TENSES:

Present continuous

Present simple

Past simple

Past continuous

Present perfect

Present perfect continuous

Past perfect

Past perfect continuous

PRESENT CONTINUOUS ( i am doing)

Am/is/are+ -ing is the present continuous

I am (=I ‘m) Driving

He/she/it is (=he’s etc.) Working
We/you/they are (=we’re etc.) Doing etc.

I am doing something = I’m in the middle of doing it; I have started doing it and I haven’t
finished yet.

PRESENT SIMPLE:

We use the present simple to talk about things in general. We use it to say that something
happens all the time or repeatedly, or that something is true.

I/we/you/they drive/work/do etc..

He/she/it drives/works/does etc..

Nagaraju is a loco pilot, but now he is in bed asleep. He is not driving a train. (He is asleep.)

But he drives a train. (He is a train driver.)

PRESENT CONTINUOUS AND PRESENT SIMPLE:

Present continuous (I am doing) Present simple (I do)

We use the continuous for things happening We use the simple for things in general or
at or around the time of speaking. The action things that happen repeatedly.
is not complete.

I am doing I do

Past now future Past now future

 The water is boiling. Can you turn it
off?
 Listen to those people. What language
are they speaking?
 Let’s go out. It isn’t raining now.
 I’m getting hungry. Let’s to and eat.
 Kate wants to work in Italy, so she’s
learning Italian.
We use the continuous for temporary
situations:
I’m living with some friends until i
find a place of my own.
 Water boils at 100n degrees Celsius.
 Excuse me, do you speak English?
 It doesn’t rain very much in summer.
 I always get hungry in the after noon.
 Most people learn to swim wen they
are children.
We use the simple for permanent situations:
My parents live in London. They
have lived there all their lives.