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Present Tense Verbs Explained

The document provides information about the present simple and present continuous tenses in English. For the present simple, it lists the affirmative, negative, and interrogative forms, discusses spelling rules, and explains when it is used - for permanent situations, repeated actions, truths, timetables, reviews, and commentaries. For the present continuous, it also lists the forms and discusses spelling, and when it is used - for temporary situations, actions happening now, repeated actions with always, and fixed future arrangements.

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Onosa Iuliana
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177 views4 pages

Present Tense Verbs Explained

The document provides information about the present simple and present continuous tenses in English. For the present simple, it lists the affirmative, negative, and interrogative forms, discusses spelling rules, and explains when it is used - for permanent situations, repeated actions, truths, timetables, reviews, and commentaries. For the present continuous, it also lists the forms and discusses spelling, and when it is used - for temporary situations, actions happening now, repeated actions with always, and fixed future arrangements.

Uploaded by

Onosa Iuliana
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

The verb

Present forms
1. Present Tense Simple

Affirmative Negative Interrogative Negative-


Interrogative
I walk Long form Short form Do I walk? Don’t you
You walk I do not walk I don’t walk Do you walk? walk?
He/she/it You do not You don’t Does he/she/it Doesn’t he
walks walk walk walk? walk?
We walk He/she/it He/she/it Do we walk?
You walk does not doesn’t walk Do you walk?
They walk walk We don’t Do they walk?
We do not walk
walk You don’t
You do not walk
walk They don’t
They do not walk
walk

Spelling:
 verbs ending in: -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -o -es :
I watch - he watches
I go – he goes
 verbs ending in: consonant + y -ies:
I study – he studies
BUT verbs ending in a vowel ( a, e, o, u ) + y ys:
I buy – he buys

Time expressions used with Present Simple :


 every day/week/month/year
 usually
 often
 always
 rarely
 never
 sometimes
 in the morning/evening/afternoon
 at night
 on Mondays/Sundays etc.

We use Present Simple for:


 permanent situations or states:
He works in a hospital.
They own a beautiful car.
 repeated / habitual actions ( especially with frequency adverbs: often,
usually etc.). The frequency adverbs go after the verbs to be and can, but
before the main verbs:
I usually get up at six o’clock.
 permanent truths or laws of nature:
Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius.
 timetables/programmes ( future meaning):
The film finishes at 9 p.m.
The train leaves at 10 a.m.
 reviews/sports commentaries/dramatic narrative:
Richard Gere acts very well in this film.
2. Present Tense Continuous

Affirmative Negative Interrogative Negative-


Interrogati
ve
Long form Short Long form Short Am I talking? Aren’t you
form form Are you talking?
I am I’m I am not I’m not talking? Isn’t he
talking talking talking talking Is he talking? talking?
You are You’re You are You aren’t Is she talking?
talking talking not talking talking Is it talking?
He/she/it He’s He/she/it He/she/it Are we talking?
is talking talking is not isn’t Are you
We are She’s talking talking talking?
talking talking We are We aren’t Are they
You are It’s not talking talking talking?
talking talking You are You aren’t
They are We’re not talking talking
talking talking They are They
You’re not talking aren’t
talking talking
They’re
talking

Spelling:
 when verbs end in one stressed vowel between two consonants, we
double the final consonants:
swim – swimming
stir – stirring
sit – sitting
BUT: walk – walking
wait – waiting
open – opening
 when the infinitive ends in one e we delete the e:
write – writing
dive – diving

 Look at the spelling of these verbs!


lie – lying
die – dying

Time expressions used with Present Continuous:


 now
 at the moment
 at present
 nowadays
 today
 tonight
 always
 still

We use Present Continuous for:

 temporary situations:
They are living with Ann at present.
 actions happening at or around the moment of speaking:
She is looking for a better job.
 repeated actions with always expressing annoyance or criticism:
You are always interrupting me.
The baby is always crying at night.
 fixed arrangements in the near future:
We are visiting grandma on Sunday. ( It’s all arranged)
 changing or developing situations:
Your English is getting better.

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