PRESENT TENSES

USAGE EXAMPLES
PRESENT - For habits, repeated actions or events. - She runs in the park every day.
SIMPLE - For facts that are always true. - Famous singers earn a lot of money.
- For fixed timetables. - The train leaves in 10 minutes.
- In time clauses with a future meaning. - I’ll see you when I finish my job.
- When describing the plot of a film or a book. - The police arrive and break down the door.
Adverbs of frequency: always, often, usually, sometimes, - She often goes dancing at the weekend.
rarely, never…
PRESENT - For actions happening at the moment. - He’s playing a computer game right now.
CONTINUOUS - Always + usual annoying or surprising actions. - She is always borrowing my phone.
- For situations that are changing. - Our summers are getting wetter.
- For fixed plans and arrangement in the future. - We are going to the cinema next week.
- For events that are happening around now, but not - They’re building more houses in this area.
necessarily at this moment.
PRESENT - For single or repeated action completed at an - He has decorated his room. It looks great!
PERFECT unspecified past time connected to the present. I’ve been to several countries in America.
SIMPLE - For an action in a time period that is still continuing. - We have learnt a lot of things today.
Adverbs:
- Just (justo; acabar de) - She has just won the competition.
- Yet (neg. – todavía; quest. – ya) - Have you heard the new song yet? I haven’t heard the
new song yet.
- Already (ya) - We have already sent in our application.
- Since (desde) - I’ve lived here since 2010.
- For (durante) - I’ve lived here for 10 years.
- Ever (alguna vez) - Have you ever been to New York?
- Never (nunca) - I have never been to New York.
PRESENT - For an action that started in the past and continues up to - I’ve been acting since I was six years old.
PERFECT now.
CONTINUOUS - For a past continuing action with a present result - I’ve been playing tennis and I’m really tired now.
 PRESENT TENSES

- To emphasise how long an activity has been going on. - We’ve been waiting for two hours!

STATIVE VERBS:
These kinds of verbs describe a state, not an activity, so they cannot usually be used in the continuous forms. Stative verbs include:
o Verbs describing attitudes: like, hate, need, love, prefer, want…
o Verbs of sense/perception: see, smell, taste, hear…
o Verbs of thinking: think, believe, suppose, agree, doubt, know, remember, understand…
o Verbs describing appearance and qualities: appear, seem, sound, look…
o Verbs of possession: have, belong to, own…