Present Tense and Its Types

Simple Present Tense or Present Indefinite

Positive: Subject + First form of Verb + object
Negative: Subject +do not/ does not + First form of Verb + object
Interrogative Do / Does + Subject + First form of Verb + object + ?

We use First form of Verb with I, You and other Plural subject (Dogs, Men etc.)
In Negative and Interrogative we use Do with I, You and other Plural subject (Dogs, Men

etc.)

We use First form of Verb + s/es Singular subjects (He, she, it, Name, Dog, man etc.)
In Negative and Interrogative we use Does with Singular subjects (He, she, it, Name,
Dog, man etc.) when we use Does we not use s/es with the first form of verb..

For e.g
1. He likes cricket.
2. He does not like cricket. (Here we use does so we do not use s/es with the like)
Use of Simple Present Tense or Present Indefinite
1.
2. To express a habitual action

My watch keeps good time.

3. To express general truths

God loves honest man

4. In the sentence which ends with exclamatory (!) sign

Here comes the bus!

Present Continuous Tense

Positive: Subject + is/am/are + First form of Verb with ing + object
Negative: Subject + is/am/are + not + First form of Verb with ing + object
Interrogative is/am/are + Subject + First form of Verb with ing + object + ?

We use am with I

We use is with Singular subjects (He, she, it, Name, Dog, man etc.)

We use are with you and other Plural subject (Dogs, Men etc.)

For e.g.

1. I am going to market
2. He is not playing cricket.
3. Are they watching movie?
Use of Present Continuous Tense
2. To express an action going on at the time of speaking
He is writing a letter
3. To indicate an action that is planned to take place in the future
I am going to Mumbai tomorrow.
4. To indicate an action that is not going on at the time of speaking
1.

I am playing cricket these days

5. we cannot use some verbs in continuous form we use is, am, are with them but not
(ing)
Verb of senses (smell, notice, see, taste, hear, feel)
1.

Verbs expressing feelings an emotion (love, like, hate, fear, prefer, refuse, hope,
wish, want)

Verbs of mental activity ( think, remember, mind, recognize, appreciate,

understand, forgot, know, agree)

Verbs of possession (belong to, consist of, possess, own , owe, have, contain)

Present Perfect Tense

Positive: Subject + Has / Have + 3rd form of Verb + object

Negative: Subject + Has/ Have + not + 3rd form of Verb + object
Interrogative Has/ Have + Subject + 3rd form of Verb + object + ?

We use Has with Singular subjects (He, she, it, Name, Dog, man etc.)

We use Have with I and you and other Plural subject (Dogs, Men etc.)

For e.g.

1. He has played cricket match.

2. I have not eaten my food..
Use of Present Perfect Tense
1. To express an action that has just been competed
They have reached home safely.
2. To express a past experience the time of which is not given
I have studied in the school
3. To describe a past event with a result now in this second sentence given in the present
indefinite
1.

Doctors have gone on strike the situation is serious.

4. To show a past action as continuing up to present, in the second sentence we generally

use Still
1.

We have lived here ten years, we are still living here

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Positive: Subject + Has / Have been + First form of Verb with ing + object + since/for
Negative: Subject + Has/ Have + not + been+ First form of Verb with ing + since/for
Interrogative Has/ Have + Subject +been+ First form of Verb with ing + object + since/for ?

We use Has been with Singular subjects (He, she, it, Name, Dog, man etc.)

We use Have been with I and you and other Plural subject (Dogs, Men etc.)

We use since with definite time for e.g. since 2 o clock, since morning, since Tuesday

We use for with indefinite time for e.g. for 10 days, for 2 months, for 2 hours

For e.g.

1. He has been playing cricket match for ten years

2. I have not been eating my food since morning.
Use of Present Perfect Continuous Tense
1. To express an action that started in past , is still going on
She has been reading this book since morning.
We have been studying English grammar for two years.