Present Simple
We use the present simple
tense to talk about:
⚫personal information.
I live in London.
⚫general statements of truth.
The sun sets in the west.
⚫permanent situations.
They live in London.
⚫routines and habits.
I usualy visit her once a year.
⚫fixed times and schedules.
The film starts at nine.
⚫details or fixed future plans.
We leave London at 1 p.m. on
Monday.
⚫directions and instructions.
You take the M6 to London.
Present Continuous
We use the present continuous
tense to talk about:
⚫current activities.
I’m traveling by coach.
⚫temporary situations.
They’re living in Mexico for a
year.
⚫planned future
arrangements.
I’m meeting my grandmother
in ten minutes.
Present Perfect
We use present perfect tense:
⚫to talk about duration of
events and actions that started
in the past and are still going
on, with for (a period of time)
or since (a point in time).
I’ve lived here since 1999.
⚫to talk about events which
recently occurred.
We’ve just had supper.
⚫with phrases which are licked
to the present, e.g. yet, already,
ever, just, so far, recently.
We have already climbed 2,400
m.
Have you seen Gwyneth
Paltrow in any films recently?
⚫to talk about actions which
are repeated up to the present.
She’s been to New York lots of
time.
⚫to talk about a recent past
event which has present
relevance.
She’s broken her arm.
⚫with certain verbs like know,
understand, love and hate
which are not normally used in
continuous tenses.
I’ve known her for many
years/since 1996.
⚫with a superlative to talk
about experience.
It’s the best film I’ve ever seen.