Tip: use www.wordreference.com to conjugate verbs or translate a tricky word.
Present Simple
The present simple is used all the time in English, so it’s an important tense to master. It’s probably the first tense you learned in English, but it’s good to review the different situations it’s used in and the irregular verb forms.
- Signal Words
- every day
- sometimes
- often
- always
- usually
- Use
- Something that happens repeatedly, habitual activities
- To show how often something happens
- Implies ability or knowledge (She speaks French)
- Structure
- infinitive (I/you/they)
- infinitive + s (he/she/it)
- Affirmative
- I drink coffee every morning.
- They do their homework at 7pm. (implies almost every night at 7pm)
- Negative
- He doesn’t play tennis.
- They travel abroad sometimes.
- Question
- Do you speak Spanish?
- Does she run every day?
Other uses
- The bus leaves at 10am. (future meaning, timetables/fixed schedules)
- The sun rises in the east. (general truths)
- Please open your book to page 57. (instructions)
Practice Exercies
Present Continuous
The present continuous (sometimes called the present progressive) tense is really useful. It’s the same for all verbs, so it’s pretty easy to use!
- Signal Words
- now
- right now
- at the moment
- look!
- Use
- When an action is happening right now, at the moment of speaking.
- Structure
- to be (am/are/is) + infinitive + ing
- Affirmative
- I’m drinking coffee right now.
- They’re doing their homework at the moment.
- Negative
- She isn’t reading.
- They aren’t living in Thailand anymore.
- Question
- Are you doing something right now?
- Is he traveling this week?
Other Uses
- She’s visiting her sister on Saturday. (fixed plans in the near future)
- I’m working in Athens this month. (temporary actions)
Practice Exercises
Present Perfect
This tense is also fairly common in English conversation and writing. Using this tense correctly can make you sound much more natural. To read more about the difference between the present simple and the present perfect, see this post.
- Signal Words
- just
- never
- already
- ever
- since
- lately, recently, yet
- Use
- When an action started in the past and continues up to the present.
- Recently completed actions (with just).
- With lately, recently, or yet.
- Structure
- have/has + past participle
- Affirmative
- I have lived in France since 2019.
- I’ve already seen this movie.
- Negative
- She hasn’t started the assignment.
- They haven’t been to Croatia before.
- Question
- Have you eaten yet?
- Have you read any good books lately?
More Examples
- He has just returned home. (recently completed actions)
- I have cleaned my room. (result of an action completed in the past that is important in the present)
- She has been to 50 countries. (list accomplishments)
Practice Exercises
Sentences with already and yet
Present Perfect Continuous
This is not a very common tense, so often it’s not taught in classes. But English speakers do use it, so it’s good to understand what it means when you read or hear it.
- Signal Words
- all day / the whole day
- how long
- since
- for
- Use
- When an action started in the past and continued up until now, or has just stopped happening.
- To describe how long an action has been happening.
- To emphasize the length of time of an action.
- Structure
- have/has + been + infinitive + ing
- Affirmative
- She’s been working all day.
- They have been waiting for two hours.
- Negative
- He hasn’t been studying for long.
- They haven’t been swimming in a really long time.
- Question
- How long have you been living in Thailand?
- Have you been feeling tired lately?
More Examples
- She has been watching too much Netflix. (implies a negative)
- I haven’t been feeling well lately.
Practice Exercises