Present Tense

STRUCTURE of Present Simple

STRUCTURE of Present Simple

Subject + Present Simple Form (3rd person singular adds "-s"

STRUCTURE of Present Perfect Simple

Subject + "have/has" + Past Participle

She's sent 50 invitations this week.

Present Perfect Simple

(Actions in the past, occurring in an unfinished time period)

She's living in student housing while taking the TEFL course.

Present Continuous
(temporary situations)

FUNCTION(S) of Present Simple

1. Permanent situations
2. Routines / habits
3. Laws / rules
4. State verbs
5. Future with a timetable

He lives in Prague.

Present Simple
(Permanent situation)

I brush my teeth daily.

Present Simple
(Routines / habits)

Ice melts in the heat.

Present Simple
(Laws / rules)

We love dogs.

Present Simple
(State verbs)

STRUCTURE of Present Continuous

Subject + "to be" (in present simple form) + Present Participle (verb + "-ing")

Present Perfect Continuous

Class begins at 9:30 a.m.

Present Simple
(Future with a timetable)

STRUCTURE of Present Perfect Continuous

Subject + "have/has" + "been" + Present Participle (verb + "-ing")

FUNCTION(S) of Present Continuous

1. Happening right now
2. Future plans with arrangements
3. Temporary situations
4. Annoying habits
5. Trends

I'm breathing air.

Present Continuous
(happening right now)

FUNCTION of Present Perfect Simple

1. Actions in the past, occurring in an unfinished time period

2. Actions in the past, where the emphasis is on the action's effect on present time

3. Immediate past events

4. Life experiences

She's always complaining.

Present Continuous
(annoying habits)

We're visiting France next year.

Present Continuous
(future plans with arrangements)

Present Simple

Present Perfect Simple

Hang on, I've lost my keys.

Present Perfect Simple

(Immediate past events)

She has climbed Mt. Everest

Present Perfect Simple

(Life experiences)

I have seen this movie already. (...and therefore, I don't want to watch it.)

Present Perfect Simple

(Actions in the past, where the emphasis is on the action's effect on present time)

FUNCTION(S) of Present Perfect Continuous

Ongoing activity that started in the past and continues into (and perhaps beyond) present time.

People are spending less money these days.

Present Continuous
(trends)

I've been hiking all day.

Present Perfect Continuous

(Ongoing activity that started in the past and continues into (and perhaps beyond) present time)

Present Continuous