When to use English times

True in the present.

He lives in London.
I'm a student.

Happens again and again in the present

I play football every weekend.

Always true

Light travels at almost 300,000 kilometres per second.

Fixed in the future

We fly to Paris next week.
The school term starts next week.

Happening at the moment of speaking

I'm just leaving work. I'll be home in an hour.
Please be quiet. The children are sleeping.

Happening before and after a given time

At eight o'clock we are usually having breakfast.

Happening before and after a given time

When I get home the children are doing their homework.

Something which we think is temporary

I'm working in London for the next two weeks.
Michael is at university. He's studying history.

Something which is new and contrasts with a previous state:

These days most people are using email instead of writing letters.

Something is changing, growing or developing:

The climate is changing rapidly.
Your English is improving.

Something which happens again and again (usually with always)

It's always raining in London.
They are always arguing.

Something which has been arranged or planned:

Mary is going to a new school next term.

Something that started in the past and continues in the present

They've been married for nearly fifty years.
She has lived in Liverpool all her life.

Something we have done several times in the past and continue to do

I've played the guitar ever since I was a teenager.
He has written three books and he is working on another one.

We often use a clause with since to show when something started in the past

I have worked here since I left school.

Talking about our experience up to the present (usually with ever)

My last birthday was the worst day I have ever had.
Have you ever met George?

Something that happened in the past but is important at the time of speaking

I can't get in the house. I've lost my keys.
Teresa isn't at home. I think she has gone shopping.

We use the present perfect of be when someone has gone to a place and returned

A: Where have you been?
B: I've just been out to the supermarket.

We often use the present perfect with time adverbials which refer to the recent past

Scientists have recently discovered a new breed of monkey.
We have just got back from our holidays

Happened once in the past

I met my wife in 1983.
We went to Spain for our holidays.

Happened again and again in the past

When I was a boy I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.

Was true for some time in the past

I lived abroad for ten years.
He enjoyed being a student.

Something which continued before and after another action

The children were doing their homework when I got home.

Something that happened before and after a particular time

It was eight o'clock. I was writing a letter.

Show that something continued for some time

My head was aching.
Everyone was shouting.

Something that was happening again and again

I was practising every day, three times a day.
They were meeting secretly after school.

With verbs which show change or growth

The children were growing up quickly.
Her English was improving.

Something that started in the past and continued up to a given time in the past

When George died he and Anne had been married for nearly fifty years.
She didn't want to move. She had lived in Liverpool all her life.

Something we had done several times up to a point in the past and continued to do after that point

He was a wonderful guitarist. He had been playing ever since he was a teenager.
He had written three books and he was working on another one.

When we are reporting our experience and including up to the (then) present

My eighteenth birthday was the worst day I had ever had.
I was pleased to meet George. I hadn't met him before, even though I had met his wife several times.

Something that happened in the past but is important at the time of reporting

I couldn't get into the house. I had lost my keys.

We use the past perfect to talk about the past in conditions, hypotheses and wishes

I would have helped him if he had asked.
It was very dangerous. What if you had got lost?

Predict a future event

It will rain tomorrow.

Express a spontaneous decision or willingness

I'll pay for the tickets by credit card.
He'll carry your bag for you.

Making offer, suggestion

Shall I open the window?
Shall we go to the cinema tonight?

Asking for advice and giving orders

What shall I tell the boss about this money?
You will do exactly as I say.