Simple vs continuous

There are simple and continuous forms of the past, present and future tenses (and the perfect tenses!).

• The simple form is used to talk about 'quick' actions, or things that are generally true.
• The continuous form is used to talk about ongoing events.

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past simple & continuous (BC)

present continuous (EF)

present perfect simple & continuous (BC)

future continuous (BC)

Present perfect

Used to show a link between the past and the present. The focus is on what happened, not when it happened.

Present perfect is used to talk about:

• actions that started in the past and are still happening now
• time periods that haven't finished
• the results of something that happened in the past

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explanation & examples (EF)

exercises (Oxford)

present perfect or past simple? (BC)

Just, yet, still, already

These four words are used to talk about events at different times, and are often confused.

• just: something has happened a short time ago
• yet: something that you expect to happen in the future
• still: something that has started, but hasn't finished
• already: something that happened earlier than expected

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explanation & exercises (BC)