In Chinese, verbs do not change depending on what tense the sentence is in (unlike English or French)
Tenses can be shown by adding 'Time Words' - they indicate when the action happened
Past tense can be indicated by adding 了 to make it a 'completed action'
Past tense can be indicated by adding 过（or 过了）to show the verb has already happened
Present and Future tenses have indicators to show whether the verb is happening now or in the future
No indicator
Time words
在 + verb
Often in Chinese, there is no need to use any indicator to show something is happening in present tense --- e.g 他去学校 = 'He goes to school' is simple sentence structure without use of time word, but is assumed to be in present tense.
you can also include time words to help indicate that the action is happening in present tense, some of these include:
今天 Today
今年 This year
现在 Now
正在 Currently/Now
目前 At present
如今 Nowadays
天天/每天 Everyday
经常/常常 Often
有时/有时候 Sometimes
一般 Generally/Normally
*note that the verb does not change with the addition of time words at the start of the sentence
我今天学化学 = Today I am learning Chemistry
我和朋友经常一起去公园踢足球 = My friends and I often go to the park to play football
我正在超级市场买东西 = I am currently in the supermarket shopping
我一般认为博物馆非常无聊 = I generally think that museums are extremely boring
很多人现在愿意保护环境 = Many people are now willing to protect the environment
used to show an activity/action is in progress
similar to 正在 + Verb which emphasises that something is happening 'right now'
你们在做什么？= What are you (all) doing?
我在看电视 = I am watching TV
他在休息 = He is having a break
爷爷在看报纸，别打扰他！= Grandfather is reading the newspaper, don't disturb him!
你现在在哪儿？- 我在买东西 = Where are you? - 'I am shopping'
Time Words
Verb Indicators
similarly to past and present, use future time words such as the ones below to show that the action is happening in the future
明天 Tomorrow
下个星期 Next week
下周末 Next weekend
下个月 Next month
明年 Next year
后年 The year after next
后来 Afterwards, later
。。。以后 After... (Time of event)
将来 Future
饭后 After dinner
下次 Next time
Examples:
下周末我和男朋友一起去餐厅吃饭 = Next weekend my boyfriend and I will go to eat at the restaurant
我将来想去中国旅游 = In the future I want to go to China to travel
明天学生在学院开始学中文 = Tomorrow the students will start learning Chinese at college
下次我想坐出租车去飞机场 = Next time I want to take a taxi to the airport
我饭后在网上写博客 = After dinner I will write a blog online
When talking about things happening in the present, sometimes you need to use a verb indicator to show that the action 'will' happen.
This can also be used with the time words (above) at the start of the sentence
Some common future verb indicators include:
想/不想 would like/would not like
会/不会 will/will not （possibility/possible）
就要 am going to
希望 hope to
打算 intend to
计划 plan to
必须 must
可以 can
应该 should
可能 maybe/might
Examples:
你必须穿校服 = You must wear school uniform
明年暑假我打算去中国旅游 = Next summer holiday I plan to go to China to travel
妈妈说明天天气不好，一定会下雨 = Mum said tomorrow's weather is not good, it will definitely rain
学校以后我希望当老师，这是我的理想 = After school I hope to become a teacher, this is my dream
做运动对身体好，所以明天早上我要去公园散步 = Doing sports is good for one's health, so tomorrow morning I am going to go to the park for a walk
Time Words
Verb + 了 (Completed action)
Verb + 过（了）(Past experiences)
已经 ... 了 (Already)
Time words: article with usage examples
Verb + 了 (Completed action)
Verb + 过（了）(Past experiences)
已经。。。了 (Already) : Chinese Grammar Wiki
Examples of these past-tense words include:
昨天 Yesterday
上个星期 Last week
上周末 Last weekend
上个月 Last month
去年 Last year
今年春天 This spring （as long as it is now after spring)
去年暑假 Last summer holiday
前年 The year before last
以前 Before
。。。前 ..... Ago (Quantity of Time + Ago)
去过 In the past
上一次 Last time
Time words go either at the start of the sentence or directly after the subject.
