All about present tenses

Forms of verb in Simple Present Tense

Verb forms V1/V5 (Do/Does)

Use of Simple Present Tense

1. Use the simple present to talk about things that are permanent or always true

The earth moves around the Sun. 

The Sun rises in the east

They live in The USA

2. Use present simple to talk about habits and routines

I often walk at 5 A.M.

We see our friends every weekend. 

3. To express theories and principles

Light travels faster than sound

A triangle has three sides

Water freezes at zero degree centigrade

4. Use to express natural qualities/ characteristics

A mother loves her children. 

Sugar is sweet. 

5. Use to express professional activities

A Baker bakes bread. 

My father is a doctor. He treats patients

6. Use this tense to express about a settled state of affairs which includes the present moment. 

My uncle lives in Mumbai

My house faces the North. 

7. Use this tense to express ownership/relationship

This house belongs to me. 

Ramu owes me 200 rupees. 

8. Use this tense with verb of perception ( feel, hear, smell, taste, see) 

We see the poor suffering. 

The rose smells sweet

9. Use this tense with verb of cognition (learning)

(believe, forget, know, mean, remember, suppose, think, trust, understand) 

He believes in himself. 

I understand what you say. 

10. Use this tense with verbs of emotion (care, desire, hate, hope, like, love, mind, feel, fear, prefer, wish) 

A cat likes fish. 

A mother wants her children to prosper

( The four classes of verbs expressing ownership/relationship, perception, cognition, emotion are called stative verbs). They do not generally take -ing form of a verb

Besides the above mentioned verb there are miscellaneous verbs also

(appear, consist of, contain, deserve, matter, resemble, seem) 

The bootleg contains poison. 

This committee consists of five members. 

Stative verbs are those verb where action is not visible by another person

As it is not visible as dynamic verb like run, dance, play, sing etc. 

11. Use this tense with adverbs of future time to indicate future plan/program

The prime minister visits patna tomorrow. 

The entrance examination begins on 8 April. 

12. Use to subordinate clause introduced by if or when( future time) 

If you walk fast, you will reach station on time.

Present continuous tense

Its form is am/is/are + present participle (verb+ ing) 

The present continuous form of have is : am/is/are + having

Present continuous form of have+ noun is having + noun. In this construction having + noun is used as substitute for taking/receiving/experiencing

Ex 

He is having a bath. (She is taking a bath) 

We are having a lot of hardships. ( we are experiencing a lot of hardships) 

But have+ noun indicating ownership/relationship/characteristics is not put into the continuous form

Ex

He has a brother. ( not, is having) 

Uses

1. Action going on now. This tense is used to express temporary activity. In this case this tense truly represents present time. 

It is raining now. 

They are feeding fish

I am messaging you important notes. 

2. Action going on presently. This tense is also used for an action going on these days, not necessarily at the moment of speaking. In another word we can assume that it indicates an activity that extends over a period of present time

He is directing a film these days after a long time

Mrs. J. K. Rolling is writing another novel these days. 

She is studying law. 

3. It is used to express a definite plan/programme in near future. An adverbial of future time is always mentioned to avoid confusion between present time and future time, viz. tomorrow, next day, next week, next morning

I am leaving for America tomorrow. 

She is giving a party next Sunday. 

Present continuous is more personal and informal than simple present in expressing future action because it indicates that the speaker or person mentioned is party to a future plan

4. Change of present state/situation

Present continuous tense is used to denote a change of present state/situation into another. Some verbs of this class are: become, go, get, grow, turn

The problem is getting more and more complicated. 

Cars are becoming costlier day by day. 

Verbs expressing ownership/relationship/perception/emotion/cognition etc. are not usually used in continuous aspect. These verbs are stative and therefore incompatible with the idea of continuity. However a progressive form can be used when the reference is to a temporary activity. 

She is smelling rose. 

The court is hearing the case today.

Present perfect tense

Form

The present perfect form of main verb is has/have + past participle

The present perfect form of have is has/have + had

The present perfect form of be is has been/have been. 

The present perfect form of can is has been/ have been + able to

Note:

When have+ noun is 'to experience/to receive/to take. Its present perfect form is has/have + had + noun

I have had a lot of calls today. ( have received) 

The present perfect form of verb be + noun/adjective is:

has/have + been + noun/adjective

Shreya has been a teacher for ten years. 

Uses

1. This tense expresses the completion of an action by the time of speaking/writing:

The holidays are over. Schools have reopened. 

I have written a few flash fictions. 

2. This tense is used to refer to an activity or experience which has occurred in the past:

Mr. Prakash has been to London. 

Have you ever seen a rainbow? 

3. This tense is used with adverb/prepositional phrases of time like; so far, up till now, for, since, just, yet, already

I haven't received any reply so far. 

We will not write ( I didn't receive any reply so far) 

In question, present perfect tense is not used with 'when' simple past is used instead:

When did you buy this camera? 

We will not say (when have you bought this camera?) 

4. Present perfect can be used with adverb of frequency like these: always, ever, never, often

Have you ever seen a zebra? 

I have always paid attention to my classes. 

Note:

Instead of the standard has/have, a be with past participle is allowed in sentences like following:

Spring is come. The ball is gone

The sun is risen. 

Sentences of this pattern refer to a change of state/situation and not only completion of activity in the present. The pattern occurs with a few verb like come, go, fall, rise, etc

6. Present perfect, like simple present, is used in an adverb clause of time when the main clause is in future time

I will get off when the bus stops/has stopped

In adverb clause, simple future is replaced by simple present and future perfect by present perfect. The use of present perfect makes completion of an activity emphatic

I'll switch on the light when it grows dark. ( non-emphatic) 

I'll switch on the light when it has grown dark. ( emphatic) 

Such use of simple present/present perfect indicates future time, not present time.

Present perfect continuous tense

Form

Has been/have been + present participle

Uses

This tense indicates that an action began in the past and is still going on. 

The baby has been crying. 

What have you been doing? 

This tense is generally used with words/phrases like these: for, since, long, how long, all the time, all day, all week 

Lata has been working all the time. 

People have been waiting for a long time for the removal of lockdown. 

Note

In question in present perfect continuous tense 'since when' is used instead of 'when's

Since when has the child been missing? 

We don't say

When has the child been missing?

For and Since are used to express time and duration of action

For is used to express duration of time like 2 hours, three weeks etc

Since is used to express exact time like since Monday, since 1975 since morning etc