The present Continuous Tense

1. Actions in development in the moment of speaking

adverbs: now, at this moment.
I am reading now.
He is working at this moment.

2. Temporary actions which take place in a present

period. Adverbs: today, this week/ month/ year, at
present.
I’m studying German this year.,
I’m working hard today.

3. Repeated actions which irritate the speaker by their

frequency.
You are always asking me stupid questions.

4. Arguments for the future( the speaker has already

planned what he has to do).
“ What are you doing tomorrow evening?”
“ I’m going to the cinema.”
 The Present Continuous Tense

BE + V-ing
To be: I am driving.
You are driving.
He/she/it is driving.
We are driving.
You are driving.
They are driving.
Affirmative:
I am listening to music.
You are playing tennis.
He is watching TV.
Negative:
I am not listening to music.
You are not playing tennis.
He is not watching TV.
Interrogative:
Am I listening to music?
Are you playing tennis?
 Is he watching TV?

The Present Simple Tense

1. Repeated, reliable actions:

a) adverbs: always, usually, often, sometimes,
seldom, early, never.
I always wake up early.
 b) every-day, week, month, year, Sunday,
morning, evening, every two days, every
other week, every four years twice a week
there, times a month, once in a blue moon.
I watch TV every morning.

2. Permanent actions:
I live in London.

3. General truths:
The Sun rises in the East.

4. Actions officially planned in the future:

The plane takes off at 8:30 tomorrow.
 The Present Simple

Form: V-(e) + S.s

DO, DOES

Do I /we/you/they work?
Does he/she/ it work?
I/we/you/they don’t work.
He /she/it doesn’t work.

Affirmative:
I speak English.
He speaks English.
Negative:
I don’t speak English.
He doesn’t speak English.
Interrogative:
Do you speak English?
Does Bill speak English?
 The Past Continuous

We use the past continuous to describe a past

action in progress which is interrupted by another shorter
activity.
I was reading when the phone rang.
 Affirmative: S+ be(simple past)+V-ing.
I/he/she/it was reading.
We/you/they were talking.

Interrogative:
Be(simple past)+S+V-ing?
Was she reading?
Were you talking?

Negative:
S+be(simple past)+not+V-ing
She was not reading.

Present Perfect

Adverbs : a) for, since, already, just, yet

b) today /this week /month /
year /in / over the last few weeks /so far / until
now/recently .

Examples:
 She has worked on her project for two
months.
His fax has just arrived.
Sorry, I haven’t sent the reply yet.
No, I haven’t seen her today.
Nothing has been decided so far.

Present perfect continuous

Adverbs: for, since.

EXAMPLES:

He has been working in this office for 35 years!

She’s been cooking since ten o’clock, no
wonder she’s exhausted.