我 昨天 吃面条 = Yesterday I ate noodles
我 上个月 坐出租车去电影院 = Last month I took a taxi to the cinema
上个星期三 我和朋友一起去公园踢足球 = Last Wednesday me and my friend went to the park to play football.
去过，妹妹不喜欢买东西 = In the past, little sister didn't like shopping
三年前，弟弟在爱丁堡出生 = 3 years ago, little brother was born in Edinburgh
To show that a verb is complete, add 了 to the end of the verb.
This is often combined with the use of a Time Word at the start of the sentence.
Examples:
我吃了面条 = I ate noodles
我前年去了法国 = I went to France the year before last
三个月前，我跟男朋友一起去了博物馆 = 3 months ago, me and my boyfriend went to the museum together
去年暑假，妈妈和爸爸都坐了飞机去美国 = Last summer holiday, Mum and Dad took a plane to America
星期一的天气很好，我去了公园打网球 = Monday's weather was very good, I went to the park to play tennis
To show that the verb has already happened, add 过（or 过了）to the end of the verb.
It is helpful to think of 过 as a marker of past experiences (for example, "I went to China" would use 了, whereas "I have been to China" would use 过, since it marks a past experience.)
This is also often combined with the use of a time word at the start of the sentence
Examples:
我去过中国 = I have been to China
*去了 = went 去过(了) = have been
你今天吃过了早饭吗？ = Have you eaten breakfast (already) today?
我看过这本书 = I have read this book
我在学校学过了中文 = I have learned Chinese at school
你去过了超级市场吗？= Have you been to the supermarket?
this means that the verb has already happened
literally: "already + verb"
Examples
我已经做作业了 = I have already done my homework
学校非常大，我已经交了很多朋友 = The school is extremely big, I have already made many friends
我已经去这家烤鸭店吃饭了 = I have already been to this roast duck restaurant to eat
这个房间太贵了，你已经付款了吗？This room is too expensive, have you already paid?
人们常说这个博物馆很有意思，你已经参观了吗？People often say this museum is very interesting, have you already visited it?
these words are placed near the start of the sentence, BEFORE the verb
常常 Often
经常 Frequently
通常 Usually
天天/每天 Everyday
有(的)时候 Sometimes
几乎每天 Almost everyday
几乎不/没有 Almost never
一般 Generally
很少 Rarely
一直 Always
这两天 Last few days/ Recently (doesn't have to be two days)
最近 Recently/lately
一次 Once
总是 Always
多长时间？ How long？
再+Verb Do Verb 'again'
Examples
我每天太忙了，我几乎没有时间做作业 = Everyday I am too busy, I almost never have time to do homework
她的身体不好，很少做运动 = Her health isn't very good, she rarely does exercise
我一直帮助妈妈照顾孩子 = I always help mum look after the kids
一般来说，最大的问题是全球变暖 = Generally speaking, the biggest problem is global warming
我通常出去吃饭 = I usually eat out
expressing 'how long' something is done for
多长时间？How long？
Useful Resources
从 + Time 1 到 + Time 2
Examples
从去年三月到今年六月我学习中文 = From March last year to June this year I have studied Chinese
从2008年到2015年，哥哥住在伦敦 = From 2008 to 2015, older brother lived in London
从早到晚，他一直学习 = From early to late, he is always studying
从春天到冬天，苏格兰的天气通常很冷 = From Spring to Winter, Scotland's weather is usually very cold
从早到晚，上海的市中心都非常热闹 = From morning to evening, the centre of Shanghai is always extremely lively
*can also be used with places 从 + Place 1 到 + Place 2
time expression shows the duration for how long the verb has gone on for
an example of a time expression is 一个小时, but can be in any form of quantity of time
this often means the verb expression (usually two characters such as 跑步 'to run' is split up for the main verb 跑 to go before time expression
if the verb is a completed action, place 了 after the verb
Examples
她跑一个小时 (的) 步 = She runs for an hour
*跑步 is a verb expression (literally verb+noun) which can be separated in this case
每天，学校给学生机会读半小时的书 = Every day the school gives the students the opportunity to read for half an hour
大学毕业以后，姐姐去美国工作，他在美国住了三年 = After graduation, older sister went to work in America, she has been living there for three years
*if there this is a completed action, place 了 after the Verb (e.g Verb+了+Duration）
学校离我家很远，每天早上坐一个小时的公共汽车 = The school is very far from my house, every morning I ride the bus for one hour
我今天早上太累了，只睡了四个小时的觉 = I am so tired this morning, I only slept for four hours.
