PRESENT TENSES

PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT PERFECT PRESENT PERFECT

SIMPLE CONTINUOUS SIMPLE CONTINUOUS
V1 , Vs (3 ps) ( +) am have have
do, does (? ) is + Ving + V3 / (ed) been + Ving
don’t / doesn’t ( - ) are has has
often/always/usually now already/ just/yet for + a period of time
seldom/never at the moment ever/never/before since + the start point
in the morning/evening this week/month/year recently /lately How long...?
every day/year/month/ week so far all day (long)
STATE VERBS
Habitual actions The action is happening at The action has finished, we The action began in the past and is still in the
To talk about things in general the time of speaking or in can see the result of it in the process;
Permanent states. the present period of time. present. No definite time An activity has recently/just stopped, has a
True facts Temporary actions. expressions strong connection with ‘now’
The action is completed
+ She swims every evening. + Look! Ann is swimmimg. + Her shoes are shining. + Her hair is so wet!
(She is swimmimg now) She has just cleaned them. She has been swimming for an hour/since 6
p.m.
- She doesn’t swim every - She isn’t swimmimg now. - Her shoes are dirty. - She hasn’t been swimming for an hour/since 6
evening. She hasn’t cleaned them yet. p.m.
? Does she swim every ? Is she swimming now? ? Has she cleaned her ? Has she been swimming for an hour/since 6
evening? shoes yet ? p.m.?
Yes, she does. Yes, she is. Yes, she has. Yes, she has.
No, she doesn’t. No, she isn’t. No, she hasn’t. No, she hasn’t.

1. Complete the following sentences in the correct Present tense. Write here the words
that help you
recognize the tense
1. We can go out now. It ___________________________ (not/rain) any more.
2. What ___________________________ (you/do) in your spare time? Do you have any hobbies? 1
3. Louise usually __________________________ (phone) me on Friday. 2
4. Why _____________________________ (you/look) at me like that? What’s the matter?
3
5. I still don’t know what to do. I ____________________________ (not/decide) yet.
6. She __________________________(read) for two hours. She___________________(read) 20 pages so 4
far. 5
7. I need a new job. I ________________________________ (do) the same job for too long.
6
8. He looks tired. – Yes, he _____________________________ (play) basketball for 2 hours.
9. Robert and Maria ____________________________ (be) married for 20 years. 7
10. _________________________________________ (you/watch) television every evening? 8
11. ______________________________________ (you/see) Julie recently? 9
12. What’s the new restaurant like? – I’ve no idea. I __________________________ (never/be) there.
10
13. How often ___________________________________ (you/go) to the cinema?
14. Is David still here? – Oh, he ___________________________________ (just/go). 11
15. It’s still raining! – It ____________________________________ (rain) all day! 12
16. Where is Amanda? - She _______________________ (sit) on the ground. She’s out of breath. She 13
________________________________ (run).
14
17. Where’s my bag?! I left it under this chair. – Somebody ____________________________ (take) it.
18. Next week Gary is going to run in a marathon. He ______________________ (train) very hard for it. 15
19. Hello, Jan! What a surprise! What _______________________________ (you/do) here? 16
20. She always ________________________________ (stay) there when she’s in London. 17
21. What __________________________________ (your brother/do)? He is an architect, but he 18
______________________________ (not/work) at the moment.
19
22. There’s still no bus! We ______________________________ (wait) for it for 20 minutes!
23. Who’s that woman by the door? – I don’t know. I ___________________________ (not/see) her before. 20
24. We usually _____________________ (grow) vegetables in our garden, but this year we 21
___________________________ (not/grow) any. 22
25. Why are your trousers so dirty? – I __________________ (clean) the garage but I
23
____________________ (not finish) yet. When I ________________(finish) I’ll have a bath and put on
another pair of trousers. 24
26. - How long _____________________________(she/have) that red dress? –She 25
_____________________ 26
it (have) since her last birthday. Red is a colour that ____________________(suit) her perfectly well.
27
27. My father________________ (smoke) a lot. He __________________________ (smoke) since he was
just twelve years old. He_____________________(know) he should give it up. 28
He____________________ (try) to stop several times but_________________________(not succeed)
so far.
28. Something_____________________ (smell) bad in the kitchen. ________________________ (you/know) what it is? –Oh, it must be
the piece of cheese I ______________________ (just/buy) at the supermarket.
STATE OR STATIVE VERBS
These kind of verbs describe a state rather than an action. And they do not normally have continuous tenses. There are different groups :
- LIKES /DISLIKES : like/ love / hate / prefer / dislike / detest / *enjoy / want
- SENSES : see / hear / *smell /*taste /*feel / look / sound ( They are normally used with can or could)
- PERCEPTION : believe / know / notice/ remember / forget / recognize / understand / realize/ seem
agree / *think / consider /doubt / suppose .
- OTHER VERBS : *be / *have / belong / need / fit / mean / cost / own / owe / wish / *weigh / contain
Some of the verbs above (*) are used in continuous tenses when they describe actions not states although with a little difference in meaning.

