Wouldn't this be present tense?

Question

Which of the following sentences refer to a future time event?Esta tarde ayudo a mi madre en el jardín.Manuel se vestirá elegante ese día.Estos meses no dejaré de fumar.En aquella ocasión no te vi.
Why is the first sentence future and not present?

Answer

Hola Allison
We sometimes use the present tense to refer to future events, always using a time phrase that indicates the future. This is the case with this sentence:
"Esta tarde ayudo a mi madre en el jardín."
If you only say "Ayudo a mi madre en el jardín." there is no indication of future, but with "esta tarde" we know it is referring to a future time, "this afternoon".
I hope this helps.
(We've got a lesson about this usage coming up soon.)
Inma

Answer

I have the same question as Allison.

Couldn't 'Esta tarde ayudo a mi madre en el jardín' be 'I am helping...this afternoon' (meaning right now), if we were to translate ayudo in the continuous sense?