Present Simple

for facts, general truths, habits, current states

Note: Sentences in the Present Simple can be made with two kinds of verbs: Verbs
to Be & Verbs to Do

Present Simple: BE
SUBJECT VERB COMPLEMENT
I am / am not
You / We / They are / aren’t …
He / She / It is / isn’t

[+] He is a teacher.
[-] He isn’t a teacher.
[?] Is he a teacher? > Yes, he is. / No, he isn’t.
[?] Who is he?

Present Simple: DO [S + V1]

SUBJECT VERB 1
I / You / We / They Base form
He / She / It Base form + s/es/ies

[+] They go to school. He goes to school.

[-] They don’t go to school. He doesn’t go to school.
S + don’t/doesn’t + V (Base Form) + O + C
[?] Does he go to school? > Yes, he does. / No, he doesn’t.
[Do/Does + S + V (Base Form) + O + C?]
[?] When does he go to school?
[WH+ Do/Does + S + V (Base Form) + O + C?]

• We add -es to verbs that end with: o, ss, sh, ch, x, z

go >> goes watch >> watches press >> presses
fix >> fixes wash >> washes buzz >> buzzes

• We delete the final y and add -ies to words that end with a consonant letter + y:
play >> plays study >> studies
Present Continuous [ S + am/is/are + Gerund ]
for actions that are in progress now

study English
[+] We are studying English.
[-] We aren’t studying Spanish.
[?] Are we studying French? NOW
> Yes, we are. / No, we aren’t.
[?] What are we studying?

NON-CONTINUOUS VERBS (we don’t use them in continuous tenses)

• feeling: hate, like, love, prefer, want, wish

• senses: appear, feel, hear, see, seem, smell, sound, taste
• communication: agree, deny, disagree, mean, promise, satisfy, surprise
• thinking: believe, imagine, know, mean, realize, recognize, remember, understand
• other states: be, belong, concern, depend, involve, matter, need, owe, have (own),
possess

I have a car. I am having a car.

I am having dinner. (eat)

My cat is acting strange. = My cat is being strange.

Present Perfect & Present Perfect Continuous

Present Perfect Present Perfect Continuous

Form S + have/has + V3 S + have/has + been + Gerund
[+] He has lost his wallet. He has been working in UK.
[-] He hasn’t (has not) found his wallet. He hasn’t been working here.
Has he found his wallet? Has he been working in UK?
[?] > Yes, he has. > Yes, he has.
> No, he hasn’t. > No, he hasn’t.
[?] What has he lost? Where has he been working?

Present Perfect [S + have/has + Verb 3]

We use the present perfect to:
Use Example
[+] I have eaten snails. (I tried snails once in 2010.)
1. talk about life experiences
[-] I haven’t eaten sushi.
without mentioning the
I have never eaten sushi.
exact time of the action
[?] Have you (ever) been to UK?
You can use “ever” in
[?] What have you done?
questions and “never” in
statements.
I have never eaten a rabbit.
I have taught English for 12 years. [FOR + DURATION]
2. talk about unfinished
I have taught English since 2008. [SINCE + START
actions
TIME]
3. talk about past actions Bob has lost his wallet. (the wallet got lost in the past, and
that have an effect in the it is still lost now)
present Bob has broken his arm. (his arm is still broken)
4. talk about actions that
happened or finished I have just sent the email.
recently (must use “just”)
Have you done your homework yet?
5. to make [+] sentences with
I have already answered two units in the workbook.
already and [-] sentences
I haven’t answered anything yet.
and questions with yet
I haven’t yet.

6. with repeated actions

using words such as: once, I have seen a turtle twice.
twice, three times, four I have broken my phone three times.
times, …
 Present Perfect Continuous [S + have/has + been + Gerund]
Perfect actions can be divided to three types:
Present Perfect
Present Perfect
Continuous
One-time ✓ Nothing extra
Non-stop ✓ for + duration
Habitual ✓ ✓ since + start time

Examples with Timelines

lose my wallet
This is a ONE-TIME action.
P F
3:00 pm NOW

Example: Khalid has lost his wallet.

(He lost it earlier today, and it’s still lost now.)

listen to music
This is a NON-STOP action.
NOW
3:00 pm
5:00 pm

Example: Khalid has been listening to music for two hours.

Khalid has been listening to music since 3:00 pm.
(Khalid started listening to music two hours ago. Now it’s 5 o’clock, and he’s
still listening to music.)

teach English
This is a HABITUAL action.
NOW
2008 2021

Example: Khalid has taught English for 13 years.

Khalid has been teaching English for 13 years.
(Khalid started teaching in 2008. Now it’s 2021, and he’s still teaching.)