Tense

Example

Explanation

Simple Present

I play football every week.

Here you want to say that it happens regularly.

Present Continuous

I'm playing football now.

Here you want to say that it is happening at the moment.

Simple Past

I played football yesterday.

You did it yesterday, it happened in the past., the action is finished.

Past Continuous

I was playing football the whole evening.

You were doing it in the past. It's not sure whether the action was finished or not.

Present Perfect

I have just played football.

You have just finished it. So it has a connection to the present. Maybe your clothes are dirty.

Present Perfect Continuous

I have been playing football for 2 hours.

You want to say how long you have been doing it. (You started in the past and it continues up to the present.

Past Perfect

I had played football when Susan came.

The two actions are related to each other: you had finished to play football and after that the girl arrived.

Past Perfect Continuous

I had been playing football when Susan came.

Here you want to point out how long you had been doing it before the girl came.

will future

I will play football next week.

This is a prediction, you can probably do something else.

going to future

I'm going to play football this afternoon.

This is a plan you've made.

Future Continuous

I will be playing football next Sunday.

You do it every Sunday (as usual)

Future Perfect

I will have played football by tomorrow.

You will have done it before tomorrow.

Conditional
Simple

I would play football.

You'll probably do it.

Conditional
Continuous

I would be playing football.

You'll probably do it. Here you concentrate more on the progress of the action.

Conditional
Perfect

I would have played football.

You'll probably have finished playing football at a special time in the future. Here you concentrate on the fact (football).

Conditional
Perfect
Continuous

I would have been playing football.

You'll probably have finished playing football at a special time in the future. Here you concentrate on the progress of playing (football).