PRESENT TENSE
Juna Garibashvili
Tbilisi State
University
THE PRESENT TENSE IS USED TO TALK
ABOUT THE PRESENT AND TO TALK ABOUT
THE FUTURE.
There are four present
tense forms:
Present simple
I work
Present continuous
I am working
Present perfect
I have worked
Present perfect continuous
I have been working
PRESENT SIMPLE
The present tense is the base form of the
verb:
I work in London.
But with the third person singular
(she/he/it), we add an –s:
She works in London.
PRESENT SIMPLE QUESTIONS
We use do and does to make questions with the
present simple. We use does for the third person
singular (she/he/it) and do for the others.
Do Rita and Angela live in Manchester?
Where do they work?
We use do and does with question words
like where, what and when:
Where do Angela and Rita live?
What does Angela do?
But questions with who often don't use do or does:
Who lives in London?
PRESENT SIMPLE NEGATIVES
We use do and does to make negatives with the
present simple. We use doesn't for the third
person singular (she/he/it) and don't for the
others.
They don't work at the weekend.
John doesn't live in Manchester.
WE USE THE PRESENT SIMPLE TO TALK ABOUT:
something that is true in the present,
something that happens regularly in the
present,
something that is always true,
something that is fixed in the future,
something in the future after time
words like when, after and before and after
if and unless,
telling a story,
summarising a book, film or play.
SIGNAL WORDS FOR
THE PRESENT SIMPLE
always on Mondays
often after school
usually
sometimes
seldom
never
every day
every week
every year
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
The present continuous is made from
the present tense of the verb be and
the –ing form of a verb
I am working
You are playing
He is talking
She is living
It is eating
We are staying
They are sleeping
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
QUESTIONS
We make questions by
putting am, is or are in front of
the subject
Are you listening?
Are they coming to your party?
When is she going home?
What am I doing here?
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
NEGATIVES
We make negatives by
putting not (or n't) after am, is or are:
I'm not doing that.
You aren't listening. (or You're not listening.)
They aren't coming to the party. (or They're not coming to the
party.)
She isn't going home until Monday. (or She's not going home
until Monday.)
WE USE THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TO
TALK ABOUT
activities at the moment of speaking:
I'm just leaving work. I'll be home in an hour.
future plans or arrangements:
Mary is going to a new school next term.
something which is happening before and after a specific
time
At eight o'clock we are usually having breakfast.
something which we think is temporary:
Michael is at university. He's studying history.
something which is new and contrasts with a previous state:
These days most people are using email instead of writing letters.
something which is changing, growing or developing:
something which happens again and again:
STATIVE VERBS
WE DO NOT NORMALLY USE THE CONTINUOUS WITH STATIVE VERBS.
WE NORMALLY USE THE SIMPLE INSTEAD:
I UNDERSTAND YOU. (NOT I AM UNDERSTANDING YOU.) STATIVE VERBS
INCLUDE:
Believe understand agree
dislike want be
know wish belong
like appear disagree
love feel
need
hate look owe
prefer seem
own
realise smell possess
recognise sound
remember Taste
suppose
think (= believe)
PRESENT PERFECT
The present perfect is formed from the
present tense of the verb have and the
past participle of a verb.
He has written three books and he is
working on another one.
I can't get in the house. I've lost my keys.
PRESENT PERFECT NEGATIVES
we use never for the
negative form:
Have you ever met George?
Yes, but I've never met his
wife.
WE USE THE PRESENT
PERFECT:
for something that started in the
past and continues in the present:
She has lived in Liverpool all her life.
when we are talking about our experience
up to the present:
I've played the guitar ever since I was a teenager.
We often use the adverb ever to talk about
experience up to the present:
My last birthday was the worst day I have ever had.
for something that happened in the
past but is important in the present:
Teresa isn't at home. I think she has gone shopping
HAVE BEEN AND HAVE GONE
We use have/has been when
someone has gone to a place
and returned:
Where have you been?
I've just been out to the supermarket.
But when someone has not
returned, we use have/has gone:
Where's Maria? I haven't seen her for weeks.
She's gone to Paris for a week. She'll be
back tomorrow.
PRESENT PERFECT WITH TIME
ADVERBIALS
We often use the present perfect with adverbials which
refer to the recent past:
Recently
Just
only just
or adverbials which include the present:
so far
until now
up to now
ever (in questions)
yet (in questions and negatives)
After a clause with the present perfect we often use a
clause with since to show when something started in
the past:
I've worked here since I left school.
PRESENT PERFECT
CONTINUOUS
The present perfect continuous is formed
with have/has been and the -ing form of the
verb.
She has been living in Liverpool all her
life.
It's been raining for hours.
WE USE PRESENT PERFECT
CONTINUOUS TO TALK ABOUT
We normally use the present perfect
continuous to emphasise that something
is still continuing in the present:
I'm tired out. I've been working all day.
They have been staying with us since last week.
We do not normally use the present
perfect continuous with stative verbs. We
use the present perfect simple instead:
I've always been liking liked John.
PRESENT PERFECT FOR
FUTURE
We normally use the present simple to
talk about the future in clauses
with before, after, until, etc.:
I'll keep looking until I find my book.
We'll begin when everyone arrives.
but we can also use the present
perfect:
I'll keep looking until I have found my book.
We'll begin when everyone has arrived.
LITERATURE :
https://www.toppr.com
https://www.grammar-monster.com
www.ef.com
www.englishpage.com
https://Magoosh.com
Thank you for your attention
