Understand a Variety of Texts by Using a Range of Appropriate Reading Strategies to Construct Meaning

Present Tense

The present tense is a verb tense used to describe a current activity or state of being. However, somewhat unusually, the present tense can also be used to describe past and future activities.

There are two types of present tenses that you need to be focused on:

(a)		Simple present tense
(b)		Present continuous tense

8.1

Simple Present Tense

The simple present tense is used to:

Uses	Examples
Show habitual actions Habitual action is what a person normally does or is the person's habit. The sentences usually contain time phrases, like 'every'.	Every year, Hindus celebrate a festival called "The Festival of Lights." I go to the library after school every day.
State a general truth This refers to a fact or something which is generally true.	An ostrich does not bury its head in the sand when it is afraid. When it hears its enemies coming, it runs away. The sun rises in the East.
Describe feelings and senses like, know, believe, think, wish. feel see, hear, smell.	I wish I could fly like a bird. Do you hear raindrops outside?
Give instructions and directions It is used to give simple instructions, describe a process, and to give directions.	First, go along this corridor until you reach the stairs. Take the stairs down to the next floor and turn left.

The table below shows questions and sentences in the simple present tense:

Positive Sentences	Negative Sentences	Questions
I work every day.	I do not work every day.	Do you study every day?
The stall opens five days a week.	The stall does not open five days a week.	When does the stall open?

8.2

Present Continuous Tense

This tense is used to:

(a) Show an action that is happening now

(b) A future planned action

(c) An action that is performed so often that it becomes a habit

(d) Used in the passive form

But, remember that verbs used for expressing feelings and senses cannot be used in the continuous form (Examples: hear, see, want, wish, etc.)
The present continuous form is as follows:

'be' verb (is/are/am)	+	verb-ing
He is	+	playing.
He is not/isn't	+	playing.

Examples:

(a) I am writing a letter to my friend.

(b) She is cooking her own lunch.

(d) She is always biting her fingernails.