Present simple: We use present simple for:
1. Regular habits and routines.
2. Things that are always or generally true.
3. General or scientific facts.
We form present simple:
• I/You/We/They (don’t) run.
• He/She/It (doesn’t) runs.
• Do I/you/we/they run?
• Does he/she/it run?
Present continuous: We use present continuous for:
1. Actions that are happening now or near moment of
speaking.
2. Temporary actions and situations.
3. Changing situations.
4. Actions that happen very often and annoy the speaker.
We form present continuous:
• We are reading.
• she is (not) reading.
• Are they reading?
• Yes, I am.
Past Simple: We use past simple for:
1. Describe finished actions in the past
2. To say that one thing that happened after another
We form past simple:
• I walked to school yesterday.
• You didn’t (did not) run yesterday.
Past continuous: We use past continuous for:
1. Describe scenes (in a story or description)
2. Talk about an activity when another, shorter action/activity
happened or interrupted it. We know the activity was in
progress, but not(!) finished
3. We often use ‘while’ and ‘as’ with the past continuous
(while/as I was riding my bike, I saw Leo.)
4. Talk about activities in progress at a moment in the past
(we know exactly when it was!)
We form the present continuous:
• He was going.
• They weren’t (were not) going.
• Were you going?
1. Regular habits and routines.
2. Things that are always or generally true.
3. General or scientific facts.
We form present simple:
• I/You/We/They (don’t) run.
• He/She/It (doesn’t) runs.
• Do I/you/we/they run?
• Does he/she/it run?
Present continuous: We use present continuous for:
1. Actions that are happening now or near moment of
speaking.
2. Temporary actions and situations.
3. Changing situations.
4. Actions that happen very often and annoy the speaker.
We form present continuous:
• We are reading.
• she is (not) reading.
• Are they reading?
• Yes, I am.
Past Simple: We use past simple for:
1. Describe finished actions in the past
2. To say that one thing that happened after another
We form past simple:
• I walked to school yesterday.
• You didn’t (did not) run yesterday.
Past continuous: We use past continuous for:
1. Describe scenes (in a story or description)
2. Talk about an activity when another, shorter action/activity
happened or interrupted it. We know the activity was in
progress, but not(!) finished
3. We often use ‘while’ and ‘as’ with the past continuous
(while/as I was riding my bike, I saw Leo.)
4. Talk about activities in progress at a moment in the past
(we know exactly when it was!)
We form the present continuous:
• He was going.
• They weren’t (were not) going.
• Were you going?
