THE PRESENT

PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT

SIMPLE CONTINUOUS PERFECT SIMPLE PERFECT
CONTINUOUS
Form: Form: Form: Form:
Affirmative: Affirmative: Affirmative: Affirmative:
a. Subject + verb Subject + to be + V Subject + have / Subject + have/
b. Subject + verb + + ing has + verb (past has + been + verb
s/es Negative: participle) + ing
Negative: Subject + to be + Negative: Negative:
a. Subject + do + not + V + ing Subject + have / Subject + have/
not + verb Interrogative: has + not / has + not/ haven’t/
b. Subject + does + To be + Subject + haven’t / hasn’t + hasn’t + been +
V + ing verb (past verb + ing
not + verb participle) Interrogative: Have/
Interrogative: Interrogative: Has + subject +
a. Do + subject + Have / Has + been + verb + ing
verb subject + verb
b. Does + subject + (past participle)

verb

Use: Use: Use: Use:

- Regular or - Activity in - Action completed - Duration of
repeated actions: progress at the at an unstated an action
I usually start work moment of speech: moment in the that started
at 9 a.m. He is reading a past: in the past
report right now She has bought a and still
- Actions regarded new mobile phone continues in
as permanent: - Temporary the present:
The moon moves situations: - Recently We have been
round the earth She is working completed actions discussing the
overtime these with visible results issue for 2 hours.
- Official days in the present:
schedules, They have just
timetables: -Near future finished the
The bus leaves in arrangements: meeting.
10 minutes. He is leaving for
Paris next week - Actions
completed during a
time period that is
not over:
He has written five
mails this morning.

- Actions started in
the past and
continue up to the
Interact
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 present:
He has been a GM
since 2002.

Expressions of Expressions of Expressions of Expressions of

time: time: time: time:
every day/ evening/ Now/ right now/ just, ever, never, for, since, all
week/ month/ year/ just now, at the already, yet, so far, morning, all day, all
etc., in the moment/ at recently, lately, week
morning/ evening/ present/ currently, today, this week/
etc., at night, once today/ this week/ month/ year
a week/ twice a this month/ etc.
month/ four times a tomorrow/ next
year/ etc., every Tuesday/ next
day etc., always, week/ next month
usually, generally, etc
as a rule, often,
frequently,
sometimes,
seldom, rarely,
occasionally, ever,
hardly ever, never