Verb Tense Key Time Words

Simple Present Present Continuous

Every day Now, Right now

On Mondays/Weekends At the moment
Once a week/Once in a while Today
Three times a month This week
Always, usually, often This semester
Sometimes, seldom, rarely, never This month
In the morning, aft or eve, at night This year
*Future: schedule/time clause

Simple Past Simple Future

Yesterday Tomorrow
Yesterday morning, afternoon, evening Tomorrow morning, aft., eve., night
Last night Tonight
Last week, month, year Next week, month, year
An hour ago In a (little) while
A week, month, year ago In (a few) minutes, hours, days, weeks, etc.
When I was a child In a minute
In my country Soon /Later
In the future/someday
 Past Continuous Present Perfect

While ever/never
Last year at this time already/yet/still/just
At this time yesterday so far
since/ for (non or long action)
throughout time/in my lifetime
in the last/past three months

Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect/Future Perfect

since/ for (action) before/after (10%/ 90% simple past)

for the last/past two hours by the time (100%)
all morning when (2,1)
all day
all week Past Perfect Continuous/ Future
recently Per.Cont.
lately since/for (plus before, after, by the time or
how long (?) when )
Ex. By the time she arrived, I had been
waiting for an hour.