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Crash course on present tenses.

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Let's revise the structure and main uses of the present simple and the present continuous.

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The structure of the present simple in affirmative form is very easy.

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First we need a subject, that's what the S stands for, followed by the verb in its appropriate form.

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What does it mean? That if the subject is in third person singular,

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and s is added to the base form of the verb. Have a look at the examples. My classmates speak

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English very fluently. Mrs. Smith makes classes fun. My PE teacher always shows us how to do the

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exercises. In the negative form, we need to use the auxiliary do or does. This one only for the

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third person singular. Remember that in this structure, we don't add anything to the base

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form of the verb, as in, our teachers don't let us use the mobile phone in class, or, my best

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friend doesn't usually have lunch in the cafeteria. In the same way, we also need to use the auxiliary

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do or does in interrogative structures. However, in this case, we need to position that auxiliary

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before the subject. Let's see some examples. Do students wear a uniform in your school?

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Does your school plan an end-of-the-year field trip? And when do we typically use the present

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simple? First of all, to talk about routines, habits, and general truths. Students attend

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classes every day. The school opens at 8 a.m. Teachers explain concepts during lessons.

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Adverbs of frequency are usually used with these uses of the present simple.

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Here you have a scale with some of the most common ones, from always which implies that an action is 100% habitual to never, which means that an action does not happen at all.

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In between we can see in order of frequency usually, often, sometimes, and rarely or seldom.

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Notice the typical position of adverbs of frequency in a sentence.

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The general rule is that they are positioned before the main verb, like in, the headmaster

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doesn't usually come to our classes, except when we have the verb to be. In that case the adverb

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goes after the main verb as in, I am often late for school. When using other temporal expressions

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which also express frequency such as, on Mondays, every two weeks, or, each summer, we place those

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words at the end of the sentence, like in, we are required to attend the library once a week.

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A second use of the present simple is when we want to give instructions or directions.

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To get to the gym, you turn left at the end of the corridor. You use a black pen to fill in your

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tests. Finally, the present simple can also be used with a future meaning. This happens when

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we refer to schedules or timetables, usually the ones we can't personally change.

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Here you have two examples, the spring term finishes in May.

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Midterm exams start at 8 on February 20th.

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Let's move on now to the present continuous.

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Sentences such as, students are taking a chemistry exam now, or

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The headmaster is hosting open house day at school today.

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Good examples of the structure of this tense in affirmative.

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Subject followed by the verb to be in its correct form

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and the main verb ending in ing. In the same way, the negative form of the present continuous

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requires a subject, the verb to be in the negative, that is, am not, isn't or aren't,

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depending on the subject, and, finally, the main verb ending in ing. For example, my peers

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aren't taking part in the project very well. I am not sitting the French exam on Friday.

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Students aren't using computers sensibly

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The verb to be moves to initial position in the interrogative form, followed by the subject and the ing form of the verb

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Is the caretaker fixing the broken lockers?

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Are students taking their education seriously these days?

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When do we use the present continuous?

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mostly when we refer to actions that are happening at or around the time of speaking

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as in you finishing the arts project now i'm reading the book our philosophy teacher recommended

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we also use the present continuous to refer to temporary actions that is the ones which are not

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habitual for instance in the sentence tom is taking extra maths lessons this term the idea

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is that this isn't something that Tom usually does. And these extra lessons will be done just

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for a few months. We can see this connotation in the sentence, our high school is hosting some

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foreign students for the next two weeks. And the present continuous can also be used to suggest

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future time when we refer to personal plans or arrangements. In other words, plans that we can

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control and change. The present continous is often accompanied by temporal expressions such as

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next week, on Friday, etc. to specify when the action will be taking place.

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Here you have some examples. I am taking my resit exam next Friday.

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Are you meeting the counselor on Monday?

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Some exchange students are coming to school in two weeks time.

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Finally, when we want to express annoying habits or criticize a continuous action,

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we use the present continuous with adverbs such as always, forever, or continuously.

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Can you notice the implied criticism in the following sentences?

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My geography teacher is always making us write long notes.

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Stella is continually asking me for a pen, it's so annoying.

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Some typical expression we can use with the present continuous are,

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now, right now, currently, at present, for now, today, etc.