Simple Present

FORM Simple Present
EXAMPLE: [ to run]
I run
you run
he run
she runs
it runs
we run
they run

USE 1 Repeated Actions: Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual. The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens. It can also be something a person often forgets or usually does not do.
EXAMPLES:
I play tennis.She does not play tennis.
The train leaves every morning at 8 am.The train does not leave at 9am.
She always forgets her purse.He never forgets his wallet.
Every twelve months, the Earth circles the sun.The sun does not circle the Earth.

USE 2 Facts or Generalizations: The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes that a fact was true before, is true now, and will be true in the future. It is not important if the speaker is correct about the fact. It is also used to make generalizations about people or things.
EXAMPLES:
Cats like milk.Birds do not like milk.
California is in America.California is not in the United Kingdom.
Windows are made of glass.Windows are not made of wood.
New York is a small city. (It is not important that this fact is untrue.)

Continuous Tenses-Present,Past

Continuous (Progressive) Tenses

Verbs in Continuous Tenses always express "actions" that are in progress during the time framework indicated: present, past, future, or any of the perfect timeframes.

Continuous Tenses always engage the verb "BE," which expresses the timeframe of the action in progress. The main verb is always in the continuous form (ING form = present participle).

Present Continuous

The Present Continuous Tense applies the verb "BE" in the Present Tense (AM/ARE/IS). + The main verb, which is always in the present participle form (BASE + ING).

A verb in the Present Continuous usually expresses and "action" in progress at the present moment.
Example: Shhhhh! The baby is sleeping.

NOTE: We also use the Present Continuous structure informally to express something we expect in the future. Example: We are eating out tonight.

Past Continuous

The Past Continuous Tense applies the verb "BE" in the Past Tense (WAS/WERE) + the main verb, which is always in the present participle form.

The Past Continuous Tense is used
(1) to express an "action" in progress during another action in progress at the time.
Example: Many people are starving while others are fighting overweight.
Or
(2) to express an action in progress interrupted by a specific action or moment in the past.
Example: We were sleeping when the earthquake hit. OR At ten o'clock last night, the suspect was driving to Florida.

Simple Past
FORM: Simple Past [VERB+ed]EXAMPLES:
I visited my friends.
I often visited my friends.
NOTE: When you are using a verb tense with only one part such as Simple Past (visited), adverbs usually come before the verb (often visited). Please remember this is different from verbs with more than one part such as Present Continuous.

USE 1 Completed Action in the Past: Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past. Sometimes the speaker may not actually mention the specific time, but they do have one specific time in mind.
EXAMPLES:
I saw a movie yesterday. I didn't see a movie yesterday.
Last year, I traveled to Japan. Last year, I didn't travel to Japan.
She washed her car. She didn't wash her car.

USE 2 A Series of Completed Actions: We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past. These actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th...
EXAMPLES:
I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.
He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and met the others at 10:00.

USE 3 Single Duration: The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. A duration is a long action often used with expressions like "for two years," "for five minutes," "all day" or "all year."
EXAMPLES:
I lived in Brazil for two years.
Shauna studied Japanese for five years.
They sat at the beach all day.
We talked on the phone for thirty minutes.
How long did you wait for them?
We waited for one hour.

USE 4 Habit in the Past: The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It can have the same meaning as "used to". To make it clear that we are talking about a habit we often use expressions such as "always," "often," "usually," "never," "...when I was a child" or "...when I was younger" in the sentence.
EXAMPLES:
I studied French when I was a child.
He played the violin.
She worked at the movie theater after school.
They never went to school, they always skipped.

IMPORTANT "When clauses" happen first. Clauses are groups of words which have meaning but are not complete sentences. Some clauses begin with the word when such as "When I dropped my pen..." or "When class began..." These clauses are called "when
clauses" and they are very important. The examples below contain "when clauses." EXAMPLES:
When I paid her one dollar, she answered my question.
She answered my question, when I paid her one dollar.

"When clauses" are important because they always happen first when both clauses are in the Simple Past. Both of the examples above mean the same thing. First, I paid her one dollar, and then, she answered my question. However, the example below has a different meaning. First, she answered my question, and then, I paid her a dollar.EXAMPLE:I paid her a dollar, when she answered my question.