Present Simple

subject + verb/verb + (e)s

Examples: He plays tennis. She studies English.

subject + do/does not + verb

Examples: He doesn't play tennis. She doesn't study English.

do/does + subject + verb?

Example: Do you study English?

The principal uses of the present simple are listed below.

To refer to habitual or repeated actions:

I read the Bible just about every day.
She never goes to the cinema.
He doesn't come here very often.
Do you smoke?
With the present simple, frequency adverbs are often used (e.g. usually,
always, frequently, generally, sometimes, rarely, often, never, normally, every
day).

To refer to permanent states:

She holds a university degree in economics.
Note: use the present perfect, not the present simple when describing how long
or since when something has continued:
She has taught economics since 1991. (not She has teaches economics since
1991)

To talk about factual information, such as generally accepted truths or scientific

facts:
Parents are generally blind to their children's faults.
Water boils at 100C.
The following frequency adverbs are often used: generally, normally, usually
 To give instructions (e.g. cooking) or directions:
First, you add the sugar to the butter; then, you add two eggs.
You go up the stairs and turn right.

To talk about what happens in books, plays and films:

In the film, a young woman travels to the countryside and soon falls in love.

To use with state verbs when the meaning is not temporary. These verbs often
describe a state rather than an action and therefore do not normally have
continuous tenses.
1) Verbs that describe senses: see, hear, smell, taste, feel, look, sound
The coffee tastes really bitter.
Note: when something is happening now, we use can:
I cant see anything. Its too dark.
2) Verbs of possession: have, belong, possess, own
This camera belongs to my wife.
3) Verbs of perception: know, beleive, understand, forget, think, remember
I think she's too young to get married.
4) Verbs of emotion: care, like, dislike, love, hate, mind, prefer, enjoy, adore
Do you mind if I open the window?
I adore my Husband.
5) Verbs of description: seem, mean, look like, contain, sound, resemble, weigh
You resemble my father.

Grammar Tip
Continuous verbs are usually active verbs (verbs such as to learn), that refer to an
action.Stative verbs (such as to like), refer to a state, and are usually used in simple
tenses, e.g. I like this song. Who sings it? NOT Im liking this song as to like is a state,
not an action.

Some verbs such as to feel have both an active and a stative meaning.
Present Continuous
subject + am/is/are + verb + ing
Example: She is working in Dubai.

subject + am/is/are not + verb + ing

Example: I am not working in Dubai.

am/is/are + subject + verb + ing?

Example: Are you working in Dubai?

The principal uses of the present continuous are listed below.

To describe actions happening at the exact moment of speech:

The boy is crying.

To refer to temporary situations:

I'm living in London at the moment. (I don't normally live here)
My cousin is working in a restaurant until she finds a job in her field.
The present continuous is often used with: now, at the moment,
today, this morning/afternoon/evening/week/month/year, currently

To refer to tendencies and trends:

The world's population is increasing rapidly.
Google is making it easier for people to find, rate and share
information about local businesses.

To express irritation, anger or envy:

She's always losing her gloves! (complaint)
He's always travelling around the world! (envy)
The following adverbs are often used: always, constantly, forever

To use with state verbs when the meaning is temporary.

I'm thinking of buying a new car. (trying to reach a decision)
I think you should buy a new car. (my opinion, so not temporary)

He is tasting the wine they have brought him. (activity)

The wine tastes sweet rather than sour. (sense)

I was having a bath when the phone rang. (activity, not possession)
The room has a private bathroom with a tub and shower.
(possession)
Past Simple

subject + verb + (e)d

Example: She studied at Cambridge University.

subject + did not + verb

Example: She didn't study at Cambridge University.

did + subject + verb?

Example: Did she study at Cambridge University?

In English, for example, verbs such as study, call and work are regular, since they form
their inflected parts by adding the typical endings -s, -ing and -ed, to give forms such as
studied, called and worked. On the other hand, many verbs such
as go, come and write are irregular, since some of their parts are not made according
to the typical pattern: went (go), came (come), wrote (write).

Note: the verb be is irregular: I/he/she/it was; you/we/they were

The principal uses of the past simple are listed below.

To refer to an action completed in the past at a definite time:

Yesterday I called my supervisor to apologize for not attending the last meeting.
Note: no time reference is necessary if it is already known:
Why did you miss the meeting? (in the story I just told you about)

To refer to a series of completed actions in the past:

I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.

We often use words like next or then to indicate the sequence of events:
Then, I got a bus into the city centre and found a nice restaurant to eat in.
 To talk about past habits:
I studied German when I was a child.
I went on a long bike ride every Saturday when I was at school.
Note: used to and would can also be used.

To refer to a long-term situation in the past which is no longer true:

He played for our team for 10 years.

People at that time believed that the Earth was the centre of the solar system.
Note: used to and would can also be used.
 Past Continuous

subject + was/were + verb + -ing

Example: He was watching TV.

subject + was/were not + verb + -ing

Example: You weren't watching TV.

was/were + subject + verb + -ing?

Example: Were we watching TV?

The principal uses of the past continuous are listed below.

To set the "background scene" to an event or action. We use the past
continuous to describe the background scene and the past simple to
describe the event or action:
I saw him at 8 o'clock on Monday morning while he was waiting for the
school bus.
I was shopping in a supermarket when I noticed a strange-looking man.

We may have more than one background scene happening concurrently:

I was lying on my bed and listening to one of my favorite songs.
 To emphasize activities which continued for some time but whose exact
limits are not known and are not important. Notice the important difference
between these two sentences:
For a while last year I was playing football for my local team
and teaching English in the local elementary schools. (It doesn't indicate
whether the actions were completed or not, or whether they happened
concurrently)
Last year I played football for my local team and taught English in the local
elementary schools. (It indicates that all of the actions are now complete,
and probabley happened in that order)
Note: state verbs cannot be used in any continuous tense.