English Grammar: Present Tense

• English grammar encompasses the structural rules governing the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in the English language
• It includes morphology, syntax, and semantics

Tenses

• Tenses in English grammar indicate the time of an action or state of being
• English has three primary tenses: past, present, and future
• Each tense has simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous aspects

Simple Present

• Used to describe habits, unchanging situations, general truths, and fixed arrangements
• Example: I eat breakfast every morning
• Signal words: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never, every day, every week, etc.

Present Continuous

• Used to describe actions happening now, temporary actions, and future arrangements
• Also describes trends and annoying habits
• Example: I am eating breakfast now
• Signal words: now, at the moment, currently, these days

Simple Past

• Used to describe completed actions in the past
• Example: I ate breakfast yesterday
• Signal words: yesterday, last week, last year, ago, in 2000

Past Continuous

• Used to describe actions in progress at a specific time in the past, or to describe two actions happening simultaneously
• Example: I was eating breakfast when you called
• Signal words: while, as

Present Perfect

• Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue to the present, or actions completed at an unspecified time in the past
• Also used to describe experiences and recent events where the time is not important
• Example: I have eaten breakfast today
• Signal words: since, for, yet, already, ever, never, so far

Present Perfect Continuous

• Used to describe actions that started in the past, continue to the present, and emphasize the duration of the action
• Example: I have been eating breakfast for an hour
• Signal words: since, for

Past Perfect

• Used to describe actions completed before another action in the past
• Example: I had eaten breakfast before you arrived
• Signal words: after, before

Past Perfect Continuous

• Used to describe actions that had been in progress before another action in the past
• Example: I had been eating breakfast for an hour before you arrived
• Signal words: for, since, until

Simple Future

• Used to describe future predictions, intentions, and promises
• Example: I will eat breakfast tomorrow
• Signal words: tomorrow, next week, next year, in the future

Future Continuous

• Used to describe actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future
• Example: I will be eating breakfast at 8 AM tomorrow
• Signal words: at this time tomorrow, in the future

Future Perfect

• Used to describe actions that will be completed before a specific time in the future
• Example: I will have eaten breakfast by 9 AM tomorrow
• Signal words: by then, by tomorrow, by next week

Future Perfect Continuous

• Used to describe actions that will have been in progress for a period of time before another time in the future
• Example: I will have been eating breakfast for an hour by the time you arrive
• Signal words: for, by then