Verb

(to play)
Tense Use Example
I play
Present simple
Regular activities - routine - habits Anne and Sophie play tennis on Saturday afternoons.
I am playing
Present continuous
Continuous action now or at the present time. Anne and Sophie are playing at the moment.
I have played
Present Perfect Simple

Finished part of a continuous action
Completed actions in an unfinished period of time
Recent events (no time mentioned)
Past action with a result in the present.
Experiences (no time mentioned)
So far they have played two sets.
They have played several other matches this month.
Their parents have just arrived.
Sophie has broken her racket so she's got to change
it.
They have played in many tournaments.
I have been playing
Present Perfect Continuous
Actions begun in the past which continue today. They have been playing tennis since 2 pm.
I played
Past Simple
Finished actions at a specific time in the past. Last Saturday Sophie played in another tournament.
I was playing
Past Continuous
Continuous actions at a specific time in the past. At 2.30 pm they were starting the second set.
I had played
Past Perfect Simple
Actions before a specific time in the past. Before they arrived, two other people had played a
match.
I had been playing
Past Perfect Continuous
Past continuous actions When their parents arrived, they were already
playing.
I will play
Future simple
Predictions
Spontaneous decisions or offers
Sophie will win the match today.
I'll lend you my tennis racket!
I will be playing
Future continuous
Future continuous actions Next Saturday they will be playing in another town.
I will have played
Future perfect
Completed future action. By September, they will have played 12 matches.
I will have been playing
Future perfect continuous
Continuous future action completed at a given time. At 4 pm Anne and Sophie will have been playing for
2 hours.
I would play
Conditional Simple
Probable action in an imaginary situation I would play tennis if I had a racket.
I would be playing
Conditional Continuous
Continuous action in an imaginary situation. Anne would be playing tennis if you came on a
Saturday afternoon.
I would have played
Conditional Perfect
Speculating about hypothetical situations in the past. I would have played yesterday if you had asked me.
I would have been playing
Cond. Perfect Continuous
Continuous hypothetical situations. I would have been playing with Anne if I had won my
last match.