The document provides an overview of present tense verb forms in English, including present simple, present continuous, present perfect simple, and present perfect continuous. It explains their uses, such as indicating current actions, habits, and completed actions with present relevance. Additionally, it includes practice exercises for students to apply their understanding of these verb tenses.
The document provides an overview of present tense verb forms in English, including present simple, present continuous, present perfect simple, and present perfect continuous. It explains their uses, such as indicating current actions, habits, and completed actions with present relevance. Additionally, it includes practice exercises for students to apply their understanding of these verb tenses.
The document provides an overview of present tense verb forms in English, including present simple, present continuous, present perfect simple, and present perfect continuous. It explains their uses, such as indicating current actions, habits, and completed actions with present relevance. Additionally, it includes practice exercises for students to apply their understanding of these verb tenses.
The document provides an overview of present tense verb forms in English, including present simple, present continuous, present perfect simple, and present perfect continuous. It explains their uses, such as indicating current actions, habits, and completed actions with present relevance. Additionally, it includes practice exercises for students to apply their understanding of these verb tenses.
English Stream: CSE 1 Semester: 1 (2024/2025) Prof. E. BOUAZZA ....................................................................................................................................................... VERB TENSES: THE PRESENT TENSE The present simple- the present continuous, the present perfect simple, the present perfect continuous Introduction Verb tenses identify the time period when an action occurs. There are three main verb tenses in English: past, present and future. Each of these tenses can take four main aspects: simple, continuous (progressive), perfect and perfect continuous. As the table below shows, there are 12 major verb tenses in English. To know when to use each of these tenses, you need to be familiarized with their different functions and the cases in which they are used.
Other verb tenses are:
Past Future simple: I would study English Past Future Continuous: I would be studying English Past Future Perfect: I would have studied English Past Future Perfect Continuous: I would have been studying English The present simple tense: The present simple tense is used when an action is happening right now or when an action happens regularly. It expresses a general truth: British people speak English. Iron is heavy. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. He is a Professor of English. It expresses habits and ability, often with adverbs of frequency like: frequently, usually, always, everyday… My cousin usually goes to Mishlifen in winter (habit). My friend understands Portuguese (ability). This student always studies very hard.
Page 1 sur 4 When used with the verb do to show emphasis (insistence) She does look like her father. Do write to her. She may not be brilliant, but she does get good marks. To express orders, commands or requests: Please, let me know how you get along with your project. Get out of my way. Call him if you have time. It is used for a situation that we think is more or less permanent. Where do you live? She works in a bank. I like meat. It is used with time adverbials to express future time: planned future actions. He leaves next week. Classes begin the day after tomorrow. The team plays next month. It is used to denote the future time after: 'if' 'when', 'until', 'after', 'before' 'as soon as'… I will call you when I have time. (Not 'will have'.) I will not go out until it stops raining. I'm going to make dinner after I watch the news. If I have time, I will call you. It is used in the zero conditional. (General situation) If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils. If you touch fire, you get burned. People die if they do not eat. The present simple is used in the first conditional. (Particular situation) If it rains, we won’t come. If I have enough money, I will buy some new shoes. The present continuous tense: The present continuous tense indicates that an action or condition is happening now, frequently, and may continue into the future. It is used to denote that the action is taking place at the moment of speaking: You are listening to me now! I am doing housework at the moment. Look at him! What is he doing? To denote a repeated happening which pleases or annoys: He is always coming late. He is always doing his homework. He is always losing the keys. He is always smoking in the living room! The present continuous is used for temporary situations, John is working in a farm until he finds a job in his field. I'm reading a really great book. She is staying with her parents for a week. It is used for temporary or new habits. He is eating a lot these days. She is swimming every morning (she didn't use to do this). People are learning more quickly these days. It is used for definite, arranged and planned future events or situations: Page 2 sur 4 What are you doing tomorrow? She is going home next week. We are going to the beach at the weekend. I'm leaving at three. It is used for temporary activities: I am in London. I am learning English here. She cannot go out today. She is preparing for an exam. You cannot meet him this week. He is working in Bath. The present perfect simple The present perfect tense refers to an action or state that occurred at an indefinite time in the past or began in the past and continued to the present time. It is used for actions that started in the past and still continue to the present moment. We have lived here since 2001. We have known each other for about one semester. He has never drunk alcoholic liquor. It is used when an action is completed in the past, giving rise to certain result in the present: I have had my lunch. (not hungry = so I don’t need it now) You have told us that already. (so you don’t need to tell us again) It is used when an action is completed in the past with deduction from resulting evidence: ➢ Someone has dropped crockery. (Evidence: I have just heard the crash) ➢ It has rained during the night (evidence: the ground is wet) ➢ I can't find my keys. I think I have lost them. It is used to express experience: with adverbs: yet, since, before, for, just, already, never…. Have you ever tried it? She has never read this book. We have not seen it yet. I have worked here for six months. The present perfect continuous It is used for unfinished actions which started in the past and continue to the present I have been living in London for two years. She has been working here since 2004. We have been waiting for the bus for hours. I have been reading War and Peace for a month now. It is used for temporary habits or situations using recently. I have been going to the gym a lot recently. They have been living with their mother. (while they look for a house) I have been reading a lot recently. (This is very similar to the use of the present continuous for temporary habits and often either tense is possible). It is used for finished actions which have recently stopped and have a result: I have been studying, so I am so tired. I have been running, so I am really hot. It has been raining, so the pavement is wet./. Practice exercises Exercise 1: Put the verbs into the correct tense (present simple or present continuous) 1) She (run) because she is late for her lesson. 2) "What is the matter? Why (shout/you)?" 3) An apple a day (keep) the doctor away. (Proverb) Page 3 sur 4 4) Andy and Lucy (stay) with us at the moment. 5) My brother (like) playing football. 6) Practise (make) perfect. (Proverb) 7) Listen! John music! (play) 8) We (not want) to go to the concert. 9) Right now, we (have) lunch with our friends. 10) I (read) an interesting book these days.
Exercise 2: Complete the following sentences in the present simple or the present perfect simple. 1) We (eat) pasta once a week. 2) We (not to take) this test before. 3) Nina (take) medicine when she is sick. 4) I (like) chocolate. 5) Bill and Calicia (drive) to the mountains every year. 6) My uncle (to be) to China. 7) Mr. Anderson (teach) chemistry at Hill High School. 8) Our father never (to drive) to California before. 9) We (want) to see a movie tonight. 10) I (to speak) to the president before. 11) They (study) English at school. 12) Dan (to be) sick for three days.
