How do you form the four present tenses in English, and when do you use them? Find out in this ESL lesson.

1. Divide a piece of paper
into four sections. Draw a
picture in each quarter
according to the following
instructions:
1. Something you do
every day.
2. Something you are
doing right now.
3. Something you did in
the past at an
unspecified time.
4. Something you started
in the past which
continues until now.

2. Now tell your partner about each
picture using just one sentence.

4. 1.I eat breakfast every day.
2.I’m teaching a class right now.
3.I have swum with sharks.
4.I have been living in China for
several years.
These are the present tenses in English.

5. Beginning to Master English Tenses

6. Tenses – an overview
 There are 12 tenses in English
 3 times:
○ Past, present, future
 4 aspects:
○ Simple, continuous, perfect, perfect
continuous
 It is important to know how and when to
use tenses.
 This will help your speaking, writing,
listening, and reading.

8. Present Simple
Form
Positive Negative Question
I talk. I do not talk. Do I talk?
You talk. You do not talk. Do you talk?
We talk. We do not talk. Do we talk?
They talk. They do not talk. Do they talk?
He talks. He does not talk. Does he talk?
She talks. She does not talk. Does she talk?
It talks. It does not talk. Does it talk?

9. Present Simple - Form
Affirmative: (subject + base form [+s/es])
 I work We work
 You work You work
 He/she/it works They work
Negative: (subject + aux. verb ‘do’ + not + base form)
(Note that don’t and doesn’t often appear as do not and does not in
written text)
 I don’t work We don’t work
 You don’t work You don’t work
 He/she/it doesn’t work They don’t work
Question: (aux. verb ‘do’ + subject + base form)
 Do I work? Do we work?
 Do you work? Do you work?
 Does he/she/it work? Do they work?

10. Now study these examples of third
person singular (he/she/it) forms and
think about the rules for forming them.
watches does bats preys
mixes tries looks goes
thinks takes tosses fishes

11. Present Simple - Form
How to form the third person singular
Most verbs
 Add s to the base form of the verb – sits, walks
Verbs ending in a consonant plus y, change y to i and
add es
 Try – tries
 Hurry – hurries
Verbs ending in o, s ,z, x, ch, and sh, add es
 Miss – misses
 Fix - fixes
 Wash - washes
 Watch - watches

12. Present Simple - Form
In the negative form, the auxiliary verb
doesn’t has the s so the main verb doesn’t
need an s – e.g. She doesn’t work. The
same applies with does in questions.
 Does he walks?
 Does he walk?
 He doesn’t walks.
 He doesn’t walk.

13. Present Simple - Use
1. Habitual or routine actions
􀂾 He goes to the market every weekend.
2. Permanent situations, general truth, and facts
􀂾 The sun rises in the east.
3. Directions and instructions
􀂾 Turn right at the corner and walk for fifty meters.
4. Newspaper headlines
􀂾 Stock market falls to all time low.
5. Present stories
􀂾 So I open the door and what do I see but a policeman in a pink
uniform.

14. Present Simple - Use
Most common use is general or permanent
situations
 What do frogs eat? (not what are frogs
eating?)
 The sky is blue.
 Karen works in a supermarket.
 Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

15. Present Simple - Use
The other most common use is repeated
actions.
 I play golf every Wednesday.
 She goes home on weekends.
 We meet on Tuesdays.

16. Test
Typical mistakes/errors
Here are some examples of the most common
problems that students have with the present
simple. Correct them and make note of the error or
mistake.
􀂾 She walk to school everyday.
􀂾 He no(t) like to watch TV.
􀂾 Where lives your father?
􀂾 She go often to Paris.
􀂾 She doesn’t likes football.
􀂾 I’m go to the post office tomorrow.

17. Answers
􀂾 She walks to school everyday.
􀂾 He doesn’t like to watch TV.
􀂾 Where does your father live?
􀂾 She often goes to Paris.
􀂾 She doesn’t like football.
􀂾 I’m going to the post office tomorrow.
(not present simple!)

19. Present Continuous - Form
Form
The present continuous tense is made with the
present simple tense of the auxiliary verb to be and
the present participle (verb plus ing – working) of the
main verb.
Affirmative: (subject + aux. verb ‘be’ + verb+ing)
 I am learning.
Negative: (subject + aux. verb ‘be’ + not + verb+ing)
 He isn’t learning.
Question: (aux. verb ‘be’ + subject + verb+ing)
 Are they learning?

20. Present Continuous - Form
Positive Negative Question
I am singing. I am not singing. Am I singing?
You are singing. You are not singing. Are you singing?
We are singing. We are not singing. Are we singing?
They are singing. They are not singing. Are they singing?
He is singing. He is not singing. Is he singing?
She is singing. She is not singing. Is she singing?
It is singing. It is not singing. Is it singing?

21. Present Continuous - Uses
1. To talk about an action that is in progress at the time
of speaking – I’m doing some housework.
2. To talk about a temporary action that is not
necessarily in progress at the time of speaking – I am
reading a good book at the moment.
3. To emphasize very frequent actions (often with always)
– She is always biting her nails.
4. To describe developing situations – The weather is
turning cold.
5. To refer to a regular action around a point of time –
He’s usually working at this time.

