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Present Tenses

This document provides information about the present continuous and simple present tenses in English. It explains the formation of the present continuous tense using the present tense of "to be" plus the present participle ending in "-ing". It also lists exceptions to adding "-ing" for certain verb types. The present continuous is used to describe actions happening now or at a specific time. The simple present tense formation and usage is also outlined, including adding "-s" for third person singular verbs and exceptions. The simple present describes habitual or routine actions, general truths, actions with adverbs of frequency, and future planned actions or schedules.

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Gabriela Garcia
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23 views1 page

Present Tenses

This document provides information about the present continuous and simple present tenses in English. It explains the formation of the present continuous tense using the present tense of "to be" plus the present participle ending in "-ing". It also lists exceptions to adding "-ing" for certain verb types. The present continuous is used to describe actions happening now or at a specific time. The simple present tense formation and usage is also outlined, including adding "-s" for third person singular verbs and exceptions. The simple present describes habitual or routine actions, general truths, actions with adverbs of frequency, and future planned actions or schedules.

Uploaded by

Gabriela Garcia
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Form: With the present tense of TO BE + the present participle (-ING form).
I am working
I am not working Am I working Am I not working?
Im working
Im not working Am I working Arent I working?**
-Verbs ending in single e, it is dropped and we add ing.
Live, living hate, hating argue, arguing BUT dye/die, dying agree, agreeing see, seeing
-Verbs with one syllable, one vowel a final consonant (3*1), this is doubled before ing.
Sit, sitting stop, stopping
BUT start, starting feel, feeling
-Verbs with 2 or more syllables with a final vowel and consonant, this is double if the stresss
falls on the last syllable.
Begin, beginning admit, admitting BUT enter, entering
-A final -l after a single vowel is always doubled in British English
travel, travelling level, levelling BUT feel, feeling travel, travelling

USAGE:
A) For an action happening now:

Look! That boy is eating your sandwhich!

B) Or about this time but not exactly now: Im learning Russian at school this year.
C) For future arrangements with a time expression: Tomorrow Im playing basket with my son.
D) With ALWAYS for actions happening too frequently: She is always watching TV until late.
E) These verbs are NOT normally used in this tense:
- Verbs of senses for involuntary actions: feel, hear, see, smell, observe
- Verbs of feelings and emotions : adore, appreciate, desire, detest, fear, hate, like, love
- Of mental activity: agree, believe, expect, feel, forget, know, mean, realize, remember..
- Of possession: belong, owe, own, possess.
-The auxiliaries, except Be & Have in certain uses.

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE


Form: The same as the infinitive without TO. It adds an -S for the third person singular.
I work you work he works
we/you/they work
The negative and interrogative are formed with the auxiliaries do & does.
I do not work He does not work Do you work? Does she work?
- Verbs ending in ss, sh, ch, x, o add es for the third person singular
She kisses He rushes
He watches He boxes He goes She does
- Verbs ending in y following a consonant, change it into i and add -es
She carries He cries but He says She plays

USAGE:
A) For habitual actions and routines: I watch the news after lunch every day
B) For general truths: Birds fly Cats like milk
C) It is often used with an adverb of frequency: Never, sometimes, scarcely, always, twice a
year I always have white coffee for breakfast We never go to school on Sunday
D) With the verb Say when we are quoting from a book, letter, etc. What does the recipe say?
It says Boil in water for twenty minutes
E) For future planned actions, series of actions (journeys) and timetables We leave Valencia
tomorrow at 8 and arrive in London at 10.30. We go to the hotel The train leaves at 7.15.
F) In conditional sentences, type I; time clauses; with verbs which cannot be used in continuous
forms, for dramatic narrative, etc.

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