Present Tense: Definitions, Examples, Types, Rules & Exercises with Answers

As mentioned before, the Present Tense in English is used to refer to an event or action which is being done in the current time or the present. It talks about what is happening right now, in this very moment. There are various types of tenses, each indicating different times of action. But, the present tense is used to show:

• Habitual actions
• General Truths
• State of Being
• Something that is happening right now
• Something that started in the past but is still happening in the present

The English Present Tense helps people talk about their daily life, current situations and things that always stand true. This tense is foundational, especially in conversations, instructions and news. Hence, understanding the present tense is important for everyday conversations, describing routines, expressing feelings and thoughts and writing clearly in the present.

Also Read:

Simple Past Tense in English Grammar	Past Perfect Tense
English Past Perfect Continuous Tense	Past Tense: Types, Exercises and Examples
Past Continuous Tense: Grammar Rules, Exercises and Examples, Best Books

According to the Oxford Dictionary, a present tense is the “the form of a verb that expresses an action that is happening now or at the time of speaking.”

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a present tense is “the form of the verb that is used to show what happens or exists now”

Present Tense Examples:

I play football.	Rahul goes to bed late.
He is my grandfather.	The assistant is trying to prepare a report.
The bus is moving, hurry up!	We do not speak French.

In English grammar, the Present Tense is broadly classified into four types. Read below to know all the present tense types:

Simple Present Tense

The Simple Present Tense is the most basic form of the present tense, and is used to describe general truths or facts, habits, events which are scheduled, daily routines, permanent situations, etc. The Oxford dictionary describes it as a verb tense which is happening now or at the time of speaking.

The Simple Present Tense is further divided into three types, i.e. Affirmative, Negative and Interrogative.

Simple Present Tense Examples

• Do you like sushi?
• The dog barks loudly.
• He loves to travel.
• She dresses up nicely.

Structure of Simple Present Tense

Subject + Verb in the base form or third person plural + Object

Present Continuous Tense

As the name suggests, the Present Continuous Tense is a verb tense which describes the actions which are currently happening and are still ongoing and may continue into the future. The Present Continuous Tense is formed using the auxiliary verb ‘to be’ and the present participle of the main verb (verb + ing). This is also known as the Present Progressive Tense. This verb tense is used for:

• Action happening right now
• Temporary situations or actions
• Future arrangements and plans
• Repeated actions

This type of tense is also divided into Affirmative, Interrogative and Negative. Some words signal the progressive tense. These include, now, right now, at the moment, currently, today and this week/month/year. The structure of the Present Continuous Tense is:

Subject + to be verb form (am, is, are) + present participle of the main verb (-ing) + rest of the sentence

Examples of Present Continuous Tense:

• Thomas is playing outside.
• Sarah is learning Spanish this month.
• We are planning a surprise party for Radhika.
• Raj is always forgetting his keys.
• I am not going to London this week.

Present Perfect Tense

The Present Perfect Tense is used to connect the actions which happened in the past but still have a connection with the present. This tense is also used to describe an action in the past which has been completed recently or an action which happened at an unspecified time in the past. Some adverbs which are used to indicate the present perfect tense include ‘just’, ‘already’, and ‘yet’.

The structure of the Present Perfect Tense is:

Subject + have/has + past participle of the main verb + Object

Examples of the Present Perfect Tense

• The boy has painted the fence today.
• He has just left the meeting.
• The judge has not reached a verdict yet.
• I have already worked on this.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Also known as the Present Perfect Progressive Tense, this type of Present Tense in English is used to describe the current action that started in the past and is still continuing or has just stopped but still has its effect in the present. The Present Perfect Tense emphasises on continuity of an action or activity. This is mainly categorised into Affirmative, Negative, Interrogative and Negative Interrogative.

The structure of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense is:

Subject + have/has + been + verb –ing + rest of the sentence

Examples of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

• The photographer has been waiting for the couple for a long time.
• Archie has been checking his phone a lot.
• Have you been driving since morning?
• They have been talking for a while now.

Also Read:

Interjections in English	Reading Comprehension: Definition, Types, Preparation Tips and Tricks, Books
Parts of Speech in English: Types, Rules, Exercises with Answers	Composition in English: Types, Preparation Guide, Examples and Exercises with Answers
English Vocabulary: Common Words, Practice Worksheet, Uses and Meanings	Figures of Speech- Personification, Simile, Apostrophe, Metaphors, & More

Though the easiest of tenses, there are a few common mistakes to avoid when using the English Present Tense. These are:

1. Mistakes in Simple Present Tense

When using the simple present tense, students should not forget to add ‘s’ or ‘es’ at the end of the verb in the third person singular. This is one of the most common grammar rules—and mistakes—in English.

Example:

• She plays outside.
• He eats an orange.
• Ravi likes to work.
• Monika watches the sunset every evening.

