Tenses: Present Tense - The Four Major Tense Forms

Contributed by:
Ivan
This handout focuses on the four major tense forms that describe the present: present simple, present perfect, present continuous, and present perfect continuous

1.
English tenses
¢ Present simple
¢ Present perfect
e Present continuous
¢ Present perfect continuous



2.
Present simple
A form of the verb that refers
to an action or event that is
going or that regularly takes
place in present time.



3.

Present perfect
The form of the verb used for
actions or events that have
been completed or have
happened in a period of time
up to now.
This week


4.
Present continuous
The form used for actions or
events that are happening or
developing now.
At the moment
This month



5.
Present perfect continuous
Expresses an action that
recently stopped or is still
going on. It puts emphasis on
the duration or course of the