Present Forms
Present Simple
- · Permanent situations or states
- · Permanent truths or laws of nature
- · Repeated/habitual actions
- · Reviews/sports/commentaries/ dramatic narrative “Pavarotti songs wonderfully in this opera”
- · Timetables/programs (future meaning) “The race starts at 3:00”
- · Exclamatory sentences “Here comes the bride”
Expressions: every day/week/month/year, usually, sometimes, always (every day), rarely, never, often, in the morning/evening/afternoon, at night, on Mondays
Present Continuous
- · Temporary situations “She is working in Paris this week”
- · Changing or developing situations “Mary is putting on weight”
- · Frequently repeated actions with always, constantly, continually expressing annoyance or criticism “He’s always asking stupid questions”
- · Actions happening at or around the moment of speaking
- · Fixed arrangements in the near future “I’m seeing Rachel tonight”
Expressions: now, at the moment, at present, nowadays, today, tonight, always (constantly), still
Present Perfect
- · Recently completed actions “He has cut the grass”
- · Complete past actions connected to the present with stated or unstated time reference “He has sold his car”
- · Personal experiences/changes which have happened “I have learnt a lot this year”
- · Emphasis on number “He has read three novels this week”; “She has interviewed seven students this morning”
Present Perfect Continuous
- · Actions started in the past and continuing up to the present “He has been washing his bike for an hour” (He started and hour ago and he’s still washing it)
- · Past actions of certain duration having visible results or effects in the present “He has been fighting. That’s why he’s got a black eye”
- · To express anger, irritations, annoyance, explanations or criticism “Someone has been lying to me”
- · Present Perfect Continuous is normally used with for, since or how long to put emphasis n duration “She has been waiting since 4 o’clock”
Expressions for Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous: just, ever, never, already, yet (negations and questions), always, how long, so far, recently, since, for, today, this week/month