The document summarizes the forms and uses of three present tenses in English: the present simple, present continuous, and present perfect. It provides examples of how to form each tense and the contexts in which they are typically used, such as using the present simple for facts/habits, present continuous for ongoing actions, and present perfect for completed actions related to the present. It also notes exceptions for stative verbs which are not used in continuous tenses. In the end, it provides practice questions to test understanding of the tenses.

1. PRESENT
TENSES
Present Simple
Present Continuous
Present Perfect

2. FORM
 PRESENT SIMPLE
 BASE FORM OF THE VERB (To play – play // to sing – sing // to drive –
drive)
 -S in the 3RD PERSON SINGULAR ( He plays // She sings // It drives)
 DON’T / DOESN’T in the NEGATIVE FORM
 DO / DOES in the INTERROGATIVE FORM
 PRESENT CONTINUOUS
 Present of TO BE (am, is, are) + Present Participle (-ING form)
 NOT after AM, IS, ARE + -ING in the NEGATIVE FORM
 AM, IS, ARE before the subject for the INTERROGATIVE FORM
 PRESENT PERFECT
 Present of TO HAVE (have, has) + Past Participle (-ED or IRREGULAR
FORM)
 NOT after HAVE, HAS + -ED in the NEGATIVE FORM
 HAVE, HAS before the subject for the INTERROGATIVE FORM

3. USES
PRESENT SIMPLE
 GENERAL FACTS. UNIVERSAL TRUTH.
PERMANENT THINGS:
 WATER BOILS AT 100º - THE SUN RISES ON THE EAST
- I’M A BOY / GIRL
 HABITS. With expressions like USUALLY,
NORMALLY, EVERY DAY…
 I GET UP AT 7 EVERY DAY – I NORMALLY EAT FRUIT
FOR DINNER
 TO TELL JOKES, STORIES, SPORT EVENTS….
 A MAN WALKS INTO A BAR AND SAYS…

4. USES
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
 UNFINISHED ACTIONS THAT TAKE PLACE IN
THE MOMENT OF SPEAKING. With expressions
like: NOW, AT THE MOMENT, RIGHT NOW,
TODAY, THIS MORNING…
 She is reading a book - Is your sister studying?
 TEMPORARY SITUATIONS:
 I’m living in Madrid, but I normally live in Melilla

5. EXCEPTIONS - STATIVE VERBS
NEVER IN CONTINUOUS TENSES
SENSES:
feel, hear, see, smell, sound, taste
MENTAL ACTIVITY:
appear, forget, think, believe, suppose, unde
rstand, remember, hope
EMOTIONS:
like, dislike, hate, love, want, wish, need, fea
r
POSSESSION: belong
to, have, owe, possess
MEASURES: weigh, cost, measure

6. USES
 PRESENT PERFECT:
 FINISHED ACTIONS RELATED TO THE PRESENT. THE IMPORTANT
THING IS THE RESULT, NOT WHEN IT HAPPENED. NO PAST
EXPRESSIONS.
 I HAVE BROKEN MY LEG - I HAVE FINISHED MY HOMEWORK
 “I HAVE BEEN TO IRELAND” - “WHEN?” - “I WENT LAST SUMMER”
 REPEATED ACTIONS IN THE PAST
 I HAVE VISITED MADRID A LOT OF TIMES.
 I HAVE PHONED THE BUS COMPANY THREE TIMES BUT THERE IS NO
ANSWER
 ACTIONS THAT STARTED IN THE PAST AND ARE UNFINISHED
 I HAVEN’T READ A NOVEL SINCE THE SUMMER
 EXPRESIONES:
 FOR / SINCE
 EVER / YET / JUST / STILL / ALREADY
 HOW LONG…?
 FREQUENCY ADVERBS: ALWAYS, NEVER, OFTEN…

7. PRACTICE

8. LOOK AT THE PICTURES AND
ANSWER THE QUESTIONS
WHAT DOES HE DO?
WHAT IS HE DOING?
WHAT HAS HE DONE?