English Second Language·Grammar & language usage · NSSCO 1.1
The present tenses: simple, continuous & perfect
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English has three ways of talking about the present, and choosing the right one is one of the biggest marks-savers in the exam. In this gentle lesson we meet the simple present (facts and habits), the present continuous (what is happening right now) and the present perfect (the past reaching into now). We build correct sentences on the board, fix the classic 'She go' mistake, sort out have and has, and learn to make every verb agree with its subject.
What you'll learn in this lesson
By the end you should be able to (NSSCO English Second Language 1.1):
- Form and use the simple present tense, adding -s or -es for third-person singular subjects (he, she, it)
- Use the simple present for facts, habits, timetables and general truths
- Form and use the present continuous tense (am, is or are + verb-ing), spelling the -ing form correctly
- Form and use the present perfect tense (have or has + past participle) for past actions with a present result, experiences, and unfinished time with 'since' and 'for'
- Distinguish the present perfect from the simple past and choose the correct present tense for a situation
- Apply subject-verb concord, matching singular and plural subjects to the correct verb form
- Identify and correct common tense and agreement errors in sentences
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