Also Read:

Nouns: Types, Examples and Exercises	Uncountable Nouns in English
Proper Nouns: Examples, Types, Exercises with Answers	Collective Nouns: Uses, Examples and Preparation Tips

2. Using Present Tense with Past Time Makers

One of the most common mistakes in English grammar is using the present tense with expressions which indicate the past tense, also called the past time makers. Past time makers include yesterday, last night/week/year/month, in , two days ago, etc.

If the time expression indicates past actions, always use the past tense and not the present perfect tense.

For example:

Incorrect: I go to the market yesterday.

Correct: I went to the market yesterday.

Incorrect: She meets him in the club last night.

Correct: She met him in the club last night.

The Present Perfect Tense (have/has + V3) can be used for past actions only when the time is not specified.

Also Read: 

Subject Verb Agreement: Grammar Rules, Examples and Exercises	Subject and Predicate in English
Direct and Indirect Speech Practice Exercises	Active and Passive Voice in English with Examples and Exercises

3. Not Using the ‘To Be’ Verb

Another common mistake that the students make when using the present tense is not using the ‘to be’ verb. In the present continuous tense, one should never use ‘Verb–ing’ without the ‘to be’ verb form, i.e. am/is/are. The present continuous tense in English is the team of two words –“Be” verb + action + ing

Example:

Incorrect: I going to the school.

Correct: I am going to the school.

Incorrect: They eating sweets.

Correct: They are eating sweets.

4. Using Present Perfect with Specific Past Time

The English Present Perfect Tense is always used only when the specific time indicating past is not mentioned. The present perfect tense structure is:

Subject + have/has + past participle (V3)+ Object

Example:

Incorrect: I have visited Mumbai last year.

Correct: I visited Mumbai last year.

Explanation: The first sentence is incorrect because a specific time, ‘last year’ is mentioned. Hence, the correct sentence would be in the past tense.

Incorrect: She has seen that movie on Tuesday.

Correct: She saw that movie on Tuesday.

Explanation: The first sentence is incorrect because ‘on Tuesday’ refers to a finished past day.

Also Read: 

English Phrases	English Idioms
Simple Future Tenses: Rules, Preparation Tips, Mistakes to Avoid	Future Continuous Tenses: Meaning, Practice Questions with Answers, Types
Future Perfect Continuous Tenses in Grammar: Know the types and meaning

Refer to the table below to know the best books to master English present tense:

Books	Author/ Publication
All About Tenses for Beginners	Ramandeep Kaur
English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide	Phil Williams
English Grammar and Composition	Wren and Martin
Essential English Grammar	Raymond Murphy
Word Power Made Easy	Norman Lewis

An effective tenses preparation strategy includes the use of the best books for the English Present Tense. Students preparing for the English Language section of any exam are recommended to use the above-mentioned books to ace the section.

Also Read:

Best books for grammar and punctuation

Best books for Analogy

Here are a few examples of the Present Tense in Grammar:

1. Rajesh wakes up early every morning and starts his routine with some light exercise. (Simple Present Tense). Right now, he is listening to a guided meditation while the sun rises. (Present Continuous). He has followed this routine for the past few years, and it is really helping him stay focused in life. (Present Perfect). Lately, he has been improving his breathing techniques during exercises and meditation. (Present Perfect Continuous).
2. Sharma reaches the office at 9 AM every day. (Simple Present Tense) He has been working for the past five years in this company. (Present Perfect Continuous) He takes the metro to the office. Lately, he is reaching the office a little later than usual. (Present Continuous Tense)
3. I have been in Toronto, Canada for most of the last three months. During this time, I have done a lot of things. I have visited Lake Minnewanka. I have skied near the Columbia Icefield. Right now, I am going to Jasper City.

Also Read:

Paraphrasing with Exercises and Answers

Prepositions: Definition, Examples, Worksheet with Answers

Verbs: Exercises and Examples

It is crucial to refer to the recommended books for an effective preparation strategy for tenses. Refer to the table below to know the best books for Tenses:

Books	Author/ Publication
All About Tenses for Beginners	Ramandeep Kaur
English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide	Phil Williams
English Grammar and Composition	Wren and Martin
The Book of English Grammar Tenses	Mamta Mehrotra
Story Tense	Nilam Pathak and Anshuman Sharma
The Big Book of Words You Should Know	David Olsen, Michelle Bevilacqua and Justin Cord Hayes
Essential English Grammar	Raymond Murphy
Word Power Made Easy	Norman Lewis

Read More:

Adjectives in English: Exercises and Examples	Interjections: Types, Rules and Exceptions	Parts of Speech in English: Know the Types, Rules,
Analogy: Best Books, Preparation Tips	Idioms in English: Examples and Common Idioms in the English Language	Active and Passive Voice Exercises
Types of Nouns, Examples, Rules and Exceptions	Gerunds- How to use -ing, Exercises and Examples	English Metaphors
Etymology and Roots: Definition and Examples	What are Suffixes	What are Prefixes