22. Present Continuous - Uses
Most common use:
Something is happening (or not happening) right now.
Examples:
You are not swimming now.
Are you sleeping?
I am sitting.
I am not standing.
They are reading their books.
What are you doing?
Why aren't you doing your homework?

23. Present Continuous - Uses
Next common use:
Something we’re doing, but not right now.
Examples: (All of these sentences can be said while
eating dinner in a restaurant.)
 I’m not studying to be a vet anymore.
 I changed my major and now I’m studying to be a
dentist!
 My brother is going to night school to train for a new
position at his job.
 I’m reading a really wonderful self-help book.

24. Non-Progressive Verbs
Most non-action verbs are not normally used in the
continuous forms, we usually use the simple form
instead. Following are some of the most common:
Like, love, hate, understand, want, believe, hear,
own, owe, seem, appear, wish, mean, remember.
 She is loving this chocolate ice cream. Not
Correct
 She loves this chocolate ice cream. Correct

25. Test
Typical student errors/mistakes
Make a note of the nature of each of the
following errors/mistakes:
􀂾 He watching T.V.
􀂾 We are have a meeting.
􀂾 Do you not coming to the cinema?
􀂾 I’m working hard every day.
􀂾 I’m believing in God.

26. Answers
􀂾 He is watching T.V.
􀂾 We are having a meeting.
􀂾 Are you not coming to the cinema?
􀂾 I work hard every day. (repeated action)
􀂾 I believe in God.

28. Present Perfect
Form
Subject + have/has + past participle
(with regular verbs the past participle is verb plus
ed – worked. There are however many irregular
verbs such as write – written)
Affirmative: (subject + aux. verb ‘have’ + past
participle)
Negative: (subject + aux. verb ‘have’ + not + past
participle)
Question: (aux. verb ‘have’ + subject + past
participle)

29. Positive
Negative Question
I have visited Paris.
I have not visited Paris. Have I visited Paris?
You have visited Paris.
You have not visited
Paris.
Have you visited Paris?
We have visited Paris.
We have not visited
Paris.
Have we visited Paris?
They have visited Paris
They have not visited
Paris.
Have they visited Paris?
He has visited Paris.
He has not visited Paris. Has he visited Paris?
She has visited Paris.
She has not visited Paris. Has she visited Paris?
It has visited Paris.
It has not visited Paris. Has it visited Paris?

30. Present Perfect - Uses
1. Finished actions/states that happened
at an indefinite time. It refers to general
experience without specific detail.
 She has eaten sushi.
2. Completed past actions carried out in
an unfinished time period at the time of
speaking.
 She has had four coffees this morning.
 They have been to the office twice
today.

31. Present Perfect - Uses
3. Something which began in the past and
is still true now, at the time of speaking.
We don’t know if this is likely to continue
or not.
 We’ve lived in Beijing for six years.
 They’ve been a couple since 2012.
 I’ve worked in finance for almost a decade.
4. When we describe past actions with
present results.
 Oh no! I’ve left my purse at home.
 Can you help me? I’ve lost one of my contact
lenses.

32. Contractions

33. Present Perfect - Uses
For/Since
Since or for with the present perfect
 We’ve lived here for five years.
 I haven’t slept for 48 hours.
 They’ve been at home since 8 o’clock.
 She has been a doctor since September.
The rule with for or since:
 We use for with periods of time. (e.g. a week, 6
months)
 We use since with points of time. (e.g. Monday, 1984)
to really mean ‘from’.

34. Test
􀂾 I am a secretary for five years.
􀂾 I have seen him yesterday.
􀂾 She’s liked him since six months.
􀂾 He has eated all the pizza.

35. Answers
􀂾 I have been a secretary for five years.
􀂾 I saw him yesterday. (change tense)
􀂾 She’s liked him for six months.
􀂾 He has eaten all the pizza.

37. Present Perfect Continuous
Form
Affirmative: (subject + aux. verb ‘have’ +
been + verb+ing)
Negative: (subject + aux. verb ‘have’ + not
+ been + verb+ing)
Question: (aux. verb ‘have’ + subject +
been + verb+ing)

38. Positive
Negative Question
I have been studying.
I have not been studying. Have I been studying?
You have been studying.
You have not been
studying.
Have you been studying?
We have been studying.
We have not been
studying.
Have we been studying?
They have been studying.
They have not been
studying.
Have they been
studying?
He has been studying.
He has not been
studying.
Has he been studying?
She has been studying.
She has not been
studying.
Has she been studying?
It has been studying.
It has not been studying. Has it been studying?

39. Present Perfect Continuous
Usages
1. For describing an ongoing activity and the
length of time that it has continued.
 I’ve been learning Spanish for six months.
 They’ve been caring for that sick dog since
last Monday.
2. To describe a recently finished, uninterrupted
activity which has a present result
 She’s hungry because she’s been dieting
recently.

40. Test
 1. We …………………….. in this street for
twenty years. (live)
 2. He …………………… in the garden
since morning. (work)
 3. It ……………………. (rain) since
yesterday.
 4. I ………………… this laptop for three
years. (use)
 5. The workers ………………….. higher
wages for a long time. (demand)

41. Answers
 1. We have been living in this street for
twenty years.
 2. He has been working in the garden
since morning.
 3. It has been raining since yesterday.
 4. I have been using this laptop for three
years.
 5. The workers have been
demanding higher wages for a long time.

42.  Get a full guide to the present tenses at
TED-IELTS.