ALL PRESENT Verb Tenses: Simple, Progressive, Perfect and Perfect Continuous

ALL PRESENT Verb Tenses: Simple, Progressive, Perfect and Perfect Continuous Easy English Grammar

Understanding All Present Verb Tenses

In English, we have four Present Tenses: Simple Present, Present Progressive, Present Perfect, and Present Perfect Progressive. Each tense is used for different situations. Let’s look at what they mean and when to use them.

1. Simple Present

Structure: Subject + Base Verb (add -s for he, she, it)

Use:

  • For things that are always true or happen regularly.
  • For facts, routines, and schedules.

Examples:

  • I eat breakfast every morning. (routine)
  • The sun rises in the east. (fact)
  • She works as a teacher. (fact)

2. Present Progressive (also called Present Continuous)

Structure: Subject + am/is/are + Verb + -ing

Use:

  • For actions happening right now.
  • For temporary actions or situations.

Examples:

  • I am eating breakfast right now. (happening now)
  • He is studying for his exam this week. (temporary action)

3. Present Perfect

Structure: Subject + have/has + Past Participle (Verb 3)

Use:

  • For actions that started in the past but are still true or connected to the present.
  • For experiences up to now.

Examples:

  • I have lived here for five years. (started in the past, still true)
  • She has visited Paris three times. (experience)

4. Present Perfect Progressive (also called Present Perfect Continuous)

Structure: Subject + have/has been + Verb + -ing

Use:

  • For actions that started in the past and are still happening now.
  • To focus on how long something has been happening.

Examples:

  • I have been living here for five years. (started in the past and still happening)
  • She has been studying all morning. (focus on how long)

Summary:

  • Simple Present: For regular actions and facts (I play soccer).
  • Present Progressive: For actions happening now (I am playing soccer).
  • Present Perfect: For actions that started in the past and are still true (I have played soccer for years).
  • Present Perfect Progressive: For actions that started in the past and are still happening, with focus on the time (I have been playing soccer for two hours).

These tenses help you talk about what’s happening now, what happens regularly, and what started in the past but connects to the present.

Extra Activities

Here is a 60-question ESL quiz covering all uses of Present Tenses: Simple Present, Present Progressive, Present Perfect, and Present Perfect Progressive, divided into 20 questions for each level: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. Answers are provided at the end of each section.

Beginner Level (A1-A2)

  1. She ___ (walk/walks) to school every day.
  2. They ___ (are playing/play) soccer now.
  3. He ___ (eat/eats) breakfast at 7 a.m.
  4. We ___ (are studying/study) for our test at the moment.
  5. I ___ (have/haven’t) never been to France.
  6. She ___ (is/isn’t) drinking coffee right now.
  7. ___ (Do/Does) you like chocolate?
  8. They ___ (have/has) finished their homework already.
  9. I ___ (am/am not) reading a book now.
  10. He ___ (go/goes) to work by bus every day.
  11. ___ (Is/Are) you coming to the party tonight?
  12. She ___ (has/hasn’t) been to New York twice.
  13. He usually ___ (drink/drinks) tea in the morning.
  14. We ___ (are cleaning/clean) the house right now.
  15. ___ (Do/Does) they have any pets?
  16. I ___ (am going/go) to the gym every Monday.
  17. They ___ (are/aren’t) talking on the phone now.
  18. The movie ___ (start/starts) at 7 p.m.
  19. We ___ (have/has) lived here for five years.
  20. She ___ (is listening/listens) to music at the moment.

Beginner Level Answers: 1. walks, 2. are playing, 3. eats, 4. are studying, 5. haven’t, 6. is, 7. Do, 8. have, 9. am, 10. goes, 11. Are, 12. has, 13. drinks, 14. are cleaning, 15. Do, 16. go, 17. are, 18. starts, 19. have, 20. is listening.

Intermediate Level (B1-B2)

  1. They ___ (have been working/have worked) on the project since last week.
  2. He ___ (reads/is reading) a book right now.
  3. We ___ (have/haven’t) already seen that movie.
  4. She ___ (is studying/studies) at the library every day.
  5. I ___ (have/have been) reading that book for hours.
  6. They ___ (have gone/have been going) to Italy many times.
  7. She ___ (hasn’t/haven’t) finished her homework yet.
  8. We ___ (are going/go) to the park every Saturday.
  9. They ___ (have lived/have been living) here for years.
  10. I ___ (am/am not) working on the presentation right now.
  11. ___ (Has/Have) you ever traveled to Japan?
  12. He ___ (have/has) lived in New York for five years.
  13. They ___ (are meeting/meet) with the boss tomorrow.
  14. She ___ (has/have) never tried sushi before.
  15. We ___ (have been learning/learn) English for two years now.
  16. I ___ (am watching/watch) TV while eating dinner.
  17. He ___ (hasn’t/has) called me today.
  18. They ___ (are preparing/prepare) for a big event this week.
  19. We ___ (have been going/have gone) to the same restaurant every weekend for a month.
  20. ___ (Do/Does) she always wear a hat?

Intermediate Level Answers: 1. have been working, 2. is reading, 3. have, 4. studies, 5. have been, 6. have gone, 7. hasn’t, 8. go, 9. have been living (Both “have lived” and “have been living” are possible), 10. am, 11. Have, 12. has, 13. are meeting, 14. has, 15. have been learning, 16. am watching, 17. has, 18. are preparing, 19. have been going, 20. Does.

Advanced Level (C1-C2)

  1. I ___ (have been working/have worked) here for five years now.
  2. They ___ (have finished/haven’t finished) the project yet.
  3. He ___ (has been writing/has written) the report since this morning.
  4. We ___ (are staying/stay) at a hotel while on vacation.
  5. She ___ (hasn’t seen/haven’t seen) that movie yet.
  6. I ___ (have been talking/have talked) to the manager about the issue.
  7. They ___ (haven’t eaten/haven’t been eating) anything since breakfast.
  8. We ___ (have worked/have been working) on this project for months.
  9. She ___ (has been dancing/has danced) since she was five years old.
  10. ___ (Have/Has) you heard the news today?
  11. He ___ (hasn’t been studying/hasn’t studied) much recently.
  12. We ___ (are living/have lived) in this city for three years.
  13. They ___ (have been traveling/have traveled) across Europe for weeks.
  14. I ___ (am working/have been working) on a new project these days.
  15. She ___ (has already done/has been doing) the laundry today.
  16. They ___ (are getting/get) ready for the conference next week.
  17. He ___ (has been running/has run) for an hour now.
  18. We ___ (have been planning/have planned) this event for months.
  19. She ___ (hasn’t been cooking/hasn’t cooked) dinner yet.
  20. They ___ (are eating/have been eating) lunch when I called.

Advanced Level Answers: 1. have been working, 2. haven’t finished, 3. has been writing, 4. are staying, 5. hasn’t seen, 6. have been talking, 7. haven’t eaten, 8. have been working, 9. has been dancing, 10. Have, 11. hasn’t been studying, 12. have lived (Both “are living” and “have lived” are possible), 13. have been traveling, 14. have been working, 15. has already done, 16. are getting, 17. has been running, 18. have been planning, 19. hasn’t cooked, 20. were eating.

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