PRESENT SIMPLE

Use the present simple to talk about facts and opinions.

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I adore shopping. I dont like my manager.

Use the present simple to talk about habits and routines.

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I work in a clothes shop on Saturday.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Use the present continuous to talk about temporary situations and activities.
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Were selling all ours old clothes on eBay.

Use the present continuous to talk about future plans

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My friends and I are going to South America for four months.

Use the present continuous to talk about thing happening now.

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Im sitting here in my room right now.

PRESENT PERFECT
Use the present perfect to talk about completed past actions or states. Past time
expressions are often used.
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Ive never eaten shellfish.

Use the present perfect to talk about actions or states that began in the past and
continue up to the present time.
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Ive visited all the states in the USA.

Use for with the present perfect to talk about the length of time.
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Ive has this bag for two months.

Use since with the present perfect to talk about when an action or state began.
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Shes lived in this house since 2000.

Use just, yet, already with the present perfect.

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Ive just washed my hair. Its still wet.

Use present perfect to describe very short actions.

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Shes cut her finger.

Use the present perfect when you want to say how much or how often you have
done something.
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Hes written six emails.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Choose present perfect continuous to emphasis that the activity is ongoing.
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This books quite hard. Ive been reading it for a month.

You can use the present perfect continuous to describe activities that have just
finished and emphasizing that the activity was ongoing.
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Ive been tidying my room.

Use the present perfect continuous for actions and situations that have just
finished, but which have present results.
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You look hot. Yes, Ive been playing tennis.

Im tired. Ive been working all day.

We often use the present perfect continuous to make an excuse, or to express

annoyance or emotions.
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Ive been waiting an hour. Im very upset.

PAST SIMPLE
Use the past simple to talk about experiences that have/havent happened at an
indefinite time in the past.
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They played computer games last night.

Use the past simple to talk about events that started and ended in the past.
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The police picked up a mysterious blond-haired man.

Use the past simple with by the time.

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By the time he came back.

We use the past simple together with the past perfect when we want to give
background to a story and to make the order of events clear.
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By the time he came back, the young man had drawn a picture of a concert
piano.
Melissa showed her friends the text message she had received.

Use the present perfect to talk about an action or state that happened before
another action o state. Use the past simple to express the second or later event.
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He had told his parents that he wanted to study in Paris.

PAST PERFECT
We often use the present perfect with time expressions found with the present
perfect, such as already, just, for, since.
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He had clearly just come out of the sea.

Kent police had already found him on the seafront.