Present Tense Chart & Table in English with Rules, Usage Examples, Definitions and Best Practices for English Learners

Present Tense Table & Chart

The present tense is one of the most commonly used tenses in both writing and speaking. It is used to describe actions that are happening now or in the near future. The present tense can also be used to describe habitual actions or states of being. However, when used incorrectly, it can lead to confusion and misunderstanding.

In this blog, we will explore the various uses of the present tense and how you can use it to improve your own writing and speaking. We will also look at some common mistakes that people make when using the present tense. By the end of this blog, you should have a better understanding of how to use the present tense correctly in both writing and speaking.

Tense	Present Formula	Example
Simple Present Tense	Formula: subject + verb	“I live in Japan.”
Present Continuous Tense	Formula: subject + Verb “To Be” + Present Participle	“My friends and I are meeting for lunch at noon.”
Present Perfect Tense	Formula: have/has + past participle	“I have just finished my essay.”
Present Perfect Continuous Tense	Formula: subject + have/has been + verb-ing	“She has been cooking dinner for the past hour.”

What is Present Tense?

The present tense is a verb tense used to describe an action that is happening now. In the Present tense, verbs take on the “-ing” form, for example: “I am walking.” It can also be used to describe a future action that has been planned, as in “We are leaving at 5 pm.”

In addition, the Present tense can be used to describe habitual or ongoing actions, as in “She always brushes her teeth before bed.” As you can see, the Present tense can be used in a variety of ways. Whether you’re describing what’s happening in the present moment or something that will happen in the future, the Present tense is a helpful tool for communication.

What are the Four Forms of Present Tense?

There are four subgroups of the Present Tense Form:

• Simple Present Tense – used to describe habitual actions or facts that are true in the present moment.
• Present Continuous Tense – used to describe actions that are happening in the present moment.
• Present Perfect Tense – used to describe actions that have already happened in the present moment.
• Present Perfect Continuous Tense – used to describe actions that have been happening for a period of time up until now.

Present Tense Further, it consists of four forms:

1. Simple

2. Perfect

3. Continuous

4. Perfect Continuous

Present Tense Forms Chart

Present Simple	This tense is used to describe habits and permanent situations. To form the Present Simple, you use the base form of the verb (for example, ‘walk’, ‘read’, ‘write’). The Present Simple can be used with all subjects except ‘I’ and ‘you’, which require the Present Continuous.
Present Continuous	This tense is used to describe current actions and temporary situations. To form the Present Continuous, you use the base form of the verb + ‘ing’ (for example, ‘walking’, ‘reading’, ‘writing’). The Present Continuous can be used with all subjects except ‘I’ and ‘you’, which require the Present Simple.
Present Perfect	This tense is used to describe past actions that have present relevance. To form the Present Perfect, you use the present tense form of the verb ‘have’ + the past participle of the main verb (for example, ‘has walked’, ‘have read’, ‘have written’). The Present Perfect can be used with all subjects except ‘I’ and ‘you’, which require the Past Simple.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense	This tense is used to describe an ongoing action that began in the past and is still happening in the present. To form the Present Perfect Continuous Tense, we use the present tense of the verb “to be” (I am, you are, he/she/it is) followed by the present participle of the main verb (studying, working, playing).

Present Tense Chart, Forms, and Examples Table

Tense	Forms	Examples
Present	Simple Present Tense	He drives a car. She sings in the shower. He talks on the phone. She jumps over the puddle. They eat carrot sticks.
Present	Present Perfect Tense	He is driving a car. She is singing in the shower. He is talking on the phone. She is jumping over the puddle. They are eating carrot sticks.
Present	Present Continuous Tense	He has driven a car. She has sung in the shower. He has talked on the phone. She has jumped over the puddle. They have eaten carrot sticks.
Present	Present Perfect Continuous Tense	He has been driving a car since morning. She has been singing in the shower all morning. He has been talking on the phone since 1 pm. She has been jumping over the puddle for the last hour. They have been eating carrot sticks during lunch.

Present Tense

The present tense is often used when writing about current events or when recounting personal experiences. In English, the present tense is typically indicated by using the present tense form of verbs, such as “I am writing a paper.”

However, there are other ways to indicate the present tense, such as using the Present Progressive Tense, which uses the present tense form of the verb “to be” plus the Present Participle of the main verb, such as “I am writing a paper.”

While the Present Progressive Tense is commonly used in spoken English, it is not as commonly used in written English. In order to indicate the present tense in written English, it is generally recommended to use the Present Simple Tense, which uses the present tense form of verbs without the Present Participle, such as “I write papers.”

There are other tenses that can be used to indicate the present tense, such as the Present Perfect Tense, but these tenses are not as commonly used in written English. When choosing which tense to use in order to indicate the present tense, it is important to consider which tense is most appropriate for the particular context in which you are writing.

Types of Present Tense

In English Grammar Tenses, there are four types of the present tense, these are:

1. Simple Present Tense

2. Present Continuous Tense

3. Present Perfect Tense

4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense

1. Simple Present Tense: When the verb defines an activity that is going on in the present time or regularity, then a verb is used in a simple present tense form.

General Formula for Simple Present Tense:

Subject + Verb in the base form/third person plural form + the rest of the sentence

Simple Present Tense Examples:

• Ramie eats breakfast before going to the fair
• Ellie watches YouTube every day.
• Joanne brushes her hair in the morning.
• Johnny goes to the superstore daily.
• Andrew smokes from a pipe.
• Sheila reads her romance novel every day.
• Amy sings in the local church choir.
• Cassy borrows my racket to play tennis.
• Winnie greets people at the local museum.
• Peter chews his favourite gum.
• Max scares the neighbour’s cat.
• Noah wants to be a professional athlete.

