One of the most challenging skills to master in any language is the proper use of verb tenses. Proper use in academic writing is trickier still. For non-native speakers (and I will be the first to acknowledge, even for native speakers), the sheer quantity of irregular verbs alone makes it a nightmare. However, while I cannot go through every irregular verb, I can hopefully make the tenses a bit easier to understand. Here, I will discuss the different variations of the present tense in English and give some examples.
Simple Present
The simple present (sometimes called present indefinite) has two primary uses:
- Describing an action that is happening right now
- Describing an action that happens either regularly or continuously
Conjugating
In this tense, most regular verbs just use the root form. Third-person singular is an exception when using he, she, or it and uses the root form with an ‘s’ at the end.
Verb: Eat
Singular
First-person: I eat
Second-person: You eat
Third-person: They eat
Third-person: He/She/It eats
Plural
First-person: We eat
Second-person: You eat
Third-person: They eat
Examples:
He feels happy.
I write an article every week.
In the first example, I use the he/she/it conjugation of the verb ‘feel’ in the simple present tense to describe a current state.
In the second example, I use the ‘I’ conjugation of the verb ‘write’ in the simple present tense to describe a regularly occurring event.
Present Perfect
The perfect present tense also serves two primary functions:
- Describing an action that took place at some unspecified time in the past
- Describing an action that began in the past but continues into the present
The construction of this tense is not too confusing. All you do is take ‘have’ (or ‘has’ for he/she/it) and put it in front of the past participle. For most regular verbs, the past participle is composed of the root verb plus ‘-ed’.
Verb: Talk
Singular
First-person: I have talked
Second-person: You have talked
Third-person: They have talked
Third-person: He/She/It has talked
Plural
First-person: We have talked
Second-person: You have talked
Third-person: They have talked
Examples:
He has lived in a mobile home
You have picked every apple on the tree
In the first example, I use the he/she/it conjugation of the verb ‘live’ in the present perfect tense to describe a past state at an unknown time.
In the second example, I use the ‘you’ conjugation of the verb ‘pick’ in the present perfect tense to describe an ongoing event that began in the past.
Incorrect Example:
You have picked every apple on the tree this afternoon
This example uses a specific time in the past (afternoon), so it does not take the present perfect structure. Instead, it would use the simple past tense.
Present Continuous
This tense is used to describe an action that is currently ongoing and that may also continue into the future.
This tense is constructed using the infinitive plus the present participle. The infinitive refers to the irregular verb ‘to be’. This conjugates as I am, you are, they are, and he/she/it is in the singular, and We are, you are, they are in the plural. For most regular verbs, the past participle is composed of the root verb plus ‘-ing’.
Verb: Work.
Singular
First-person: I am working
Second-person: You are working
Third-person: They are working
Third-person: He/She/It is working
Examples:
We are starting to see the more severe weather patterns associated with climate change.
She is looking for a journal to publish her paper.
In the first example, I use the first-person plural conjugation of the verb ‘start’ in the present continuous tense to describe a current state that is happening and may continue into the future.
In the second example, I use the he/she/it conjugation of the verb ‘pick’ in the present continuous tense to describe the same kind of situation.
While the simple present tense captures a still moment in time, the present continuous tense implies more movement and energy. As such, it can be an excellent way to make your writing more exciting.
Present Perfect Continuous
This tense is the most complicated, as it is the most specific. Essentially, it’s just a combination of the present perfect tense and the present continuous tense. This means it describes an action that started at some point in the past, is currently happening now, and may continue into the future.
This tense is constructed from have/has, the word ‘been’ (past participle of ‘to be’), and the present participle (which we already went over).
Verb: Go
(Go is not a regular verb, but it doesn’t matter in continuous tense)
Singular
First-person: I have been going
Second-person: You have been going
Third-person: They have been going
Third-person: He/She/It has been going
Plural
First-person: We have been going
Second-person: You have been going
Third-person: They have been going
Examples:
They have been following the news closely since January.
We have been spending less money on gas.
In the first example, I use the third-person singular conjugation of the verb ‘follow’ in the present perfect continuous tense to describe a current state that began happening in the past, and may continue into the future.
In the second example, I use the first-person plural conjugation of the verb ‘spend’ in the present perfect continuous tense to describe the same situation.
To learn more about how to navigate the intricacies of English grammar properly, contact me.