SIMPLE PRESENT

(See also Verbs -'Regular verbs in the simple present')

Simple present, third person singular

Note:

1. he, she, it: 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 third person of the auxiliary'DO') + the
infinitive of the verb.
He wants. Does he want? He does not want.
3. Verbs ending in -y : the third person changes the -y to -ies:
fly flies, cry cries

Exception: if there is a vowel before the -y:

play plays, pray prays
4. Add -es to verbs ending in:-ss, -x, -sh, -ch:
he passes, she catches, he fixes, it pushes

See also Verbs -'Regular verbs in the simple present', and 'Be, do & have'

Examples:

1. Third person singular with s or -es

 He goes to school every morning.

 She understands English.

 It mixes the sand and the water.

 He tries very hard.

 She enjoys playing the piano.

2. Simple present, form

Example: to think, present simple

Affirmative Interrogative Negative

I think Do I think ? I do not think.
You think Do you think? You don't think.
he, she, it thinks Does he, she, it think? He, she, it doesn't think.
we think Do we think? We don't think.
you think Do you think? You don't think.

The simple present is used:

1. to express habits, general truths, repeated actions or unchanging situations, emotions

and wishes:
I smoke (habit); I work in London (unchanging situation); London is a large city
(general truth)
2. to give instructions or directions:
You walk for two hundred metres, then you turn left.
3. to express fixed arrangements, present or future:
Your exam starts at 09.00
4. to express future time, after some conjunctions: after, when, before, as soon as, until:
He'll give it to you when you come next Saturday.

BE CAREFUL! The simple present is not used to express actions happening now. See
Present Continuous.

Examples:

1. For habits
He drinks tea at breakfast.
She only eats fish.
They watch television regularly.
2. For repeated actions or events
We catch the bus every morning.
It rains every afternoon in the hot season.
They drive to Monaco every summer.
3. For general truths
Water freezes at zero degrees.
The Earth revolves around the Sun.
Her mother is Peruvian.
4. For instructions or directions
Open the packet and pour the contents into hot water.
You take the No.6 bus to Watney and then the No.10 to Bedford.
5. For fixed arrangements
His mother arrives tomorrow.
Our holiday starts on the 26th March
6. With future constructions
She'll see you before she leaves.
We'll give it to her when she arrives.

1. Present continuous, form

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.

(The form of the present participle is: base+ing, e.g. talking, playing, moving, smiling)

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?

Example: 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?

Note: alternative negative contractions: I'm not going, you're not going, he's not going etc.

2. Present Continuous, function

As with all tenses in English, the speaker's attitude is as important as the time of the action
or event. When someone uses the present continuous, they are thinking about something that
is unfinished or incomplete.

The present continuous is used:

 to describe an action that is going on at this moment e.g.

You are using the Internet. You are studying English grammar.

 to describe an action that is going on during this period of time or a trend, e.g.
Are you still working for the same company? More and more people are becoming
vegetarian.
  to describe an action or event in the future, which has already been planned or
prepared (See also 'Ways of expressing the future) e.g.
We're going on holiday tomorrow. I'm meeting my boyfriend tonight. Are they
visiting you next winter?

 to describe a temporary event or situation, e.g.

He usually plays the drums, but he's playing bass guitar tonight. 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, e.g.
Harry and Sally are always arguing! You're forever complaining about your
mother-in-law!

BE CAREFUL! Some verbs are not used in the continuous form - see below.

3. Verbs that are not normally used in the continuous form

The verbs in the list below are normally used in the simple form, because they refer to states,
rather than actions or processes:

List of common verbs normally used in simple form:

Senses / Perception
feel*, hear, see*, smell, taste
Opinion
assume, believe, consider, doubt, feel (= think), find (= consider), suppose, think*
Mental states
forget, imagine, know, mean, notice, recognise, remember, understand
Emotions / desires
envy, fear, dislike, hate, hope, like, love, mind, prefer, regret, want, wish
Measurement
contain, cost, hold, measure, weigh
Others
look (=resemble), seem, be (in most cases), have (when it means to possess)*

Notes:

 'Perception' verbs (see, hear, feel, taste, smell) are often used with 'can': e.g.
I can see...

 * These verbs may be used in the continuous form but with a different meaning,
compare:

 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)

Examples

 I wish I was in Greece now.

 She wants to see him now.

 I don't understand why he is shouting.

 I feel we are making a mistake.

 This glass holds half a litre.

1. Present Perfect - Form

The present perfect of any verb is composed of two elements : the appropriate form of the
auxiliary verb to have (present tense), plus the past participle of the main verb. The past
participle of a regular verb is base+ed, e.g. played, arrived, looked. For irregular verbs, see
the Table of irregular verbs in the section called 'Verbs'.

