1.
Present Simple
The present simple is usually the first tense English students learn. You can use
it to talk about yourself and other people – as well as things that occur habitually
in the present.
Form
In the present simple, the base form of the verb is the same for every subject
pronoun, except the third person, where you add an “s” to the end of the verb.
Let’s take a look at the verb “eat”:
Uses & Examples
Habits – I sometimes go to the gym. I never eat fish.
General Truths – London is the capital of England.
Repeated Actions of Events – We drive to work every day.
Fixed Arrangements/ Timetables – The bus leaves at 6:30pm.
Feelings/Opinions/Beliefs – I love sandwiches. I hope to see you soon.
Instructions – First put the water in the pot, then bring to a boil.
2. Present Continuous
Now you can use the present simple, it is time to look at the present continuous.
Form
Use the verb to be + base verb + ing (sometimes called the gerund or present
participle).
Here’s an example using the word “sleep”.
Uses & Examples
Actions happening in the moment – We are learning grammar. Look! That
man is reading a book.
Fixed arrangements for the future – I’m getting married in July, I am travelling
next month .
Temporary events – He’s living in Wales for the moment.
To complain, or emphasize continuous behaviour with words like ‘always’,
‘forever’ and ‘constantly’ – You are always leaving your socks on the floor!
Stative Verbs
There are some verbs we cannot use in the continuous tense. These are called
stative verbs. Stative verbs refer to states, feelings, or senses rather than actions.
In these cases, we use the present simple instead. Here are some examples of
stative verbs:
3. Present Perfect Simple
The present perfect simple is used to connect the past to the present. The time of
the action is often unspecified, and the focus is more on the result rather than
the action. Let’s look at the form:
Form
Use the auxiliary verb have + the past participle of the main verb.
The past participle of regular verbs end in -ed, for verbs like walked, played,
looked and watched. But there are lots of irregular verbs – for example, been
(be), eaten (eat), made (make), gone (go), got (get), given (give), read (read),
said (say), taken (take).
Note that in 3rd person, we use “has” instead of “have”.
Uses & Examples
Actions that start in the past and continue to the present – I’ve lived here for
3 years.
Life experiences, at an unspecified time in the past – I’ve swum with
dolphins.
Repeated action in an unspecified time period – I’ve visited the Eiffel Tower
three times.
Unfinished time (today, this week, this month, this year) – I’ve ridden my
bicycle today.
A finished action with a present result – I’ve lost my keys (so I can’t open the
door).
Recent past with the words ‘just’, ‘recently’, ‘already’ and ‘yet’ – I’ve just
spoken to Mark on the phone.
However, keep in mind that when we give more details in a sentence – and
explain things like when, who, where, who, and why – we change the tense we
use to the past simple.
Here is an example:
-Have you ever been to Scotland?
4. Present Perfect Continuous
The present perfect continuous is the last of the present tenses. It is used to talk
about an action that started in the past but perhaps has still not finished in the
present. The focus is on the process as well as the result. The process may be
still going, or may have recently finished.
Form
Use the auxiliary verb have/has + been + base verb + ing to form the present
perfect continuous. Let’s take a look at the verb “read”:
Note that the verbs “live” and “work” can be used with either present perfect
simple, or present perfect continuous without changing the meaning.
Also note you cannot use stative verbs with continuous tenses. For these, we use
the present perfect simple.
Uses & Examples
Actions that started in the past and continue in the present – I’ve been
watching Game of Thrones.
To emphasise the duration or ’how long’ (with for and since) – Henry has
been playing the violin since he was eight.
Recently finished actions, with present results – Why have you been crying?
(there are tears in her eyes). It’s been raining (the ground is wet).
Present Perfect Continuous Activity
Answer the questions below about yourself in full sentences. Then compare your
answers with the examples at the end of this blogpost.
