PRESENT TENSES

PRESENT SIMPLE
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
PRESENT PERFECT

AIM: TO REVISE PRESENT TENSES

 1. I’m learning Chinese.
 2. You’ve walked across the Amazon
jungle.
 3. It has meant that I can finance my next
expedition.
 4. My mum and dad always watch my
documentaries.
 5. My agent is waiting for me.
 6. I’ve always loved travelling.
 7. I don’t like going with groups.
Answers
 1. I’m learning Chinese. – Present Continuous
 2. You’ve walked across the Amazon jungle. –
Present Perfect
 3. It has meant that I can finance my next
expedition. – Present Perfect
 4. My mum and dad always watch my
documentaries. – Present Simple
 5. My agent is waiting for me. – Present
Continuous
 6. I’ve always loved travelling. – Present Perfect
 7. I don’t like going with groups. - Present Simple
Present Simple
 I live in Belgrade.  We live in
 You live in Belgrade.
Belgrade.  You live in
 He/She/It lives in Belgrade.
Belgrade.  They live in
Belgrade.
Present Simple - questions
 Do I live in  Do we live in
Belgrade? Belgrade?
 Do you live in  Do you live in
Belgrade? Belgrade?
 Does he/she/it  Do they live in
live in Belgrade? Belgrade?
Present Simple - negative
 I don’t live in  We don’t live in
Belgrade. Belgrade.
 You don’t live in  You don’t live in
Belgrade. Belgrade.
 He/she /it doesn’t  They don’t live in
live in Belgrade. Belgrade.
We use the Present Simple to
talk about:
 Activities that we repeat regularly (routines, habits).
My mum and dad always watch my documentaries.
 Permanent situations and states.

I don’t like cheese.

 General truths

A doctor works in a hospital.

Common time adverbials:

always, often, usually, sometimes, never
every day, every week, every year ...
twice a week, once a month
regularly, seldom, hardly ever, occasionally
Spelling
 Y is lost in verbs  We use –es with
ending in verbs ending in -s,
consonant +y: -z, -sh, -ch, -s, -x:
fly – flies watches, teaches,
washes, fixes...
study – studies  -es where you
wouldn’t normally
expect it
does
goes
Present Continuous
 I am watching TV.  We are watching
 You are watching TV.
TV.  You are watching
 He/she/it is TV.
watching TV.  They are
watching TV.
Present Continuous -
questions
 Am I watching  Are we watching
TV? TV?
 Are you watching  Are you watching
TV? TV?
 Is he/she/it  Are they watching
watching TV? TV?
Present Continuous -
negative
 I am not watching  We are not
TV. watching TV.
 You are not  You are not
watching TV. watching TV.
 He/she/it is not  They are not
watching TV. watching TV.
We use the Present Continuous to
talk about:
 Activities that are going on at the time of speaking.
Right now, I am giving a lecture and you are
listening.
 Activities that happen regularly but only for a

limited period of time (temporary routines and

habits).
I’m studying English a lot these days because we are
having a test next week.

Common time adverbials:

now, at the moment, at present, these days
Spelling
 Verbs ending in –e  Short verbs ending in
lose the final -e when one vowel + one
–ing is added. consonant double the
phone – phoning last consonant.
make – making sit – sitting
change – changing cut – cutting
swim – swimming
 Verbs ending in –ie:
lie – lying
tie – tying
Present Perfect: have/has +3rd
column
 I have done the  We have done the
homework. homework.
 You have done  You have done
the homework. the homework.
 He/she/it has  They have done
done the the homework.
homework.
Present Perfect - Questions
 Have I done the  Have we done the
homework? homework?
 Have you done  Have you done
the homework? the homework?
 Has he/she/it  Have they done
done the the homework?
homework?
Present Perfect - negative
 I have not done  We have not done
the homework. the homework.
 You have not  You have not
done the done the
homework. homework.
 He/she/it has not  They have not
done the done the
homework. homework.
We use the Present Perfect to
talk about:
 Past events and activities with results or
consequences in the present.
I’ve lost my keys and now I can’t open the door.
 An action in the past when we don’t know or are not
interested in when it happened. (to talk about
experience)
I’ve been to China.
 Things that started in the past and continue up till
now.
I’ve always wanted to travel.

Common time adverbials:

never, ever, since, for, already, yet, all my life, always
The use and meanings of time
adverbials
 already and yet  since and for
We use already in Since tells us about a
statements and yet point in time when
in questions and the activity began.
negative We’ve been friends
sentences. since 2003.
I’ve already seen For tells us about the
that film. period of time that
the activity has
I haven’t finished taken.
yet. We’ve been friends for
five years.
Do the matching
task
Matching task - answers
 1. I’m learning Chinese. – activities that happen
regularly but only for a limited period of time around the
present
 2. You’ve walked across the Amazon jungle. – events
that happened in the past but it doesn’t matter when
 3. It has meant that I can finance my next expedition. –
past events that have clear results in the present
 4. My mum and dad always watch my documentaries. –
activities that happen regularly
 5. My agent is waiting for me. – activities going on at
this moment
 6. I’ve always loved travelling. - things that started in
the past and continue up till now
 7. I don’t like going with groups. – permanent situations
or states
Revision
Give a wider context for each of the
sentences below.
 I write emails.
 I’m writing an email.
 I’ve written an email.
Now choose a verb and write similar
examples of your own.