English: use of different tenses

PAST SIMPLE

• completed action

• with “when

PAST CONTINUOUS

• before / after action

• repeated irritation

• continued for a long time

• show growth / change

PAST PERFECT

• before another action

• to report present perfect & past simple

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

• began in past until given time in past

PRESENT SIMPLE

• fact

• habit

• general truth

• far future

• timetable

• series of action

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

• happening now

• temporary

• near future

• repeated irritation

• more (and more)

PRESENT PERFECT

• up till now (ation in past that is still relevant)

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

• action in progress

• recently finished + took a long time + trace left

FUTURE SIMPLE

• spontaneous

• fact in the future

FUTURE CONTINUOUS

• arranged activity

• predicted to start before certain point

FUTURE PERFECT

• particular moment in the future that will be “past”

FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

• how long something will have been going on by a certain point

GOING TO

• premeditated

• prediction based on cureent situation

TO BE ABOUT TO

• immediate future