2. Present Continuous Tense: When the verb defines the action which is happening now and continues to, then that verb is used as Present Continuous Tense.

The general formula for Present Continuous Tense:

Subject + Helping Verb(am/is/are) + Main verb + ing + the rest of the sentence

Present Continuous Tense Examples:

• Students are going on a field trip.
• The girls are playing at the water park.
• Rupali is crying for his mother.
• It is raining more than yesterday.
• I am cooking biryani for the family dinner.
• Miss Susan is teaching at the local college.
• Jamie is eating the soup I made for him.
• Ellen is losing her touch at rollerskating.
• The swan is swimming up and down the river.
• The monkeys are laughing at us from that tree.
• I am sweating more than ever in this heat.
• You are blaming me for something I did not do.

3. Present Perfect Tense: When the verb defines a past action in the present form, then that verb is used as Present Perfect Tense.

General Formula for Present Perfect Tense:

Subject + Helping Verb (have/has) + Past participle of the main verb + the rest of the sentence along with the time frame

Present Perfect Tense Example

• She has lived here for 7 weeks.
• They have written three essays this month.
• I have washed dishes here since I graduated from high school.
• He has finished mowing the lawn.
• We have been to Antarctica.
• She has drawn on her binder.
• He has lost his pencil case.
• She has heated the swimming pool.
• We have finished clearing the snow.
• He has been to China.
• She has mended the hole.
• I have washed my face.

4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense: When the verb defines or denotes the action to show that something started in the past and is continuing in the present moment, then that verb is used as Present Perfect Continuous Tense.

General Formula for Present Perfect Continuous Tense:

Subject + Have/Has + Been + Verb+ ing + the rest of the sentence

Present Perfect Continuous Tense Examples:

• I have been working on this embroidery for a week.
• You have been working on this embroidery for a week.
• He has been working on this embroidery for a week.
• She has been working on this embroidery for a week.
• They have been working on this embroidery for a week.
• I have been waiting for your to arrive all day.
• You have been waiting for them to arrive all day.
• He has been waiting for you to arrive all day.
• She has been waiting for you to arrive all day.
• They have been waiting for you to arrive all day.
• I have been learning about this all week.
• You have been learning about this all week.

Importance of Tense Chart in English Grammar

There are 12 tenses in the English language. Each tense has a different function and helps to express different meanings. These tenses can be used in a variety of situations. Therefore, it is important to familiarize yourself with all twelve tenses and their usage. Below is a chart detailing each tense and when it should be used.

Full Tense Chart with Rules, Tense Formulas, and Examples

English Tenses Chart and Table:
Tenses	Rules and Formula	Examples
Simple Present Tense	Subject + Verb in the base form/third person plural form + the rest of the sentence	Carmen eats leftovers before going to band practice. Janice plays electric guitar at the talent show.
Present Continuous Tense	Subject + Helping Verb(am/is/are) + Main verb + ing + the rest of the sentence	The vegetables are going bad in the fridge. The students are running wild in the playground.
Present Perfect Tense	Subject + Helping Verb (have/has) + Past participle of the main verb + the rest of the sentence along with the time frame	She has lost her favourite pin. He has eaten all of the birthday cake.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense	Subject + Have/Has + Been + Verb+ ing + the rest of the sentence	I have been waiting on you hand and foot all day. She has been chewing gum during the test.
Simple Past Tense	Subject + Verb + ed/verb in the past tense + the rest of the sentence	Angelica went to the library yesterday. Sam cheated on his exam last week.
Past Continuous Tense	Subject + Helping Verb(was/were) + Main verb + ing + the rest of the sentence	It was raining all day. He was playing hockey in the driveway.
Past Perfect Tense	Subject + Helping Verb (had) + Past participle of the main verb + the rest of the sentence along with the time frame.	She had seen him before the coffee date. He had forgotten who she was.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense	Subject + Had + Been + Verb + ing + the rest of the sentence	He had been wrapping the present when his sister opened the door. I had been shaving when the fire alarm went off.
Simple Future Tense	Subject + will/shall + V1 + Object	I will keep waiting here until you arrive. I shall never speak to you again.
Future Continuous Tense	Subject + will be/shall be + V1 + ing + Object	I will have been running outside for three hours by the time I get home. I shall be eating my dinner by then.
Future Perfect Tense	Subject + will have/shall have + V3 + Object	I will have finished dinner by the time you get home. I shall have left my class by then.
Future Perfect Continuous Tense	Subject + will have been + V1 + ing + Object	I will have been singing here for three years by December. I will be been looking for a parking spot for 30 minutes.

Conclusion

We hope this blog helped you learn more about the many uses of the present tense. Writing in this tense gives your readers a sense of immediacy and puts them in the moment with you. It’s perfect for personal essays, short stories, and novels about contemporary life. The present tense can also be used when you’re writing historical fiction set in a time period when the present tense was actually used.

When speaking, using the present tense can help you sound more assertive and confident. It’s often used in business meetings and other professional settings. Overall, using the correct tense in your writing and speaking can improve communication skills by making your meaning clear and creating a more immersive experience for your reader or listener. Thanks for reading!

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