Present tenses in English: general characteristics

When you need to talk about your habits, current activities, or life experiences in English, the present tenses come in handy. There are four main present forms in English:

• Present Simple
• Present Continuous
• Present Perfect
• Present Perfect Continuous

In this article, we will cover the main cases of usage and the rules for forming the present tenses in English, differences between them, and at the end, we will provide answers to the most common questions.

Contents

1. Present Simple tense in English
2. Present Continuous tense in English
3. Present Perfect tense in English
4. Present Perfect Continuous tense in English
5. How to form the present tenses
6. Time markers for present tenses in English
7. Practice exercise
8. FAQ

Present Simple tense in English
 

Students are introduced to the Present Simple in their very first English lessons. It is used to provide basic information about oneself: to introduce oneself, state one's age, occupation, or place of residence.

Additionally, this tense is used to talk about:

1. General truths and laws of nature:

• Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
• The Sun rises in the east. 

2. Current fact:

• I am an English teacher. 
• My family lives in Kyiv. 

3. Habits or things that we do regularly:

• We get up at 7:15 every morning.
• He goes shopping three times a week. 

4. A timetable/schedule:

• The train to Lviv leaves at 6:45.
• The concert starts at 8 o’clock in the evening. 

5. Instructions and directions:

• You take the right turn and go straight until you get to the hospital. 
• You don’t discuss the questions with each other and don’t use additional resources. 

Present Continuous tense in English
 

After discussing habits and facts about ourselves, we might want to describe what we are doing at this very moment. For this, we need the next tense — the Present Continuous.

This tense is used to talk about: 

1. Events that are happening at the moment of speaking (right now):

• Mary is making dinner now. 
• We are watching a horror film at the moment. 

2. Events that are happening around now (approximately now):

• I am preparing for an exam this week. 
• She is watching Friends these days.

3. For temporary events:

• My flat is flooded, so I am living with my sister. 
• I am taking a bus to the office because my car is broken.

4. Annoying or irritating repeated behavior:

• He is always leaving dirty dishes in the sink! 
• My friends are constantly asking me when I am going to have a baby. 

5. Fixed arrangements for the future

• I am meeting with Olga on Friday. 
• We are flying to Warsaw in July (we already have the tickets).

In English, the group of Continuous tenses is not used with certain verbs that indicate a state rather than an action. For example:

• be;
• know;
• understand;
• love;
• hate;
• think;
• weigh.

 

Present Perfect tense in English
 

In certain circumstances, the present forms in English could be used to refer to actions that occurred in the past. This is expressed through the Present Perfect. As the name suggests, this tense generally deals with completed events that have some connection to your current life, but there are specific nuances to its usage.

This tense could be used to talk about:

1. Experiences in our life up to now (time is not important):

• I have been abroad four times. 
• She has never eaten paella.

2. Events in the past that has a result in the your current life

• I have lost my keys (I am looking for them now). 
• We have eaten hamburgers, so we are not hungry.

3. Recent actions:

• I have just finished the report. 
• They have met Judy recently. 

4. A situation that started in the past and continues up to now (with certain verbs):

• They have lived here since 2010. 
• My husband and I have been married for about 20 years. 

5. Actions that took place during a period that has not yet ended:

• I have gone for a walk today. 
• He has eaten 5 apples this morning. 

Present Perfect Continuous tense in English
 

Present Perfect Continuous is also used to talk about actions that started in the past and continue up to now. However, there are key differences. First and foremost, the Present Perfect Continuous emphasizes the duration of the action.

Below are the main cases for using this tense:

1. Actions which started in the past and have been going on for some period of time until nowt:

• I have been reading this book for two weeks. 
• He has been working as Project Manager for three years. 

2. An activity which has repeated for some time up to now:

• You have been going to the gym more frequently. 
• We have been visiting this resort since university. 

3. With undesirable results or side effects of actions:

• She has been running all morning. She is sweaty. 
• I feel sleepy. I have been watching Game of Thrones all night. 

How to form the present tenses
 

Now that we’ve reviewed the common rules of all four tenses, let’s examine how to construct sentences for each type. The table below shows the general structures for various sentence types, along with examples.

 

The abbreviations used in this table are as follows:

• V1 – the base form of the verb;
• Vs(es) – the base form of the verb with the ending -s/-es for the third person singular;
• Ving – the gerund (verb with the ending -ing);
• V3 – the third form of irregular verbs;
• Ved – the past form of regular verbs with the ending -ed.

Time markers for present tenses in English
 

To simplify the choice of the correct tense, English often uses time markers.

Time markers are adverbs or other parts of speech that specify when an action takes place. Although these markers can be used with various tenses, each of these four forms is typically associated with specific words and expressions:

 

Practice exercise
 

Identify which tense is used in these sentences (to see the correct answer, click on the sentence):

1. She has been studying English for four years.

Present Perfect Continuous

2. I am decorating my room now.

Present Continuous

3. I have known my best friend for 10 years.

Present Perfect

4. I have two older sisters and a younger brother.

Present Simple

5. They are going to yoga classes this month.

Present Continuous

FAQ

 

1. How many present tenses are there in English?

There are four present forms in English:

• Present Simple;
• Present Continuous;
• Present Perfect;
• Present Perfect Continuous.

2. How to form the present tenses in English?

They are formed using the following formulas:

 

3. What are the rules for using present tenses in English?

Different forms are used depending on when the event occurs and its significance.

• Present Simple: General information and statements about the present, habits and repeated actions, schedules, and instructions.
• Present Continuous: Events happening at the moment of speaking or around this time; temporary events; arrangements for the near future.
• Present Perfect: Actions that have recently occurred or whose results are visible in the present; incomplete actions; life experiences without specifying exact times.
• Present Perfect Continuous: Ongoing and repeated actions that started in the past and continue up to the present.

4. How do the present tenses differ in English?

They differ in meaning (usage) and sentence structure.
 

5. Where can you study the present tenses in English?

You can master all the forms with the Mini Grammar: present tenses in English.