English has many ways to talk about time. We call these ways Time Expressions in English. They help us say when something happens, how often it happens, or how long it takes.
Some simple examples are words like “now”, “today”, and “soon”. These tell us about the present time or near future. But we also have phrases like “the day after tomorrow” which means two days from now. Or “once in a while” which means sometimes, but not too often.
There are also Time Expressions in English for the past. Words like “yesterday” or phrases like “a long time ago” help us talk about things that already happened.
It’s important to know these expressions. They make our talks clearer. For example, if you say “I will call you later”, the person knows you will call after some time, not right now.
So, by learning about Time Expressions in English, we can better say what we mean. It makes talking in English easier and helps people understand us better. This post will help you know more about these useful expressions!
Time Expressions in English
Present Simple Tense
Time Expressions:
- Always
- Every (day/week/month/year)
- Usually
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
- On (days of the week)
Examples:
- I always have coffee in the morning.
- She goes to the gym every day.
- They usually visit their grandparents on weekends.
- He rarely eats junk food.
- We never watch horror movies.
- The store is closed on Sundays.
Present Continuous Tense
Time Expressions:
- Now
- At the moment
- Currently
- Today
- These days
Examples:
- I am reading a book now.
- She is working at the moment.
- They are currently renovating their house.
- I’m meeting him today.
- These days, I’m into yoga.
Present Perfect Tense
Time Expressions:
- Just
- Already
- Yet
- Ever
- Never
- Recently
- Lately
- So far
- Until now
- For
- Since
Examples:
- I’ve just finished my homework.
- She has already seen that movie.
- Have you eaten yet?
- I’ve never been to Paris.
- They’ve moved recently.
- He’s been very quiet lately.
- I’ve lived here for 5 years.
- I’ve known her since college.
Past Simple Tense
Time Expressions:
- Yesterday
- Last (week/month/year)
- … ago
- In (specific year)
- When
Examples:
- I visited the museum yesterday.
- She called last week.
- We moved here three years ago.
- I was born in 1990.
- I was asleep when the phone rang.
Future Simple Tense
Time Expressions:
- Tomorrow
- Next (week/month/year)
- In (future time period)
- Soon
Examples:
- I’ll go shopping tomorrow.
- We’re planning a trip next month.
- I’ll finish the project in two days.
- They’ll arrive soon.
Past Continuous Tense
Time Expressions:
- While
- As
- At this time yesterday
- All day yesterday
Examples:
- He was studying while I was cooking.
- As she was singing, the crowd cheered.
- I was reading at this time yesterday.
- She was working all day yesterday.
Past Perfect Tense
Time Expressions:
- By the time
- Before
- After
- Until
Examples:
- By the time we arrived, the show had started.
- She had finished her homework before dinner.
- After he had read the letter, he smiled.
- I hadn’t seen her until last year.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Time Expressions:
- For
- Since
- Before that time
- Up to that time
Examples:
- They had been playing for two hours.
- She had been working there since 2010.
- He had been living in London before that time.
- I had been reading up to that time.
Future Continuous Tense
Time Expressions:
- At this time tomorrow
- This time next week
- By this time next year
Examples:
- I will be studying at this time tomorrow.
- She will be vacationing this time next week.
- They will be celebrating by this time next year.
Future Perfect Tense
Time Expressions:
- By (a certain time in the future)
- In (a number of) days/weeks/months/years’ time
Examples:
- He will have completed the project by next week.
- They will have lived here in ten years’ time.
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Time Expressions:
- For
- By (a certain time in the future)
Examples:
- She will have been working here for five years by 2025.
- I will have been studying for three hours by noon.
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