PRESENT TENSE Prepared by

Mr. Meyphalla Oudom

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INTRODUCTION
There are three main tenses: the present, the past, and the future.
Present Tenses: Past Tenses: Future Tenses:
Simple Present Tense Simple Past Tense Simple Future Tense
Present Continuous T Past Continuous Tense Future Continuous Ten
ense se
Past Perfect Tense
Present Perfect Tense Future Perfect Tense
Past Perfect Continuou
Present Perfect Conti s Tense Future Perfect Continu
nuous Tense ous Tense

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 PRESENT SIMPLE
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FORM
Positive: Subject + Present Verb (V1) + Object.
Example:
The heart pumps blood through the body.
I hardly ever tell lies.
He rarely skips class.
Some birds sleep by day and hunt by night.
He smokes two packets of cigarettes a day.
The meeting begins in an hour's time.
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FORM
Negative: Subj + do/does + not + verb (bare infinitive) + obj.
Example:
She doesn’t eat meat.
They don’t live here.
I don’t want to stay at hotel.
You don’t tuck in your shirt in trousers.
John does not work in weekend.

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FORM
Question:
Yes/No: Do/Does + subj+ Verb(bare infinitive)+Obj?
Example:
Does she talk much?
Do you live in the dormitory?
Does she smoke?
W/H: Question word+ do/does + Subj + verb(bare infinitive)+ Obj?
Example:
Where do you live?
What does he do for living?
What religion do you believe in?
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USES
1. Show general truths.
Example:
It is November next month.
The Earth moves around the sun.
The sun rises in the East and sets in the West.
Fish swim in the water.
Fire is hot, and ice is cold.
Honey is sweet.
Two plus two makes four.
Water freezes at zero degree Celsius and boil at one hundred degree Celsius.
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USES
2. Express general present.
Example:
Jenny comes from Australia.
He speaks three languages.
I am a teacher
She lives in Poipet.
They speak Chinese well.
She works in the bank.

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USES
3. Indicate regular / habitual actions or present habits.
Ex:
Tharith goes to work every day.
Some people go to church every Sunday.
He smokes two packets of cigarettes a day.
Every night, she goes to bed and reads for a while.
Farmers sell their produce at the open-air markets in the weekends.
I go to work by motorbike every day.
She drinks tea every morning.
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USES
4. Talk about future – timetables / schedules, programmes, etc. 
Example:
What time does your class start this afternoon?
The plane leaves Phnom Penh International Airport at 7:45 a.m.
The train for Birmingham departs at seven o'clock.
The meeting begins in an hour's time.
The new supermarket opens next week.
The match starts in exactly ten minutes.
She comes here this afternoon.
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USES
5. Formation of Zero and part of First Conditional.
Example:
Zero Conditional:
If you heat ice, it melts.
If people eat too much, they get fat.
If you touch a fire, you get burned.
People die if they don't eat.
First Conditional:
If it rains, I won't go to the park.
If I study today, I'll go to the party tonight.
If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes.
She'll be late if the train is delayed.
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SPELLING
The spelling for the verb in the third person differs depending on the ending
of that verb:
1. For verbs that end in -O, -CH, -SH, -SS, -X, or -Z we add -ES in the third
person.
• go – goes
• catch – catches
• wash – washes
• kiss – kisses
• fix – fixes
• buzz – buzzes

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SPELLING
2. For verbs that end in a consonant + Y, we remove the Y and add -IES.
• marry – marries
• study – studies
• carry – carries
• worry – worries
NOTE: For verbs that end in a vowel + Y, we just add -S.
• play – plays
• enjoy – enjoys
• say – says

