PRESENT TENSE

SIMPLE PRESENT

 Habit / activities which is frequently done

Ex: We learn in Geography Department.
 General truth
Ex: History is a part of Social Science.
 Time signal:
every, sometimes, seldom, usually, rarely,
always, never, often
 SIMPLE PRESENT PATTERN
Verbal Sentence Nominal Sentence
(+) S + V1 + s/es (+) S + is, am, are
 V1 is used for the subject: I, Be is followed by noun or adjective
you, we, they, plural
noun/pronoun

 V1 + s/es is used for the

subject: he, she, it, singular
noun/pronoun
(-) S + do/does + not + V1 (-) S + is, am, are + not
(?) do/does + S + V1 (Yes, No (?) is, am, are + S (Yes, No
Question) Question)
(?) Question word + do/does (?) Question word + is, am,
+ S + V1 (Wh. Question) are + S (Wh. Question)
 PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
 Anaction is in progress during a particular
time.
 Anaction begins before, is in progress during
and continues after another time or action
Ex: We are studying right now.
 Time signal:
now, right now, at this moment, today, this
morning, this weekend, soon.
 PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
PATTERN

(+) S + to be (is, am, are) + V-ing

(-) S + to be (is, am, are) + not + V-ing

(?) to be + S + V-ing (Yes, No Question)

(?) Question word + to be + S + V-ing (Wh. Question)
 PRESENT PERFECT

 Onething happens before another time or

event
Ex: I have already eaten.
 Time Signal:
already, just, recently, at last, finally
PRESENT PERFECT PATTERN

(+) S + have/has + V-3

(-) S + have/has + not + V-3 + yet

(?) have/has + S + V-3 (Yes, No Question)

(?) Question word + have/has + S + V-3 (Wh. Question)
 PRESENT PERFECT
PROGRESSIVE
 Oneevent is in progress immediately before,
up to, until another time or event.
 The tenses are used to express the duration of
the first event.
Ex: I have been studying for two hours.
 Time signal:
for…; since…; the whole day; all (the) morning
 PRESENT PERFECT
PROGRESSIVE PATTERN

(+) S + have/has been + V-ing

(-) S + have/has + not + been + V-ing

(?) have/has been + S + V-ing (Yes, No Question)

(?) Question word + have/has been + S + V-ing
(Wh. Question)
 Reference

 BettyS. Azar. 1989. Understanding and Using

English Grammar. London: Prentice Hall.