2. Complete the gaps with the correct form of the verb, present simple or continuous.

1. Why --------------------------------------------- ( you/smell) the soap?- It ---------------------------- ( smell) lovely. It is like roses.
2. Where's Andrew ? We can't find him anywhere. - It ----------------------------------------- ( look) as if he's disappeared.
3. I -------------------------------------- ( feel) very tired. -You should go to bed early.
4. I ---------------------- ( see ) Andy this evening. - I ------------------------ (see). So you don't want to come to the cinema with me, do you?
5. How much ------------------------------------------- (it/ weigh ) ? - I don't know yet. The man ---------------------- ( weigh)
the bag now.
6. I ----------------------- (think) about buying a new car soon. -Why? ----------------------- (think) your car is fine. You don't need a new one.
7. What -------------------------------------- (you/ look) at ? - The sky. It ---------------------------------- ( look) as if it is going to rain.
8. I really ---------------------- ( enjoy) home-made food. -So do I, and I ------------------------------------ ( enjoy) every bit of this meal.
9. Why --------------------------------- ( you/feel ) the radiator? - It -------------------------------- ( feel ) cold in here. Is the heating on?
10. ---------------------------------- (you/have) the phone number of a good business consultant? -Why ? -------------------------------------------
------------------ ( you/have ) problems at work?
11. Chris --------------------------------- ( be ) a sensible person. - Yes, but in this case he -------------------------- ( be ) rather foolish.
12. My back ------------------------------------- ( hurt ). -Why don't you lie down for a while?
13. What’s that noise? – The people next door -----------------------------------(have) a party.
14. Why ----------------------------- ( you/taste ) the soup ? To see if it ---------------------- ( taste ) good. I think it needs more salt.
15. I -------------------------------------------------(not understand) that question. -----------------------------------(you / know) what it means ?

3. Complete the sentences using the words below. There may be more than one answer.

for since ever just never already always yet recently before

1. I’ve ………………………..………..………..seen that film. I saw it two weeks ago.

2. I´ve been studying for the exam …………………….………………8 o’clock this morning.
3. He has ……………………………..……..gone out. He’ll be back soon.
4. Have you finished your homework ………………………? No, I have to do two more.
5. I´m sure that we have met ………………………………… I think it was in your brother’s wedding.
6. David is fifteen and he hasn’t learned to swim ………………………….
7. Have you ………………………..………………….eaten caviar ? No, I hate it.
8. I haven’t been to the circus ……………………………..we were children.
9. I have ………………………told you that you can’t go. Please don’t ask me again.
10. We’ve been waiting for you …………………..over an hour . Where have you been.
11. He has been ill ……………………………. She hasn’t been to the office …………………….. January
12. He’s a very punctual man . He has ………………………..been late for work.
13. I haven’t watched television ………………………….ages.
14. He has…………………………..liked that kind of music. I‘ve known him …………………………a long time.
15. Have you been to this pub ………………………….? Yes , I have ……………………………been there.

4. Make a question for these answers

1. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………?
They are laughing because they are watching a comedy.
2. …………………………………………………………………………………….........................................?
Frank has bought Mary a bunch of flowers.
3. …………………………………………………………………………………………..................................?
He plays baseball twice a week.
4. ............................................................................................................................................................?
She has been waiting for him since three o’clock.
5. ............................................................................................................................................................?
Tom speaks German.
6. ............................................................................................................................................................?
I am looking at your holiday photographs
7. ............................................................................................................................................................?
Tom gets 50 Euros pocket money every week.
8. ............................................................................................................................................................?
They have been painting the fence of the house.
9. .............................................................................................................................................................?
Tom’s father takes us to school every morning.
10. ............................................................................................................................................................?
They are flying to the United States right now.