Tense Example Explanation

Present Here you want to say that it

I play basketball every week.
Simple happens regularly.

Present Here you want to say that it is

I'm playing basketball now.
Progressive happening at the moment.

Past You did it yesterday, it happened

I played basketball yesterday.
Simple in the past.

You were doing it in the past. It's

Past I was playing basketball the
not sure whether the action was
Progressive whole evening.
finished or not.

You have just finished it. So it has

Present
I have just played basketball. a connection to the present.
Perfect
Maybe your clothes are dirty.

You want to say how long you

Present
I have been playing basketball have been doing it. (You started in
Perfect
for 2 hours. the past and it continues up to the
Progressive
present.

Past I had played basketball before The two actions are related to
Perfect Anja came. each other: you had finished to
play basketball and after that the
Tense Example Explanation

girl arrived.

Past Here you want to point out how

I had been playing basketball
Perfect long you had been doing it before
for two hours when Anja came.
Progressive the girl came.

- Činjenice u budućnosti,
I will/shall play basketball next - Kada mislimo da će nešto biti
will-future
week. tako i tako (ne moramo biti
100% sigurni u to)

This is a plan you've made. –

going to se uglavnom i koristi kada
going to- I'm going to play basketball this
govoriš o planovima koje si
future afternoon.
napravio, i za neka predviđanja –
npr - It’s going to rain

Future I will/shall be playing basketball

You do it every Sunday (as usual)
Progressive next Sunday.

You will have done it before

Future I will/shall have played tomorrow. – do sutra će to već biti
Perfect basketball by tomorrow. svršena radnja, do sutra cu završiti
s igranjem basketa
Tense Example Explanation

Conditional
I would play football. You'll probably do it.
Simple