I was tired yesterday.
- Language
- English
- Level
- A0
- Unit
- Basic tense signals
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
Past and future signal words help beginners map language to time without full tense complexity.
When to use it
Use these words to introduce basic past/future meaning and simple helper patterns.
Key forms
- past: yesterday, last week, before
- future: tomorrow, next week, later
- helper cues: did / was-were / will
Examples
Did you call me last night?
We will travel tomorrow.
She will study later.
Tips
- Learn a small core list of time words and reuse them.
- In beginner questions about the past, did is a helpful signal.
- For basic future meaning, will + base verb is a strong starter pattern.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Spoken English also uses going to for future plans, usually introduced after basic will patterns.