Signal Words

Signal/clue words help us to use a correct tense. For example:

Present

Simple

Continuous (Progressive)

Perfect

Perfect Continuous (Progressive)

always, every..., never, normally,

now, right now, this week,

(un)till now, up to now, just,

for the past year/month/week/...,

at the moment, Listen!, Look!, just, just now

since, ever, never, always, so far,

for 2 weeks, up to now,

usually, frequently,

all day, since 1945, How many long?, times/weeks/years... the whole week for three minutes/hours/...,

the first time

lately, recently

often, seldom, sometimes,

yesterday, minutes ago, Past

already, before, after,

before, for one hour/week/month/...,

last year, before,

just, never, not yet, once

since, all day,

one year ago, finally

until then/last week/...

tomorrow, tonight, Future

next week, soon, in the future, afternoon, someday

while, when, as long as

when, after, before, as soon as, next week, all day long, for..., at this time tomorrow

by the time you go (somewhere) by the time you do (something)

the whole day

by the time, for 5 minutes/days/weeks/...

Adverbs of frequency

Use adverbs of frequency to say how often you do something. Adverbs of frequency are often used with the present simple because they indicate repeated or routine activities. For example, They often go out for dinner. Occasionally, we use adverbs of frequency with the Present Continuous (Progressive) to complain about something: He is always smoking. They are constantly playing loud music. She is forever talking on the phone. When it used with the continuous form, it is often to show that the speaker disapproves of the action. He always calls his mother. (good or neutral) He's always calling me. (I wish he'd stop)

Adverbs of frequency can be used with a simple past tense verb, although they are more often used with verbs in the simple present tense, the perfect tenses, or simple future tense. Here are some examples of the use of two of these adverbs with simple past tense verbs: “Ellie was always very good at art.” (example in Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 2005) “I always thought I’d have children eventually.” (example in online Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary) “In those years we always did well against them in one-on-one games.” “He never went to university.” (Collins Cobuild English Grammar) “I never did that again,” he said. “He never did his homework in primary school, but always did well in exams.” I always studied my lessons when I was at school. ALWAYS with past simple. He was always bothering me when I passed by. ALWAYS with past continuous. I have never studied French. NEVER with present perfect.