Verb tenses are used to express time in any language. But be careful, many English tenses do not have direct translation in Spanish.
| TENSE | USE |
EXAMPLES |
SIGNAL WORDS |
| Simple Present | • Regular actions in the present
• General facts
• Timetables or schedules |
He visits his father on Sundays
Cats like milk The train leaves at 10:20 |
always, usually, often, sometimes, never, seldom, every ..., on ... |
| Present Continuous |
• Actions happening now, at this very moment
• Actions that are going on around the time of speaking • Actions or events in the near future that have already been planned |
They are doing their homework
My son is studying to become a doctor Is he visiting his parents next weekend? |
now, at the moment, at present, |
| Simple Past |
• A completed action that took place at a time in the past
• Several actions in the past, one after another. |
I didn't play tennis yesterday
He got up, had a shower and got dressed |
yesterday, last ... , before, ago, when ... |
| Past Continuous |
• Actions in progress at a specific time in the past
• Two incomplete actions happening at the same time • An interrupted action in the past |
Yesterday at this time, I was flying to Rome
What were you doing while Susan was talking? I was listening to my Ipod when she phoned |
when, while |
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