The Present Tense

THE PRESENT TENSE

We distinguish between three types of present: the present simple which is used to indicate facts, general truth, routines, feelings or emotions, the present perfect which indicates a past action with an impact on the present, and the present continuous which indicates that an action is happening at the time of speaking.

THE PRESENT SIMPLE

Affirmative form: VERB (+ ‘S’ FOR THE 3^RD PERSON SINGULAR)

Negative form: add 'do not' or 'does not' before the main verb.

Note: The verb 'to be' changes depending on the subject of the sentence.

For the negative form with 'to be' add 'not' after the conjugated verb.

The simple present is used to describe:

• a fact or general truth
• a repeated action or habitual action
• feelings or emotions, likes or dislikes
• a future event that is part of a fixed programme

Examples:

• Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. (fact) (Compare to 'The water is boiling. Take it off the stove please.')
• The Sun is a star. (fact)
• Honey is sweet. (fact)
• He never drinks milk. (habitual action)
• I usually eat late at night. (habitual action)
• He drinks coffee every morning (habitual action)
• I use my scooter to get around town. (But I’m not actually on my scooter right now.) (repeated action)
• She likes diet Coke. (feeling/like)
• I don't like to wake up in the morning (feeling/dislike)
• School starts in August. (fixed programme)
• The hotel reopens after renovations. (fixed programme)

Time markers that require the simple present tense:

• all the time
• always
• every time/ week/ month/ year
• never
• often
• rarely
• sometimes
• usually
• occasionally
• every now and then

____________________________________________________

THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Affirmative form: "to be" in the present (am/are/is) + verb +’ING’

Negative form: add 'not' between the verb 'to be' conjugated in the present and the main verb

The present continuous is used to express:

• a continuous action in the present, something that happens at the time of speaking.
• a planned future action

Examples:

• I am reading the newspaper right now.
• John is taking the driver’s license test now.
• I am meeting my friends after school.

Time markers:

• now
• right now
• as we speak
• at the time being

 __________________________________________________________

THE PRESENT PERFECT

HAVE/ HAS + PAST PARTICIPLE

For the negative form add 'not' between have or has and the past participle

The present perfect is used to express:

• an action that took place at an indefinite time in the past but which has an impact on the present. (The time of the action is not clearly specified. If it were, you'd have to use the simple past. What matters the most is the present result of that action.)

Examples:

• I have already eaten. (Result: I am not hungry now)
• They have seen the movie. (Result: They know what it is about.)
• I have just washed my car (Result: The car is clean now) (Compare to simple past: I washed my car last week).

Time markers:

• already
• just
• yet

 ____________________________________________________