Present tenses in English
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In this part of the course you will learn all about the English present tense. The English tense has the following present tenses:
This chapter will show you an overview of when to use the different present tenses. For a more detailed explanation of the tenses you can take a look at the different chapters of this course, where you will also find exercises to practice the tenses.
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To be able to conjugate the English verbs in the present simple, the root of the verb is used. The third person singular (he, she, it) forms an exception: '-s', '-es' or '-ies' is added to the stem to form the present simple.
To form the present continuous tense the verb 'to be' is used together with the main verb + '-ing'.
For the present perfect the verbs 'to have' and 'to be' are used together with the past participle.
For the present perfect continuous the auxiliary verb 'to have' is used, followed by the participle of the verb 'to be' plus the main verb + '-ing'.
The table below gives you an overview of the different present tenses in English.
Tense | Usage | Example |
---|---|---|
Present simple | The present simple is used to describe habits and routines. |
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Present continuous | The present continuous tense is used to describe an action or event that is taking place in that moment. |
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Present perfect | The present perfect is used to describe an action or event that happened in the past and continues in the present. |
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Present perfect continuous | The present perfect continuous is used for actions that have started in the past, but continue in the present. |
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In addition, in this part of the course the difference between the present simple and present continuous, and the difference between the past simple and present perfect.
Do the exercise to practice the different tenses!
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Ready for certification? I will help you get ready for English language proficiency exams (TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS, OET, C1 (CAE), C2 (CPE).)
We CAN meet free of charge (just book a FREE CHAT for 20 minutes) to discuss your learning needs/my teaching methods and to start talking.
It is useful if you take a quick online test to establish a starting point: https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/test-your-english/general-english/ Please let me know the results A1/2 B1/2 C1/2.
If you need to reschedule, please do so 24 hours in advance to avoid being charged.
NB If you are writing a test like IELTS or TOEFL 'in a month or two' and you need to obtain a minimum score to enter a university, remember that according to education bodies like British Council and Cambridge English, it takes an average of 120-130 lesson hours to move from one level or band to the next. So with 'one or two' months, you need to already be at B2 or Upper Intermediate level to start preparing.
For B2-C2 level students who enjoy photography: Would you would like to improve your English conversation and your photography? In a typical lesson, you will show me your latest photos and describe how and why you took them. Then we will discuss how photos are assessed in photographic competitions and, if necessary, we can go over the essentials of using a digital camera (although it's perfectly fine if you use your mobile phone to take photos).
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1 Present simple tense in English | Learn everything about the English present simple. |
2 Present continuous tense in English | Learn everything about the English present continuous. |
3 Present simple vs present continuous in English | Learn about the difference between the English present simple and present continuous. |
4 Present perfect tense in English | Learn all about the present perfect in English. |
5 Present perfect continuous tense in English | Study the English present perfect continuous with this overview of the grammar. |
6 Difference past simple and present perfect in English | Learn about the difference between past simple and present perfect in English. |