Rules of thumb on using the correct tense forms and auxiliary verbs

For example, when using "since", you should use "present perfect":

Mr Smith _ _ _ the company since 1990.

1. runs


2. has run


3. is running


4. ran

Is there any reference on similar rules, guiding principles or hints? sometimes things get mixed up for me when choosing the correct form of verb tense (past/present continuous/perfect/simple...).

Also any other rules on similar cases (other than verb tenses) are also welcome : )

I tried doing some research, but haven't found much, probably I am not using the right search terms. Any hints on this are also welcome, I will do my research homework.

I have an English test tomorrow, English is not my mother tongue (you probably guessed).

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Edit: What I am asking for can be abbreviated to this specific question:

Is there any reference that contains rules on when and where should one use a specific tense/aux. verb over another?

Answer

Below is a list of links to resources related to the question above, encountered while searching, I will update this list with interesting materials for people having the same problem!

Resources

1. Tenses Table (PDF File, 103KiB): A table that contains

   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Tense (past/present continuous/perfect/simple...)
   
   
   • Signal words (for, since, often, while...)
   
   
   • Example Use
   
   
   • Form
   
   
   • Examples (Affirmative, negative, and interrogative )
   
   



2. English Grammar For Dummies - Cheat Sheet: A quick overview on common grammatical rules

   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Parts of Speech in English Grammar
   
   
   • English Grammar Basics: Parts of a Sentence
   
   
   • Pronoun Tips for Proper English Grammar
   
   
   • English Grammar Tips for Subject-Verb Agreement
   
   
   • Placing Proper Punctuation
   
   
   • Verb Tense Tips in English Grammar
   
   



3. Another table that shows tenses, example forms (Affirmative/Negative/Question), use, and signal words.



4. Verb Tense Chart: Visual representation showing each form relation with time (past>now>future) (PDF, 307KiB)

Images, Charts, Diagrams...

Bonus Stuff