Present Tenses - English Grammar Concepts with Examples
What is Present Tense?
- Simple Present Tenses
- Present Continuous Tenses
- Present Perfect Tenses
- Present Perfect Continuous Tenses
1. Simple Present Tenses
The Simple Present Tense indicates that an action is present, now, relative to the speaker or writer. Generally, it is also used to describe actions that are truthful or habitual things which occur in the present. While there is no need to happen necessarily right now.
General Form:
- Subject + am/is/are/verb/verb(s)/verb(es)/verb(ies)
- I - am/verb
- He/she/it/all singular subject - is/verb+ s/+es
- We/you/they/all plural subject - are/verb
Use of the simple present tense
Rule 1:
Simple Present tense is used to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual actions like a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens. It can also be something a person often forgets or usually does not do.
Example:
- I change my library book every week.
- He takes the dog out twice a day.
- Birds usually build nests in the tree.
- I get up every day at 5 O'clock.
- My father always takes his coffee without sugar.
Rule 2:
The Simple Present tense is used to express a universal truth or scientific principle.
Example:
- The planets revolve round the sun.
- Water contains oxygen and hydrogen.
- The sun rises in the east.
Rule 3:
The Simple Present tense is used to talk about scheduled events in the near future (Pre-planned action).
To indicate an arranged program
To indicate future action (definite one)
Example:
- Our examination begins on next Monday.
- My class teacher retires in May next year.
- The university reopens in June.
- We fly to Canada next month.
Rule 4:
The simple present tense is used in Proverbs and Maxims.
Example:
- Honesty is the best policy.
- Time and tide waits for none.
- Barking dogs seldom bite.
- Empty vessels make the greatest sound.
- Slow and steady wins the race.
Rule 5:
The simple present tense can be used to indicate the future with conjunction which shows time.
Example:
- Wait here till he returns.
- Play after you finish your work.
- Stay here until she comes.
Rule 6:
The simple present tense is to be used in imperative sentence.
Example:
- Write neatly.
- Work hard.
- Do well in the next time.
- Don't smoke here.
Rule 7:
The simple present tense is used to narrate the past events in a dramatic way.
Example:
- Now King Edward leads his army and attacks Alexander.
- Our soldiers rush forward and fire at the opposite Army.
Keywords:
- Usually
- Often
- As usual
- Frequently
- Generally
- Ever
- ln general
- Sometime
- Always
- In these days
- Rarely
- Regularly
- Seldom
- As a rule
- Occasionally
- Now-a-days
- Scarcely
- Periodically
- Hardly ever
- Normally
- Whenever
- In modern days
- Daily /weekly/monthly
- Every time
- Everyday
- Never
- Every week/month/year etc.
- Once/twice a week
2. Present Continuous Tense
We use the present continuous tense to show we are in the middle of an activity that is in progress at this moment. The activity started in the past and will go on in the future. So when we use the present continuous tense we are talking about something that is still not yet finished or complete at the time of speaking.
General form:
- Subject + am/is/are + verb+ing
- I - am + verb+ing
- He/she/it/all singular subjects - is + verb+ing
- We/you/they/all plural subjects - are + verb+ing
Use of Present Continuous Tense
Rule 1:
The present continuous tense is used to express an action that is going on at the time of speaking, at this moment. It can also be used to show that something is not happening now.
Example:
- He is working in the garden now.
- The boys are watching a cricket match at present.
- The children are playing games at this moment.
- They are reading their books.
- They are not watching television.
Rule 2:
The Present Continuous tense is used to indicate the action that will or will not happen in the near future.
Example:
- My aunty is going to Mumbai tomorrow.
- My father is coming from Delhi next Monday.
- Is she visiting her brother next weekend?
- I am not going to attend that meeting.
Keywords:
- Now
- Still
- At present
- Still now
- At this moment
- Even now
- Any longer
- Any more
Note: Some verbs are never used in continuous tense form.
