Simple Past

We use the simple past when we talk about a completed action

or condition.
Examples:
I was in Spain last week.
She played the piano when she was a child.
We didn't go to the mall the other day.
Formula: subject + verb in the past tense + complement
Key Time Expressions: last, ago, yesterday, often, sometimes,
always

Simple Present
We use the simple present to describe facts, habits, and
recurring actions or situations.
Examples:
I work in Rome.
Your examination doesn't start at 8am, it starts at 7am.
Formula: subject + verb
Key Time Expressions: every, usually, sometimes, often,
frequently, never, now, always, after, when, as soon as, until

Simple Future
We are discussing future plans or future intentions when we use
the simple future. We use "will" when discussing future plans
and "going to" when we talk about intentions.
Examples:
I will go.
Do you think it will rain today?
The baby will not eat his food.
Formula: subject + will/shall + verb
Key Time Expressions: next, tomorrow, in, after

Past Progressive
We use this tense to talk about something that was in progress
at a specific time in the past.
Examples:
I was having a horrible nightmare when my alarm clock rang.
The sun wasn't shining when we were swimming.
I was crying!
Formula: subject + was/were + -ing form of the verb +
complement
Key Time Expressions: while, when, as

Present Progressive
We use the present progressive when we're talking about an
action taking place at the moment of speaking.

Examples:
We are going on vacation tomorrow.
More and more people are becoming vegetarians.
The weather forecast was not good, but the sun is shining now.
Formula: subject + to be + -ing form of the verb
Key Time Expressions: now, presently, currently, these days,
always, forever, constantly

Future Progressive
We use this to talk about something which will be in progress at
a time in the future.
Examples:
I will be leaving soon.
Will you be coming to the party?
I won't be seeing Steve until next week.
Formula: subject + will be + present participle (base verb + -ing)
Key Time Expressions: next, tomorrow, soon, in, later

Past Perfect
The past perfect refers to a time earlier than before now. It is
used to make it clear that one event happened before another in
the past.
Examples:
He wasn't very tired because he had slept well the night before.
Robert had gone out when I arrived at the office.
Formula: subject + had + past participle of the verb +
complement
Key Time Expressions: before, until, after, just, went

Present Perfect
When we talk in the present perfect we're talking about past
actions that are relevant today or actions that happened in the
past but when they occurred is not important. It also can refer to
the recent past.
Examples:
They have not lived there for years.
Have you just finished work?
Someone has just eaten my candy!
Formula: subject + have/has + past participle of verb +
complement
Key Time Expressions: since, before, until, yet, already, ever,
never, just

Future Perfect
The future perfect refers to a completed action in the future. We
can also use this tense when we project ourselves into the future
and when we are looking back at the completed action at a time
later than now.

Examples:
You will have arrived by then.
Will you have finished your report on time?
I will not have left, by the time you read this.
Formula: subject + will have + past participle of verb
Key Time Expressions: by

Past Perfect Progressive

We use the past perfect progressive when you want to focus on
an action which was in progress up to or near a time in the past,
rather than a completed event.
Examples:
I hadn't been sleeping long when you called.
It had been raining hard for several hours and the streets were
very wet.
Had you been waiting long before the taxi arrived?
Formula: subject + past perfect of "to be" (had been) + past
participle of the verb + complement
Key Time Expressions: since

Present Perfect Progressive

We use the present perfect progressive to talk about an action
that started in the past and stopped recently. We can also talk
about an action that started in the past and is continuing now.
Examples:
She has been dancing.
They have been waiting for you all day.
Formula: subject + have/has + been + -ing + complement
Key Time Expressions: since

Future Perfect Progressive

These are actions or events in a time between now and some
future time, that may be unfinished.
Examples:
We will have been living in Madrid for 5 years in June.
I will not have been working.
We will have been working out for 2 hours at 6 o'clock.
Formula: subject + will have + been + present participle (base
form -ing)
Key Time Expressions: by, after