Present tense is used to show things happening in present.
There are four types of present tense
- Simple Present Tense
- Present Continuous Tense
- Present Perfect Tense
- Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Simple Present Tense
We use simple present tense to talk about things in general. We use it to say that something happens all the time or repeatedly. It does not matter whether the action is happening at the time of speaking.
Simple present tense is used to show universal truth, principle and facts.
Ex:
- The Sun rises in the east.
- Fortune favours the brave.
- Gases expand when heated.
Simple present tense is used to show habitual, repeated or regular actions.
Ex:
- My sister works in a school.
- I work in a bank.
- Driver drives the car.
Simple present tense is used for future reference or fixed time tables.
Ex:
- Samir goes to pune next Sunday.
- The show begins at 8:30 next Saturday.
- Next bus is at 7:30 evening.
Present Continuous Tense
Present continuous tense is used when we talk about something that is happening at the time of speaking.
Ex:
- I am driving the car.
- Children are playing hockey.
- Mother is cooking the food.
Present continuous tense is used when we talk about something that is happening around the time of speaking but not necessarily exactly at the time of speaking.
Ex:
- I am reading the Gita. (I am not reading the Gita at the time of speaking but I have started reading it and have not finished it.)
- I am learning English.
- She is learning car driving.
Present continuous tense is used for an action that is planned or arranged to take place in the near future.
Ex:
- I am going to Delhi tomorrow.
- We are going to garden this Saturday.
- We are going to cinema tonight.
Present Perfect Tense
Present perfect tense is used to show the activities which are completed in recent past.
Ex:
- I have just arrived
- The match has just started.
- Ram has just gone out.
The present perfect tense is used for ‘past actions’ where time is not known:
Ex:
- Have you been to Mumbai?
- I have read three books
The present perfect tense is used to show the action begun in the past and still going on.
Ex:
- I know him for a long time.
- He has worked there for ten years.
- They have lived there since 2000.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
The present perfect continuous is used to denote an action, which began sometime in the past and is still continuing.
- Raman has been playing chess for two hours.
- Sheela has been sleeping for 7 hours.
- They have been working on this project since last year.