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PRESENT CONTINUOUS
OR PROGRESSIVE
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FORM
Positive: Subj+ be (am/is/are)+present participle (Ving)+ Obj.
Example:
I am eating pasta with meat sauce.
She is reading a book.
My sisters are walking on the street.
He is having a bath.
She is singing a song.
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FORM
Negative: Subj+ be(am/is/are)+not+Present Participle (Ving)+ Obj.
Example:
We are not discussing about lesson.
She is not listening to teacher.
He is not sleeping.
They aren’t playing game.
I am not watching TV.
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FORM
Question:
Yes/no : Be(am/is/are)+Subj+ Present participle (Ving)+ Obj?
Example:
Am I eating chocolate ?
Are you studying now ?
Is he working ?
Are we meeting at six ?
W/H: Question word + be(am/is/are)+ Subj + Present Participle (Ving) + Obj?
What are you studying now ?
When is he working ?
Why is it raining ?
Who are we meeting ?
How are they travelling ?
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USES
1. Things which are happening now.
Example:
I am explaining the present continuous at the moment.
You are sitting in the classroom.
Tida is smiling at me.
We are studying grammar.
Jonh is working in the office.
Corona is spreading to the world.

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USES
2. Things which are happening around the time of speaking. (not
necessarily at the time of speaking)
Example:
I am reading an interesting book. I’ll lend it to you when I finish it.
We are working on a project.
 They are watching Chinese series movie.
I am studying to become a doctor.
Sam is learning to drive.

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USES
3. Temporary situations (sth happening within a specific period
of time).
Example:
You are learning English at EIS nowadays.
She drives to work, but this week she is taking a bus.
I’m staying with my aunt until I graduate from university.
She is getting pregnant.
He usually plays the drums, but he's playing bass guitar tonight.

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USES
4. Something's changing, progressing, developing……
Example:
Gold is becoming more expensive.
The world temperature is getting hot day by day.
Number of graduated students in Cambodia is increasing.
Our business is growing up every day.
Shopping online is growing in popularity nowadays.
The stocks are dropping constantly due to the economy.
Today, most people are using text messages instead of the phone.

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USES
5. Two actions happening at the same time; the first is present
continue and the second is present simple (the action in present
simple interrupts the action in present continue)
Example:
Student should not speak while teacher is explaining the lesson.
While we are learning, Sok’s phone rings.
My friend usually calls me when I am having lunch.
She arrives while we are playing game.

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USES
6. Future arrangements and to make clear that the action is not going
on now, we usually use signal words like tonight, tomorrow, next
Friday, at noon…….
Example:
I’m meeting my boss this afternoon at 3 o’clock.
She is getting married next week.
You are having test next week.
He is seeing doctor on Wednesday morning.
We are going to concert on Friday evening.

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USES
7. A habit which happens often and perhaps unexpectedly. It
happens more than usual.
Example:
I like Peter. He’s always smiling.
She is always giving people presents.
He is eating fast.
They are having party every weekend.

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USES
8. Criticism or complaints about somebody’s bad habit (usually
with “always, constantly…”
Example:
You’re always smoking in my room.
You’re forever coming late.
She is constantly disturbing me.
I am always losing my key.

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 PRESENT SIMPLE VS
S + Present Verb + ObjCONTINUOUS
1. Repeat actions: general truth.
S + be (am, is, are) + Ving + obj
1. Something happening now.
(at the weekend, most weekend) ( now, at the moment)
She goes swimming most weekends. We are having lunch at the moment.

2. Permanent long term situation 2. Temporary/short term situation

This machine doesn’t work. That machine is not working.
(It hasn’t work for years. (It broke down yesterday.)

3. Use with state verbs 3. Not usually use with state verbs
I know her very well. I’m knowing her very well.
4. Future activities related to timetable or public transportation 4. Future arrangement
(train, bus, plane…,etc .) Sok and Soy are getting married next week. (They have invited a lot
The bus to Battambang leaves at 9 o’clock. of friends.)
   

Describe habits with adverb of frequency especially always and forever

He always smokes cigarettes when he is drunk.
(=He smokes every time he drunk)
They forever ask me to have a drink on New Year’s Eve.
(=They ask me to have a drink every year.)
He is always smoking cigarettes.
(=He smokes very often)
They are forever asking me to have a drink.
(=They ask me to have a drink too often.)
Note: We use Present Continuous in this case to show that we are not
happy about the action.

