Learning English as a Foreign Language - The Present Tenses

Are you learning English as a foreign language or teaching it?

This article will help you understand the present tenses in English grammar. It will show you in what situations to use which tense and how they are formed.

1. Facts – Storks migrate every year.

2. Routines – I drink water every day.

3. Present story narrative – So I cover up the present just as she is walking through the door.

4. Directions – Take the first right at the T-junction.

5. Articles in the media – Jack the Ripper strikes again!

6. Commentaries – Ronaldo snatches the ball right from under their noses and sends it flying into the back of the net.

7.Habits – He always sings in the shower.

Affirmative: Subject + base form

Negative: Subject + auxiliary verb do not/does not + base form

Interrogative: Auxiliary verb do/does + subject + base form

Contractions

You can contract the auxiliary verbs. People usually contract when speaking.

Does not - doesn’t

Do not – don’t

Third Person Singular Spelling Rules

With 3^rd person singular add ‘s’ to the base form – It eats meat

If the verb ends in ‘y’, remove the ‘y’ and add ‘ies’ – He studies English

If the verb ends in ‘ch, sh, s, x, z, o’ add ‘es’ – She watches TV

Irregular verbs: To Have, To Be.

1. Actions happening at the time of speaking – I’m doing my homework now, call I call you back later?

2. Temporary actions, continuing for limited period of time but not necessarily happening at the time of speaking – I am doing a TESOL course at the moment

3. Future Arrangements – We’re going to the mountains this weekend

4. Trends – The developing countries are finding it more difficult to cope.

5. Very frequent actions – They are always arguing.

Affirmative: Subject + auxiliary verb To Be + verb +ing

Negative: Subject + auxiliary verb To Be + not + verb +ing

Interrogative: Auxiliary verb To Be + subject + verb +ing

Contractions

In spoken English people contract the verb To Be in this way:

I am - I’m

You are - You’re

He is - He’s

She is - She’s

It is - It’s

We are - We’re

They are - They’re

*Remember! We don't normally use state verbs in the continuous form -

I'm preferring wine to beer - Wrong

I prefer wine to beer - Right

1. To describe something that happened recently – She’s just had a baby.

2. Something that started in the past and has a connection with the present – I’ve lost my keys (I still can’t find them).

3. Unfinished time period – Avalanches have killed many people on Mount Everest (and will continue to kill many more).

4. Time period being described is not of importance – I’ve been to France.

Affirmative: Subject + auxiliary verb Have/Has + past participle

Negative: Subject + auxiliary verb Have/Has + not + past participle

Interrogative: Auxiliary verb Have/Has + subject + past participle

The Past Participle

With regular verbs we form the past participle by adding ‘ed’ to the base verb, much the same way as the past simple. With irregular verbs you must simply learn the past participle as they do not follow the same rules.

Contractions

In spoken English native speakers contract the auxiliary verb To Have in this way:

I have - I’ve

You have - You’ve

She has - She’s

He has - He’s

It has - It’s

We have - We’ve

You have - You’ve

They have - They’ve

1. To describe something ongoing that has stopped or recently stopped – Your clothes are dirty, have you been working in the garden?

2. To describe an action that happened repeatedly over a period of time, and is likely to continue – They are going to that beach; they’ve been going there for years.

Affirmative: Subject + auxiliary verb Have/Has + been + verb + ing

Negative: Subject + auxiliary verb Have/Has + not + verb + ing

Interrogative: Auxiliary verb Have/Has + subject + been + verb + ing

Contractions

You can contract the auxiliary verb Have/Has in the same way as the present perfect mentioned above. Past participles follow the same rules as above.

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