Present Simple
Present Simple is used to express:
- Habits
- General truths
- Repeated actions
- Unchanging situations
Present Simple Form:
The base form of the verb with (I-we-you-they)
The base form of the verb + "S" with (He - She - It)
Examples:
- For habits:
1- He drinks tea at breakfast.
2- She only eats fish.
3- They watch television regularly.
- For repeated actions or events:
1- We catch the bus every morning.
2- It rains every afternoon in the hot season.
3- They drive to Monaco every summer. - For general truths:
1- Water freezes at zero degrees.
2- The Earth revolves around the Sun.
3- Her mother is Peruvian. - For instructions or directions:
1- Open the packet and pour the contents into hot water.
2- You take the No.6 bus to Watney and then the No.10 to Bedford. - For fixed arrangements:
1- His mother arrives tomorrow.
2- Our holiday starts on the 26th March. - With future constructions
1- She'll see you before she leaves.
2- We'll give it to her when she arrives
Forming the simple present tense: To think
| Affirmative | Interrogative | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| I think | Do I think? | I do not think |
| You think | Do you think? | You do not think |
| He thinks | Does he think? | He does not think |
| She thinks | Does she think? | She does not think |
| It thinks | Does it think? | It does not think |
| We think | Do we think? | We do not think. |
| They think | Do they think? | They do not think. |
Notes on the simple present, third person singular
1- In the third person singular, the verb always ends in -s:
- He wants.
- She needs.
- He gives.
- She thinks.
2- Negative and question forms use DOES + the infinitive of the verb.
- He wants ice cream.
- Does he want strawberry?
- He does not want vanilla.
3- Verbs ending in -y- in the third person changes from -y- to -ies-:
- fly --> flies
- cry --> cries
Exceptions:
- If there is a vowel before the -y- we add just an -s- for example: play --> plays or pray --> prays
- Add -es- to verbs ending in:-ss, -x, -sh, -ch: He passes, she catches, he fixes, it pushes
Present Continuous
The present continuous is used:
- To describe an action that is going on at this moment:
1- You are using the Internet.
2-You are studying English grammar. - To describe an action that is going on during this period of time or a trend:
1- Are you still working for the same company?
2-More and more people are becoming vegetarian. - To describe an action or event in the future, which has already been planned or prepared:
1- We're going on holiday tomorrow.
2- I'm meeting my boyfriend tonight.
3- Are they visiting you next winter? - To describe a temporary event or situation:
1- He usually plays the drums, but he's playing bass guitar tonight.
2- The weather forecast was good, but it's raining at the moment. - with "always, forever, constantly", to describe and emphasise a continuing series of repeated actions:
1- Harry and Sally are always arguing!
2-You're constantly complaining about your mother-in-law!
Forming the present continuous:
The present continuous of any verb is composed of two parts:
The present tense of the verb to be + the present participle of the main verb.
| Affirmative | ||
| Subject | + to be | + base + ing |
| She | is | talking. |
| Negative | ||
| Subject | + to be + not | + base + ing |
| She | is not (isn't) | talking |
| Interrogative | ||
| to be | + subject | + base + ing |
| Is | she | talking? |
Examples: TO GO, present continuous
| Affirmative | Negative | Interrogative |
|---|---|---|
| I am going | I am not going | Am I going? |
| You are going | You aren't going. | Are you going? |
| He, she, it is going | He, she, it isn't going | Is he, she, it going? |
| We are going | We aren't going | Are we going? |
| You are going | You aren't going | Are you going? |
| They are going | They aren't going | Are they going? |
Some verbs are not usually used in the continuous form
Verbs that are not usually used in the continuous form (also called, stative verbs) are normally used in the simple form because they refer to states, rather than actions or processes.
- feeling: hate, like, love, prefer, want, wish
- senses: appear, feel, hear, see, seem, smell, sound, taste
- communication: agree, deny, disagree, mean, promise, satisfy, surprise
- thinking: believe, imagine, know, mean, realize, recognize, remember, understand
- other states: be, belong, concern, depend, involve, matter, need, owe, own, possess
Exceptions
Perception verbs (see, hear, feel, taste, smell) are often used with can: I can see... These verbs may be used in the continuous form, but with a different meaning:
- This coat feels nice and warm. (your perception of the coat's qualities)
- John's feeling much better now (his health is improving)
- She has three dogs and a cat. (possession)
- She's having supper. (She's eating)
- I can see Anthony in the garden (perception)
- I'm seeing Anthony later (We are planning to meet)
present perfect
The present perfect is used to describe:
- An action or situation that started in the past and continues in the present.
I have lived in Bristol since 1984 (= and I still do.) - An action performed during a period that has not yet finished.
She has been to the cinema twice this week (= and the week isn't over yet.) - A repeated action in an unspecified period between the past and now.
We have visited Portugal several times. - An action that was completed in the very recent past, expressed by 'just'.
I have just finished my work. - An action when the time is not important.
He has read 'War and Peace'.
Note
Choosing between the present perfect and the simple past tenses. You must always use the present perfect when the time of an action is not important or not specified. You must always use the simple past when details about the time or place that an action occurred are given or requested.The present perfect of any verb is composed of two elements:
The appropriate form of the auxiliary verb to have (present tense) + the past participle of the main verb.
Affirmative |
||
| Subject | +to have | +past participle |
| She | has | visited. |
| Negative | ||
| Subject | +to have + not | +past participle |
| She | has not (hasn't) | visited. |
| Interrogative | ||
| to have | +subject | +past participle |
| Has | she | visited? |
| Negative interrogative | ||
| to have + not | +subject | +past participle |
| Hasn't | she | visited? |
Present perfect continuous
Present perfect continuous is used to describe:
An unspecified time between 'before now' and 'now'. The speaker is thinking about something that started, but perhaps did not finish in that period of time. He/she is interested in the process as well as the result, and this process may still be going on, or may have just finished.
- Actions that started in the past and continue in the present
1- She has been waiting for you all day (= and she's still waiting now).
2- I've been working on this report since eight o'clock this morning (= and I still haven't finished it).
3- They have been travelling since last October (= and they're not home yet).
- Actions that have just finished, but we are interested in the results
1- She has been cooking since last night (= and the food on the table looks delicious).
2- It's been raining (= and the streets are still wet).
3- Someone's been eating my chips (= half of them have gone).
Forming the present perfect continuous
The present perfect continuous is made up of two elements: the present perfect of the verb 'to be' (have/has been), and the present participle of the main verb (base+ing)
| Subject | +has/have been | +base+ing |
| She | has been | swimming |
Affirmative: She has been / She's been running.
Negative: She hasn't been running.
Interrogative : Has she been running?
Interrogative negative: Hasn't she been running?
Example: present perfect continuous, TO LIVE
| Affirmative | Negative | Interrogative |
|---|---|---|
| I have been living | I haven't been living | Have I been living? |
| You have been living | You haven't been living | Have you been living? |
| He, she, it has been living | He hasn't been living | Has she been living? |
| We have been living | We haven't been living | Have we been living? |
| You have been living | You haven't been living | Have you been living? |
| They have been living | They haven't been living | Have they been living? |
Verbs without continuous forms
With verbs not normally used in the continuous form, use the simple present perfect instead (verbs such as: know, hate, hear, understand, want).
I've wanted to visit China for years.
She's known Robert since she was a child.
I've hated that music since I first heard it.
I've heard a lot about you recently.
We've understood everything.