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ACTION VERB
Action verbs are verbs that specifically describe what the subject of the
sentence is doing. There are two types of action verb (transitive &
Intransitive verb) .
‘Action verbs' can be used in BE + -ING
Example:
My mother is cooking dinner now.
My father cooks dinner on Sundays.

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TRANSITIVE VERBS
Transitive verbs are action verbs that show what the subject is doing to another object.
These verbs are coupled with a direct object, or the thing that is acted upon. The direct
object answers the question “What?” or “Who?” to the verb in the sentence.
For example:
• Susan poked John in the eye.
• My dog chewed his toy. (What did he chew?)
• Jonathan chose me to be his best friend. (Who did he choose?)
• Why did your grandmother call my house? (What did she call?)
• Rick painted the fence green. (What did he paint?)
• Ellie married a guy with a black belt in karate. (Who did she marry?)

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INTRANSITIVE VERBS
Intransitive verbs are action verbs that don't act upon another noun or pronoun in
the sentence. In general, intransitive verbs only describe something the subject of the
sentence does, but not something that happens to someone or something else.
Example:
• Charles swam in the pool. (prepositional phrase)
• My dog barked at the mail carrier. (prepositional phrase)
• The twins whispered instead of sleeping. (adverb)
• The elephant sleeps soundly. (adverb)
• Two shoes fell in the lake. (prepositional phrase)

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TRANSITIVE AND
INTRANSITIVE VERBS
The English language is very versatile. That’s why some verbs in English can be transitive or
intransitive, depending on their context.
• Charlies eats breakfast in the morning. (transitive)
• Charles eats quickly in the morning. (intransitive)
• My family met my girlfriend. (transitive)
• My family met for dinner. (intransitive)
• Let’s walk the dog. (transitive)
• Let’s walk to the store. (intransitive)
• I’ll drive the RV to the campsite this weekend. (transitive)
• I’ll drive to the campsite this weekend. (intransitive)

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STATE VERB OR NON
ACTION VERB
Non-action verbs are verbs that involve no movement or action.
These are the common Non-action verb:

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ACTION VERBS VS. LINKING
VERBS
As their name suggests, action verbs create drama and movement in a sentence by
showing what the subject is doing. This is fundamentally different from linking verbs,
also known as helping verbs, which establish a connection between words.
• Lynn is angry. (linking verb)
• Lynn shouted at her brother. (action verb)
• I look terrible in this dress. (linking verb)
• I frowned at my appearance in the mirror. (action verb)
• The cookies were delicious. (linking verb)
• The kids smelled the cookies baking in the kitchen. (action verb)
• Ron and his girlfriend seemed happy. (linking verb)
• Ron and his girlfriend hugged affectionately. (action verb)
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EXAMPLE
My child is being a brat at the moment. (= misbehaving)
We are having dinner. (= eating)
She is having a baby. (= giving birth, delivering)
He is having fun. / He is having a good time. (= enjoying)
I am thinking of buying a new car. (= planning, deciding)
They are seeing a movie. (= watching)

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 PRACTICE
1. (You / come) _________________________________ tonight?
2. (He / eat) _________________________________ rice every day?
3. I (work) _________________________________ at the moment.
4. (He / come) _________________________________ to London often?
5. He (play) _________________________________ tennis now.
6. (You / come) _________________________________ to the cinema later?
7. They (not / come) _________________________________ to the party tomorrow.
8. He (not / play) _________________________________ golf now.
9. (You / play) _________________________________ tennis this Sunday?
10. They (go) _________________________________ to a restaurant every Saturday.

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 PRACTICE
11. She (not / go) _________________________________ to the cinema very often.
12. You usually (arrive) _________________________________ late.
13. He normally (eat) _________________________________ dinner at home.
14. (You / study) _________________________________ every night?
15. (They / work) _________________________________ late usually?
16. You (not / go) _________________________________ out later.
17. I (not / work) _________________________________ tonight.
18. (She / work) _________________________________ at the moment?
19. I (not / drink) _________________________________ coffee very often.
20. Julie (sleep) _________________________________ now.

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 THANKS
FOR YOUR
ATTENTION
S! 

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