there are two sentence structures with 除了。。。以外：
Useful Resources
除了 A 以外，B，C，D 都。。。- shows that except/apart from A, B C and D (the rest) are all ....
in this case A is the only one that is different, everything else is the same
Examples
除了化学以外，她的考试成绩都很高 = Apart from Chemistry, her exam results are high (her result in Chemistry is not high)
除了周末以外，学生每天都上中文课 = Apart from the weekend, every day the students have Chinese class (the students don't have Chinese class on the weekend)
除了妈妈以外，大家都吃过饭了 = Apart from Mum, everyone has already eaten (Mum has not eaten already)
除了飞机票以外，所有的票都便宜 = Apart from plane tickets, all the tickets are cheap (the plane tickets are not cheap)
除了有时吃快餐以外，我的生活习惯很健康 = Apart from sometimes eating fast food, my lifestyle is very healthy (eating fast food is the only thing in my lifestyle that is not very healthy)
除了A以外，B 也。。。= shows that as well as A, B is also....
in this case A is inclusive, is an example of others which are also the same
Examples
除了豆腐以外，你也喜欢吃什么中国菜？= Apart from Tofu, what Chinese food do you also like to eat? (you like to eat tofu, as well as tofu)
除了去外国旅游以外，我将来还打算当英语老师 = Apart from travelling abroad, in the future I also plan to become a teacher
除了赚钱以外，为什么人们也做工作？= Apart from earning money, why do people work? (asking for other reasons as well as to earn money)
除了博物馆以外，我们也参观了各种各样的名胜古迹 = Apart from the museum, we also visited all kinds of famous sites
除了少用电以外，人们也应该分类垃圾 = Apart from using less electricity, people should also separate their rubbish (as well as using less electricity, they also....)
如果明天天气好，我们就应该去公园踢足球 = If the weather tomorrow is good, we should (then) go to the park to play football
*Remember if you need to introduce a new Subject in the second clause (i.e 我们）this comes before the 就
如果你今天晚上不太忙了，就必须看这个电视剧。= If this evening you're not too busy, then you must watch this TV soap
如果想帮助全球变暖，就应该少用电。= If you want to help global warming, then use less electricity
如果人们打算去澳大利亚，就必须订飞机票。= If people plan to go to Australia, they must book a plane ticket
如果你要一个很健康生活，就很少吃快餐。If you want a very healthy lifestyle, then rarely eat fast food
looking at things happening in order/sequence
First +(do one action), then (do something else)
先+Verb 1，然后 +Verb 2
Useful Resources
Examples
你先做作业，然后看电视 = First do your homework, then watch TV
每天早上我先刷牙，然后吃早饭 = Every morning I first brush my teeth, then eat breakfast
我的将来目标是先大学毕业，然后去伦敦找工作。 = My future target is to first graduate from University, and then go to London to find a job
博物院离我家非常远，我必须先坐公车然后半小时走路 = The museum is so far away from my house, I must first take a bus and then walk for half an hour.
明年暑假打算去中国联系中文，我先计划去北京然后会去上海 = Next summer holiday I plan to go to China to practice Chinese, I first plan to go to Beijing and then to Shanghai
Chinese Grammar Wiki (Wiki article with examples)
Fill in Blanks worksheet