child.

- Past facts/generalizations
People paid much more attention to social conventions in the past.
Did you live in America when you were young?
When clauses come first in time:
- When I paid her one dollar, she answered my question.
- I paid her one dollar when she answered my question.
Active vs. Passive:
- Tom washed the car yesterday.
- The car was washed yesterday (by Tom).
Past continuous: [was/were + present participle]
- Interrupted actions in the past (longer action interrupted by shorter action)
I was playing piano when he called.
What were you doing when I emailed you? I was reading.
- Specific time as an interruption
At six o'clock, I was eating dinner. (I started eating earlier, and was still
eating at six)
[vs. simple past: At six o'clock, I ate dinner. (I started eating dinner at si
x)]
- Parallel actions
I was studying while he was eating.
Thomas wasn't working, and I wasn't working either.
- Repetition/irritation with "always"
He was constantly talking, and annoyed everyone.
While vs. when:
while is generally followed by past continuous, when by simple past; emphasize d
ifferent parts of the sentence
- I was studying when she called.
- While I was studying, she called.
Non-continuous verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses!!
Active vs. Passive:
- The salesman was helping the customer when I found him.
- The customer was being helped by the salesman [...]
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