- Smell
- Hear
- See
- Notice
- Think
- Believe
- Like
- Need
- Love
- Hate
- Seems
- Resemble
- Understand
- Forget
- Know
- Remember
- Prefer
- Want
- Wish
- Belong
- Appear
- Refuse
- Own
3. Present Perfect Tense
We use this tense when we want to talk about unfinished actions that started in the past and continue to the present. This tense indicates either that an action was completed (finished or perfected) at some point in the past or that the action extends to the present.
General form:
- Subject + has/have + past participle
- He/she/it/all singular subjects - has + past participle
- I/we/you/they/all plural subjects - have + past participle
Rule 1:
The Present Perfect tense is used to indicate action completed in the immediate past. The present perfect tense with the adverb "just” may be used.
Example:
- She has just gone out.
- They have just started their dinner, do please join with them.
- It has just struck eleven.
Rule 2:
The Present Perfect tense is used to describe an action happened at an unspecified time before now.
Example:
- I have heard that song twenty times.
- I think he has met him once before.
- There have been many earthquakes in London.
Rule 3:
The Present Perfect tense is used to indicate periods of time that began in the past and is still continuing.
Example:
- Alex has lived in Singapore for three years.(that means Singapore is still in Salem)
- The film has made a lot of profit this year.
- I have not eaten anything for two hours.
- Aman has not visited her uncle since Sunday.
Rule 4:
The Present Perfect Tense is used to talk about change that has happened over a period of time, also while talking about several different actions which have occurred in the past at different times.
Examples:
- He has grown since the last time I saw him.
- The government has become more interested in arts education.
- Chinese has become one of the most popular courses at the university since the Asian studies program was established.
- I have had four quizzes and five tests so far this semester.
- We have had many major problems while working on this project
Rule 5:
The Present Perfect is used to describe an action which began in the past and extend to the present. It suggests the process is not complete and more actions are possible.
Example:
- My brother hasn't work at New York since 2004.
- There has been no rain here for six months.
- I have not met my grandmother since June.
- My friend has not come to my house since last month.
- The owner of the shop has been ill for ten days.
Rule 6:
It is also used to list the accomplishments of individuals and humanity. There we don't need to mention a specific time.
Examples:
- Man has walked on the Moon.
- Our son has learned how to read.
- I have always spoken the truth.
- I have never touched a cigarette in my life.
Rule 7:
We can use present perfect tense while giving suggestions that we are still waiting for the action to happen.
Examples:
- James has not finished his homework yet.
- Susan hasn't mastered Japanese, but she can communicate.
- Bill has still not arrived.
- The rain hasn't stopped.
Keywords:
- Just
- So far
- Lately
- Just now
- upto
- now
- Recently
- Till
- Yet
- Ever
- Till
- Now
- Already
- Never
3. Present Perfect Continuous Tense
It is used to describe an event that started in the past but is still happening in the present. That event in the present can be something that is taking place at this moment.
General form:
- Subject + has/have + been + verb+ing
- He/she/it/all singular subjects - has + been + verb+ing
- I/we/you/they/all plural subjects - have + been+ verb+ing
Rule 1:
The Present Perfect Continuous tense is used to show that something started in the past and has continued up until now.
If a sentence contains any of the words like for ten minutes", "for three weeks" and "since Sunday", then it can be used with the Present Perfect Continuous.
Examples:
- We have been working hard for the examination for three months.
- It has been raining heavily since the last night.
- My father has been service in the army for five years.
- The mesons have been building this house for two month.
- I have been waiting for the guests since morning.
Rule 2:
Without the duration, we can use this tense which has a more general meaning of "lately" or "recently" to emphasize the meaning.
Examples:
- Recently, I have been feeling really tired.
- She has been watching too much television lately.
- Have you been exercising lately?
- Mary has been feeling a little depressed.
Keywords
- Since
- For
- Recently
- Lately