Present Tenses in English

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Present Tenses in English

Open the lesson by welcoming Class 4 HAVO and framing this as a refresher and activation of prior knowledge about the present tenses they already know.

Learning goal

I can recognise and use the present simple, present continuous, present perfect and present perfect continuous, and explain the difference between them.

Which words do you connect with present tenses?

Use this to activate prior knowledge. Expect terms such as habits, now, already, since, routine, result, temporary, and duration.

What are the present tenses?

English has four main present tenses:

• present simple

• present continuous

• present perfect

• present perfect continuous

They all talk about the present, but they do not mean the same thing. The tense shows whether something is usual, happening now, connected to the past, or continuing over time.

Stress that students often know the forms separately, but the real challenge is choosing the correct tense for meaning.

Present simple

Use the present simple for:

• habits and routines

• facts and general truths

• fixed situations

Examples:

• I go to school by bike.

• Water boils at 100°C.

• She lives in Utrecht.

Remind students of the third person singular: he/she/it usually takes -s or -es.

Present continuous

Use the present continuous for:

• actions happening now

• temporary situations

• changing situations

Form: am / is / are + verb-ing

Examples:

• I am doing my homework.

• They are staying with friends this week.

Point out that 'now' can mean around this moment, not only this exact second.

Present perfect

Use the present perfect for:

• past actions with a result now

• life experience

• situations that started in the past and still matter now

Form: have / has + past participle

Examples:

• I have lost my keys.

• She has visited London three times.

Keep the focus on the present connection, not just 'something in the past'. Contrast it later with past simple if needed orally, but do not expand the slide into a full comparison with past tenses.

Present perfect continuous

Use the present perfect continuous for:

• actions that started in the past and are still continuing

• actions that have recently stopped but show a result now

• emphasis on duration or activity

Form: have / has been + verb-ing

Examples:

• We have been waiting for an hour.

• He has been running, so he is tired.

Emphasise that this tense focuses on the activity or length of time, more than on the finished result.

Which tense do we use for a habit or routine?

A

present perfect

B

present simple

C

present continuous

D

present perfect continuous

Checks the core meaning of present simple after the first explanation block on the four present tenses.

Complete the summary

The present simple is used for habits and facts. The present continuous describes actions happening now. The present perfect shows a past action with a result now. The present perfect continuous focuses on duration and ongoing activity.

present simple

present continuous

present perfect

present perfect continuous

past simple

future simple

used to

going to

All four blanks come directly from the just-taught overview, so students match tense to meaning.

What is the main difference between these four present tenses?

Expected elements: present simple = habits/facts, present continuous = happening now/temporary, present perfect = past with present result, present perfect continuous = duration/continuing activity. Invite students to explain one contrast in their own words.

Key differences

• present simple = usual or always true

• present continuous = happening now or temporary

• present perfect = past action with a present result

• present perfect continuous = action continuing over time

The choice depends on the meaning, not only on the time word.

This is the core comparison slide. Use it to connect the four tenses before moving to examples.

Signal words

Also common with

Often used with

Present simple

• always, often, usually, every day

Present continuous

• now, at the moment, currently

Present perfect

• already, yet, just, ever, never

Present perfect continuous

• for, since, all day, recently

Tell students that signal words help, but they do not decide the tense on their own. Meaning still comes first.

Example set 1

Look at how the meaning changes:

• I play tennis. → it is a regular activity.

• I am playing tennis. → it is happening now.

• I have played tennis. → this has happened before / there is a present link.

• I have been playing tennis. → the activity has continued for some time.

Use voice emphasis on the verbs so students hear the contrast clearly.

Example set 2

Another comparison:

• She works in a café. → her regular job.

• She is working in a café this month. → temporary situation.

• She has worked in a café before. → past experience with relevance now.

• She has been working in a café since June. → started before now and continues.

This set is useful because it shows the difference between a permanent fact and a temporary arrangement.

Choosing the right tense

Ask yourself:

• Is it a habit or a fact?

• Is it happening now?

• Is there a result in the present?

• Is the action continuing, or is the duration important?

These questions help you choose the correct present tense.

This slide gives students a simple decision path without turning the lesson into a full grammar flowchart.

Which sentence shows a temporary situation?

A

She works in a café.

B

She has worked in a café.

C

She is working in a café this month.

D

She has been working since June.

Uses the exact comparison from the example slides. The key idea is temporary versus regular, experience, and duration.

Complete the tense guide

Signal words can help, but meaning comes first. Use the present simple for a fact or habit. Use the present continuous for something happening now. Use the present perfect continuous when duration is important.

meaning

fact

now

duration

result

temporary

already

experience

This checks the decision path and the warning that signal words support meaning but do not decide the tense alone.

Which tense difference still feels most difficult?

1

simple vs continuous

2

perfect vs perfect continuous

3

signal words

4

verb forms

Common mistakes

• Using present simple for something happening right now

• Using present continuous for a permanent fact

• Using present perfect with no present connection

• Forgetting that present perfect continuous focuses on duration

• Forgetting the form: has/have been + verb-ing

If helpful, mention one familiar learner error such as 'I am knowing' or confusion between 'I live' and 'I am living'.

Practice: forms

Check the verb forms:

• present simple: work / works

• present continuous: am/is/are working

• present perfect: have/has worked

• present perfect continuous: have/has been working

Use this slide to anchor accuracy in form before students apply meaning.

Practice: meaning

Read the time meaning carefully:

• every Monday → often present simple

• at the moment → often present continuous

• already / yet / just → often present perfect

• for two hours / since 8 o’clock → often present perfect continuous

Time markers support the meaning of the sentence.

Keep the wording cautious with 'often' because not every sentence with a signal word automatically takes one tense.

Summary

The four present tenses each express a different kind of present time:

• present simple for habits and facts

• present continuous for now and temporary situations

• present perfect for past with a present result

• present perfect continuous for duration and ongoing activity

Good grammar choices show clear meaning.

Use this as the landing point of the lesson: students should now be able to explain the differences, not just name the tenses.

Which form is correct for present perfect continuous?

A

has been working

B

is worked

C

has worked

D

works now

Targets the common form mistake highlighted on the practice and mistakes slides.

Complete the practice text

Every Monday, Mia plays hockey after school. At the moment, she is doing her homework. She has already finished her maths exercise, and she has been studying English for two hours.

plays

is doing

has already finished

has been studying

play

does

has finish

is studying

Applies all four present tenses using the signal words and meanings from the practice slides.

What clue helps you choose the right present tense?

Answers will vary. Strong answers mention the time meaning, for example routine, happening now, present result, or duration.

What is one thing you understand better now?

Reflection only. Invite short personal answers about the most useful new or revised idea from the lesson.

What helped you most in this lesson?

Reflection only. Encourage students to mention an example set, signal words, the summary, or the practice tasks.

Which part of the present tenses is still hardest for you?

Reflection only. Use answers to see which contrast may need more practice next lesson.

Glossary

present simple - a tense used for habits, facts and regular situations

present continuous - a tense used for actions happening now or temporary situations

present perfect - a tense used for past actions that have a connection to the present

present perfect continuous - a tense used for actions continuing over time or showing duration

habit - something you do regularly

temporary - not permanent; only for a limited time

duration - the length of time that something continues

Glossary

fact - something that is true

signal word - a word or phrase that helps show which tense fits

past participle - the verb form used in perfect tenses, such as done, seen or worked

result - the effect of an action

ongoing - still continuing

routine - the usual way you do things regularly

verb-ing form - the form of a verb ending in -ing, such as playing or waiting