Describe an action that is happening now. The action has started but has not finished at the time of speaking.
Please don’t make so much noise. I’m trying to work.
Let’s go out now. It isn’t raining anymore.
How’s your new job? Are you enjoying it?
Describe actions or situations that are happening during the current period of time, even if they are not happening at the exact moment of speaking. It is often used with time expressions such as today, this week, this year, these days, at the moment.
She is reading a new book these days.
The company I work for isn’t doing well this year.
Kate wants to work in Italy, so she’s learning Italian.
Describe changes or developments that have started and are still in progress. It is commonly used with verbs that express change, such as get, become, change, improve, increase, rise, fall, grow, start, and begin.
Is your English getting better?
The population of the world is increasing very fast.
At first I didn’t like my job, but I’m starting to enjoy it now.
Describe definite plans or arrangements in the near future, usually with a future time expression.
Used to talk about things in general. It describes actions or situations that happen all the time, repeatedly, or are always true.
Nurses look after patients in hospitals.
I usually go away at weekends.
The earth goes round the sun.
do and does are used to form questions and negative sentences (except with the verb be)
I come from Canada. Where do you come from?
He doesn’t eat meat.
Rice doesn’t grow in cold climates.
Used to say how often we do things. It is commonly used with adverbs and expressions of frequency, such as always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never, every day, once a week.
I get up at 8 o’clock every morning.
How often do you go to the dentist?
Julie doesn’t drink tea very often.
Robert usually goes away two or three times a year.
Used for actions that are performed by saying something. In these cases, the action happens at the moment of speaking. Common verbs include: promise, suggest, apologize, advise, insist, agree, refuse.
I always do is used to describe a regular habit or something that happens every time. While I’m always doing desceibes something that happens too often, often with a negative feeling.
I always speak politely. (a normal habit)
You are always complainting. (complains too much)
You’re always looking at your phone. Don’t you have anything else to do?
Some verbs are not normally used in the present continuous. Including like, want, need, prefer, know, realise, understand, recognise, believe, suppose, remember, mean, belong, fit, contain, consist, seem.
I’m hungry. I want something to eat. (not I’m wanting)
Do you understand what I mean?
Anna doesn’t seem very happy right now.
This book belongs to me.
When ’think’ means ‘believe’ or ‘have an opinion’, the continuous form is not used. When think means consider, the continuous form is possible.
I think Mary is Canadian, but I’m not sure. (Not I’m thinking)
Nicky is thinking of giving up her job. (she is considering it)
Verbs such as see, hear, smell, and taste normally use the present simple, not hte continuous.
Do you see that man over there?
The room smells. Let’s open a window.
This soup doesn’t taste very good.
I hear a stange noise.
The present simple or present continuous can be used to describe how someone looks or feels now. However, when talking about habits or general situations, the present simple is used.
You look tired. You’re looking tired.
How do you feel now? How are you feeling now?
I usually feel tired in the morning. (not I’m usually feeling)
The form am/is/are being is used to describe how someone is behaving now, especially when this behaviour is temporary or unusual.
I can’t understand why he’s being so selfish. He isn’t usually like that. (behaving selfishly now); He never thinks about other people. He’s very selfish. (he is selfish generally, not only now)
The path is icy. Don’t slip. Don’t worry. I’m being very careful. (being careful temporarily); I don’t like to take risks. I’m a very careful person. (general description)
The form am/is/are being is not normally used for physical states or conditions that are not controlled.
Used to describe actions or events that happened in the past and are now finished. The time of the action is definite or implied. It is commonly used with finished time expressions, such as: yesterday, last night, last week, last year, two days ago, in 2026, when I was a child.
I work in a travel agency now. Before that I worked in a department store.
They invited us to their party, but we decided not to go.
Laura passed her exam because she studied very hard.
In the past simple, did is used to form question and negative sentences. (except with the verb be)
I didn’t buy anything because I didn’t have any money.
How many people did they invite to our wedding?
In the past simple, be has special past forms: was/were
The past continuous is used to describe an action or situation that was in progress at a particular time in the past. The action started before that time and had not finished.
This time last year I was living in Hong Kong.
What were you doing at 10 o’clock last night?
She was sleeping when I was arrived.
Past continuous (I was doing) describes an action in progress. While past simple (I did) describes a completed action.
We were walking home when I met Dan. (in the middle of walking home); We walked home after the party last night (all the way, completely)
Kate was watching TV when we arrived. (in the middle of watching TV); Kate watched TV a lot when she was ill last year.
The past continuous is often used to describe a longer background action, while the past simple describes a shorter action that happened in the middle of it.
Matt phoned while we were having dinner.
It was raining when I got up.
I was walking home when I met an old friend.
Some verbs describe states (something you are, have, feel, or think,) not actions (something you do, can usually be stopped, started, or controlled,) and are not normally used in continuous forms. These verbs usually appear in the past simple, even when referring to the past.
We were good friends. We knew each other well. (not we were knowing)
I was enjoying the party, but Chris wanted to go home. (not was wanting)
The present perfect is used to describe a past action that has a connection with the present, usually because the result is important now.
Tim has lost his key. (he doesn’t have it now)
He told me his name, but I’ve forgotten it. (I can’t remember it now)
I can’t find my bag. Have you seen it? (do you know where it is now?)
Have gone (to) is used to say that someone went to a place and is still there, or has not returned yet. While have been (to) is used to describe that someone went to a place and has returned. It often refers to life experience.
James is on holiday. He has gone to Italy. (he is there now)
Amy is back home now. She has been to Italy. (she has now come back)
The present perfect is used to describe recently completed actions, often with just, already, and yet.
Are you hungry? No, I’ve just had lunch.
Don’t forget to pay the bill. I’ve already paid it.
I’ve written the email, but I haven’t sent it yet.
In the present perfect form, time is not finished or not mentioned, it focus on the result or experience. While in the past simple, time is finished or clearly stated.
I have seen that film. (experience); I saw that film last night. (finished time)
She has lived in London for five years. (still lives there); She lived in London for five years. (does not live there now)
The present perfect is used to talk about actions or situations that happened during a period of time that started in the past and continues up to the present. The period is not finished. This use is common with time expression such as: recently, in the past few days, so far, since, for, up to now.
Have you heard anything from Ben recently? (from the recent past until now)
I’ve met a lot of people in the past few days.
Everything is going well. There haven’t been any problems so far.
The weather is bad here. It’s rained every day since I arrived.
It’s good to see you again. We haven’t seen each other for a long time.
The present perfect is used with time expressions such as today, this evening, this week, this month, this year when these periods are not finished at the time of speaking.
I’ve drunk four cups of coffee today. (Today is not finished)
Have you had a holiday this year? (The year is still continuing)
I haven’t seen Tom this morning. Have you? (It is still morning)
The sturcture “It’s the first/second/third time …” is used with the present perfect to say that something has happened a certain number of times up to now.
It’s the first time he has driven a car.
Sarah has lost her passport again, This is the second time this has happened.
Andy is phoning his girlfriend again. It’s the third time he’s phoned her this evening.