What's the correct tense?
What tense would you use to talk about a long completed action whose result is visible in the present?
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
His eyes are red because he HAS BEEN USING his phone all day.
He works in a hospital.
Present simple for permanent situations.
Messi PASSES / IS PASSING / HAS PASSED / HAS BEEN PASSING the ball to Di María... and it's a goooooaaaaaaaaaaaallllllll!
PASSES
Present simple for sports commentaries.
He is getting stronger.
Correct
Present continuous for changing or developing situations.
My glass is almost empty. It wasn't like this when I went to the toilet. Who _____ (DRINK) my orange juice?
HAS DRUNK / HAS BEEN DRINKING
Present perfect for past actions at an unstated time with a visible result in the present. Present perfect continuous is better if you want to express annoyance/irritation.
What tense would you use to talk about general truths and laws of nature?
PRESENT SIMPLE
The Nile River FLOWS into the Mediterranean Sea.
This is the third book I've read by this author.
Present perfect simple to talk about the number of times something has occurred.
Light TRAVELS / IS TRAVELLING / HAS TRAVELLED / HAS BEEN TRAVELLING faster than sound.
TRAVELS
Present simple for general truths and laws of nature.
She has been phoning him three times today.
Incorrect
Correct version: She HAS PHONED him three times today.
Present perfect simple must be used to talk about the number of times something has occurred between the past and the present.
Spencer _____ (OPEN) the door and _____ (SEE) the murderer.
OPENS / SEES
Present simple for dramatic narrative.
What tense would you use to talk about a repeated annoying situation?
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
He IS ALWAYS PICKING his nose in front of me.
I'm seeing Rachel in the ice-cream shop tonight.
Present continuous for fixed arrangements in the near future.
He WATCHES / IS WATCHING / HAS WATCHED / HAS BEEN WATCHING TV since 6 o'clock. It's such a long time in front of the screen.
HAS BEEN WATCHING
Present perfect continuous for long actions that started in the past and continue up to the present.
He's always borrowing money from me. I hate it!
Correct
Present continuous for repeated annoying actions.
He _____ (LIVE) with his parents until he finds a new flat to rent.
IS LIVING
Present continuous for temporary situations.
What tense would you use to talk about timetabled events (with a future meaning)?
PRESENT SIMPLE
The race STARTS at 3 pm tomorrow.
He has been washing his bike for an hour.
Present perfect continuous for actions that started in the past and continue up to the present.
My mother WRITES / IS WRITING / HAS WRITTEN / HAS BEEN WRITING a book, so she can't answer the phone.
IS WRITING
Present continuous for actions happening at the moment of speaking.
I think about visiting Jane this afternoon.
Incorrect
Correct version: I AM THINKING about visiting Jane this afternoon.
Present continuous must be used to express a temporary characteristic. In the example above, "think" means "consider".
The film _____ (START) at 11 o'clock tomorrow.
STARTS
Present simple for timetabled events.
What tense would you use to talk about an action that started in the past and continues in the present with stative verbs (e.g. know, like)?
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
Mrs. Jones HAS KNOWN her husband since she was 18.
In chapter 1, Susan meets David and agrees to go to the music school with him.
Present simple for narrations.
I DON'T LEARN / AM NOT LEARNING / HAVEN'T LEARNT / HAVEN'T BEEN LEARNING a lot in this class so far.
HAVEN'T LEARNT = HAVEN'T LEARNED
Present perfect simple for experiences.
She has been studying all day.
Correct
Present perfect continuous to put emphasis on duration.
I _____ (ALREADY / SEND) the message.
HAVE ALREADY SENT
Present perfect simple for actions that happened in the past and there is a result in the present.