Present Tenses

Present simple & Present continuous Tense

Present Simple: (V+ s or es, do, does)

** present simple to talk about the permanent situation.

I live in Istanbul.

I come from Turkey.

** present simple to talk about habitual action.

I drink coffee every day.

It snows here in winter.

** general truth or statements and facts.

Cats don’t like water.

Sun rises from the east.

Everyone dies one day.

** instruction and directions.

Take the first turn on the left to get to the train station.

** adverbs of frequency: never, hardly ever, rarely, seldom, occasionally, sometimes, frequency, often, usually, always, every day/month/year.

I always get up early in the morning.

Present continuous: [be (am, is, are)+ ving]

** present continuous tense to talk about activities and situations that are temporary.

I am only staying here for a short time.

**actions that are in progress at the moment of speaking.

What are you doing at the moment? – I am drinking coffee now/at the moment.

**situation that is changing, trend.

Prices are rising.

** annoying habits, with always.

Traffic is getting worse every day.

** fixed future arrangement.

He is getting married in September.

** time expression: at the moment, always, still, currently, at present, (right now)

I am currently living in Turkey, but I plan to move to Germany soon.

*** state verbs can’t be used in any continuous tenses: love, hate, prefer, want, understand, know, believe, disagree, doubt, remember, realize, taste, like, seem, resemble, sound, belong to, have, include, own, possess, mean.

I am understanding you. (Wrong sentence).

I understand you.

 Present Perfect Tense (have/has+V3)

** states or for single or repeated actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past. The exam time is not important, the result is important.

I have already seen the movie 10 times.

She has been ill quite often recently.

** expressions of the frequency with present perfect tense: often, once, twice, three times, several times, the first/ second, ever, never. (experiences)

This is the first time that I have met her parents.

Have you ever ridden a camel?

** present perfect tense refers to something that started in the past and finished before now.

I have just eaten my lunch.

He has just woken up.

** something started in the past and still continues.

I have worked as a doctor for 10 years.

** present perfect: how much / how many- Result.

** have been & have gone differently.

John has been to Spain. (He went to Spain, and he is back home now).

John has gone to Spain. (He is in Spain now)

** adverbs of frequently- present perfect tense.

Just, already, yet, ever, never.

I have just taken a shower.

She has already found a job.

He hasn’t seen the film yet.

They have never gone aboard.

Have you ever eaten Sushi?

** announcement, news, radio- present perfect, for the detailed information-simple past.

- Have you been abroad? Yes, I have. (experience & result)

- Where did you go? I went to Spain in 2007. (Exact time)

** for & since

For (duration), since (specific time).

I have taught English for 10 years.

I have worked as a doctor since 2011.