Present Tense

Tenses

What is Tense?

Tenses, in English Grammar are the form of the verb which shows the time when a specific event has happened or is going to happen. Basically, tense denotes the characteristics of the verb in a sentence.

According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary: “Tense is defined as any of the forms of a verb that may be used to show the time of the action or state expressed by the verb.”

Why are English verb tenses so important? 

Without proper use of the past, the present and the future, you cannot express your meaning correctly. The tense shows the time of an action that is shown by the verb.

When you master the 12 different tenses in English, you master the English language.

Present Simple
I do, I do do

Present Continuous
I am doing

Present Perfect
I have done

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been doing

What is Present Tense?

We use present tense to talk about something that is currently going on, something that is habitually performed, or a state that generally or currently exists.

Structure

Subject + verb (s/es) + object.

Examples:

I do

She lives in Spain.

Bob drives a taxi.

Subject	Auxiliary verb		Main verb	Object
I, you, we, they			like	coffee.
He, she, it			likes	coffee.
I, you, we, they	do	not	like	coffee.
He, she, it	does	not	like	coffee.
Do	I, you, we, they		like	coffee?
Does	he, she, it		like	coffee?

What is present continuous tense?

The present continuous tense, as the name suggests, is the form of tense that is used to denote an action that is ongoing or occurring in that current moment.

Subject	Auxiliary verb		Main verb	Object
I	am		speaking	to you.
You	are		reading	this.
She	is	not	staying	in London.
We	are	not	playing	football.
Is	he		watching	TV?
Are	they		waiting	for John?

How do we use the Present Continuous tense?

We use the Present Continuous to talk about:

Action happening now

Action in the future

Present Continuous for action happening now

I am eating my lunch.
the pages are turning	the candle is burning	the numbers are spinning

Action happening around now

Muriel is learning to drive.

I am living with my sister until I find an apartment.

What is present Perfect tense?

The present perfect tense is an English verb tense used for past actions that are related to or continue into the present. It's easily recognized by the auxiliary verbs (or helper verbs) have and has, as in, “I have gone fishing since I was a child.

Subject + have/has + past participle (third form of the verb) + rest of the sentence

Positive	Negative	Interrogative	Negative Interrogative
Subject + have/has + past participle + the rest of the sentence	Subject + have/has + not + past participle + the rest of the sentence	Have/has + subject + past participle + the rest of the sentence	Have/has + subject + not + past participle + the rest of the sentence
Examples: I have finished my work. You have finished your work. He has finished his work. She has finished her work. They have finished their work.	Examples: I have not finished my work. You have not finished your work. He has not finished his work. She has not finished her work. They have not finished their work.	Examples: Have I finished my work? Have you finished your work? Has he finished his work? Has she finished her work? Have they finished their work?	Examples: Haven’t I finished my work? Haven’t you finished your work? Hasn’t he finished his work? Hasn’t she finished her work? Haven’t they finished their work? Have you not finished your work? Has she not finished her work? Has he not finished his work? Have they not finished their work?

What is present perfect continuous?

The present perfect continuous (also known as the present perfect progressive) is a verb tense used to talk about something that started in the past and is continuing at the present time.

Example: Preethi has worked as an English teacher for two years.

Structure of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Positive	Negative	Interrogative	Negative Interrogative
Subject + have/has + been + present participle + the rest of the sentence	Subject + have/has + not + been + present participle + the rest of the sentence	Have/has + subject + been + present participle + the rest of the sentence	Have/has + subject + not + been + present participle + the rest of the sentence
Examples: I have been working on this project for a week. You have been working on this project for a week. He has been working on this project for a week. She has been working on this project for a week. They have been working on this project for a week.	Examples: I have not been working on this project for a week. You have not been working on this project for a week. He has not been working on this project for a week. She has not been working on this project for a week. They have not been working on this project for a week.	Examples: Have I been working on this project for a week? Have you been working on this project for a week? Has he been working on this project for a week? Has she been working on this project for a week? Have they been working on this project for a week?	Examples: Haven’t I been working on this project for a week? Haven’t you been working on this project for a week? Hasn’t he been working on this project for a week? Hasn’t she been working on this project for a week? Haven’t they been working on this project for a week? Have you not been working on this project for a week? Has she not been working on this project for a week? Has he not been working on this project for a week? Have they not been working on this project for a week?