Present tenses

Present simple and present continuous:

We use the present simple to talk about:

• facts and states (The library doesn't close until 10 p.m.)
• habits and repeated actions (I usually get up early)

We use the present continuous to talk about:

• actions happening now (I'm studying design and technology)
• temporary situations (At the moment, I'm living in a university building)

Remember!

With certain verbs we never use the continuous form. These are called stative verbs. The most common are:

• believe, know, understand, remember, forget, think, like, love, prefer, hate, be, have (got), own.

Present perfect simple:

We use the present perfect simple:

• to talk about states, actions or events that started in the past and that continue in the present (How long have you been here?)
• to talk about something which happened in the past and which has an effect in the present (She's passed her exams so she's going to university)
• to talk about past experiences, without exactly when they took place (I've made a lot of new friends)