What is Present Tense? Learn How to Use it & Examples |
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When you start to learn English, you usually begin by describing events that are happening to you right now. The past and future are more complicated to speak about. But the present tense can be simple to learn. The present tense is a very important skill for basic English! As soon as you know how to use it, you can start practicing your English and speak about your hobbies, your work and the things you like. Even if you can speak and read some English, you may be interested to know more about what the present tense involves. I will explain it all in this article. What is the Present tense?The present tense is a grammatical tense used for verbs that describe an action happening right now. It is considered easy to use and exists in all languages. The present tense is broken down into four different categories: present simple, present continuous, present continuous and present perfect continuous. Present simple I work Present continuous I am working Present perfect I have worked Present perfect continuous I have been workingIf you are reading this article you probably just started learning English. Therefore, I will explain the present tense in a simple way and also include examples. The 4 types of present tenseThere are four types of present tense: the present simple, present continuous, present perfect and present perfect continuous. Let’s take a look at the present simple tense first. 1. Present Simple TenseUse this form of the tense when describing general, constant and regular everyday events. For example: The boy swims The monkey sleeps The dog barks Rain is scarce in the desertOr, you can use it to describe common facts, such as: A circle is round in shape A triangle has three sides The earth rotates on its own axis Pluto is the smallest planet in our galaxyThe present simple tense is also used when generally repeated actions occur (not at the moment of speaking) and when describing future events that recur consistently. It is also used to describe habits. For example:
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You can form a positive sentence using a verb without using “to”. Add “s/es” for third person singular (he, she, it). The verb follows the subject (the person doing the action). For example: I swim everyday She runs once every week He rides his bicycle to work on ThursdaysIn the first sentence the verb or infinitive without “to” is used. An “s” is added when the subject performing the action ends with an “e”. In negative sentences and questions “do not” or “does not” is used. In questions, “do” or ”does” is used to start the sentence. “Does” is used when the subject is he, she, or it. All other forms use do. For example: “Do they swim on Thursdays?” When a question begins with “Do you…?” then answer: “Yes, I do” or “No, I don’t”. If the question begins with “Does he/she/it…?” Then answer “Yes, he/she/it does” or “No, he/she/it doesn’t” When forming negative sentences, the adverb “not” is added to the auxiliary verb. The correct form is subject + do/does not + main verb + the rest of the sentence. Here are some examples of these rules in action: If the cap fits, wear it Don’t throw stones at glass houses Don’t judge a book by its cover An apple a day keeps the doctor awayLearning expressions like these will enrich your use of the English language and also improve the quality of your writing and speaking skills. 2. Present continuous tenseIn the present continuous tense, the verb form will end in “ing”. This tense is used to describe an activity that is currently occurring. For example: I am swimming I am dreaming I am washing I am crying I am laughing I am eating 3. Present Perfect tenseIn this form of the present tense, the verb form will indicate an activity that has been completed. The present perfect is used to indicate a link between the present and the past. The time of the action is before now but not specified, and we are often more interested in the result than in the action itself. I have slept She has lived here all her life They have written three letters already I have worked here since I graduated from school. 4. Present Perfect Continuous tenseThe present perfect continuous tense (also known as the present perfect progressive tense) shows that something started in the past and is continuing at the present time. The present perfect continuous is formed using the construction has/have been, and the present participle (root + -ing). In the present perfect continuous tense, the verb will end in “ing” indicating an activity that had been occurring consistently for a significant period of time. Note that “have been” indicates that the activity is no longer current. For example: I have been swimming I have been writing articles on different topics since this morning He has been reading the book for two hours They have been playing football for an hour She has been finding the dress since morning The Verb TensesUsing the present tense correctly requires the verb tense to be used in its correct format consistently. Verbs are found in three tenses: past, present, and future. The three verb tenses with their sub-categories are: Present Simple Present Continuous Present Perfect Present Perfect Continuous Past Simple. Past Continuous Past Perfect Past Perfect Continuous Future Simple Future Perfect Future Continuous Future Perfect ContinuousA few things to consider when deciding which tense to use: Present TimeWhen activities occurring in the present time are indicated, the present simple tense is used. Base FormIn English grammar, the base form of a verb is its simplest form. These exist on their own without a special ending but can be changed and added onto to fit different uses and tenses. For ActionsWhen describing for actions always remember to use the correct form of the verb because this will reflect the correct form of the verb tense. He/SheThese are first person pronouns which are commonly used in the Present Simple Tense. For example: “He walks to school everyday”, “She sleeps eight hours on Thursdays.” Third Person singularThe third-person singular form of the subject (the one performing the action) is used with the pronouns he, she, it. ConclusionThe present tense is used to describe things that are happening right now, or things that are continuous. Please contact me through my tutor profile if you have questions about how to form and use the present tense in English. We’ll chat about it! See you next time! |
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