Affirmative
Subject to have past participle
She has visited
Negative
Subject to have + not past participle
She hasn't visited
Interrogative
to have subject past participle
Has she visited..?
Interrogative negative
to have + not subject past participle
Hasn't she visited...?

Example: to walk, present perfect

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I have walked I haven't walked Have I walked?
You have walked You haven't walked Have you walked?
He, she, it has walked He, she, it hasn't walked Has he,she,it walked
We have walked We haven't walked Have we walked?
You have walked You haven't walked Have you walked?
They have walked They haven't walked Have they walked?

2. Present perfect, function

The Present Perfect is used to indicate a link between the present and the past. The time of
the action is before now but not specified, and we are often more interested in the result
than in the action itself.

BE CAREFUL! There may be a verb tense in your language with a similar form, but the
meaning is probably NOT the same.

The Present Perfect is used to describe:

1. An action or situation that started in the past and continues in the present. Example: I
have lived in Bristol since 1984 (= and I still do.)

2. An action performed during a period that has not yet finished. Example: She has been
to the cinema twice this week (= and the week isn't over yet.)

3. A repeated action in an unspecified period between the past and now. Example: We
have visited Portugal several times.

4. An action that was completed in the very recent past, (expressed by 'just'). Example:
I have just finished my work.

5. An action when the time is not important. Example: He has read 'War and Peace'. (the
result of his reading is important)

Note: When we want to give or ask details about when, where, who, we use the simple past.
Example: He read 'War and Peace' last week.

Examples:

1. Actions started in the past and continuing in the present.

 They haven't lived here for years.

 She has worked in the bank for five years.

 We have had the same car for ten years.

 Have you played the piano since you were a child?

2. When the time period referred to has not finished.

 I have worked hard this week.

 It has rained a lot this year.

 We haven't seen her today.

3. Actions repeated in an unspecified period between the past and now.

 They have seen that film six times.

 It has happened several times already.

 She has visited them frequently.

 We have eaten at that restaurant many times.

4. Actions completed in the very recent past (+just).

 Have you just finished work?

 I have just eaten.

 We have just seen her.

 Has he just left?

5. When the precise time of the action is not important or not known.

 Someone has eaten my soup!

 Have you seen 'Gone with the Wind'?

 She's studied Japanese, Russian and English.

Present Perfect of Simple Past?

How to choose between the Present Perfect and Simple Past Tenses

 Always use the Present Perfect when the time is not important, or not specified.

 Always use the Simple Past when details about the time or place are specified or asked for.

Compare:

Present Perfect Simple Past

I have lived in Lyon. I lived in Lyon in 1989.
They have eaten Thai food. They ate Thai food last night.
Have you seen 'Othello'?. Where did you see 'Othello'?
We have been to Ireland. When did you go to Ireland?

There is also a difference of attitude that is often more important than the time factor.

 "What did you do at school today?" is a question about activities, and considers the school
day as finished.

 "What have you done at school today?" is a question about results - "show me", and regards
the time of speaking as a continuation of the school day.

Present Perfect + for and since

PRESENT PERFECT + for, since

Using the present perfect, we can define a period of time before now by considering its
duration, with for + a period of time, or by considering its starting point, with since + a
point in time.

For + a period of time

 for six years, for a week, for a month, for hours, for two hours.

 I have worked here for five years.

Since + a point in time

 since this morning, since last week, since yesterday,

 since I was a child, since Wednesday, since 2 o'clock.

 I have worked here since 1990.

present perfect with for

 She has lived here for twenty years.

 We have taught at this school for a long time.

 Alice has been married for three months.

 They have been at the hotel for a week.

present perfect with since

  She has lived here since 1980.

 We have taught at this school since 1965

 Alice has been married since March 2nd.

 They have been at the hotel since last Tuesday.

Note:

 For and since can both be used with the past perfect.

 Since can only be used with perfect tenses, for can also be used with the simple past.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Present Perfect Continuous, Form

The present perfect continuous is made up of two elements:

1. the present perfect of the verb 'to be' (have/has been), and

2. 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: to live, present perfect continuous

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?

Present perfect continuous, function

The present perfect continuous refers to 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.

Examples

1. Actions that started in the past and continue in the present.

 She has been waiting for you all day (=and she's still waiting now).

 I've been working on this report since eight o'clock this morning (=and I still haven't
finished it).

 They have been travelling since last October (=and they're not home yet).

2. Actions that have just finished, but we are interested in the results:

 She has been cooking since last night (=and the food on the table looks delicious).

 It's been raining (= and the streets are still wet).

 Someone's been eating my chips (= half of them have gone).

Verbs without continuous forms

With verbs not normally used in the continuous form, use the present perfect simple. See list
of these verbs under 'Present Continuous':

 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 we've heard this morning.