Three Forms of the Present Tense
English has three ways of expressing the present tense. You already know one way:
Conjugate the verb by adding appropriate endings:
- I sing,
- we go,
- he has,
- she is,
- they want,
- Toni finds.
This formation of the present tense has a special meaning. It says that someone does something as a habit or frequently.
The second present tense is formed from the verb to be combined with a verb ending in -ing:
- I am running,
- you are speaking,
- she is learning,
- we are singing,
- and so on.
This present tense formation means that an action is in progress and that the action of the verb is incomplete.
The third present tense is the emphatic and opposite response to someone’s statement.
If the statement is negative, you respond in the positive. If it is positive, you respond in the negative. It
requires using do/does with the infinitive of the original verb.
- Kendra says, “You do not have the book.”
- You respond, “I do have the book.”
- Scott says, “He does not go by bus.”
- You respond, “He does go by bus.”
- Sophie says, “My sister likes the movie.”
- You respond, “Your sister does not like the movie.”
Let’s compare the three forms:
1. Habitual Statement (something done frequently)
- I speak English.
- We go to school.
- They play soccer.
- I am speaking English.
- We are going to school.
- They are playing soccer.
3. Emphatic Response
- “You do not speak English.” ➞ “I do speak English.”
- “We go to school.” ➞ “We do not go to school.”
- “They do not play soccer.” ➞ “They do play soccer.”
When you use an adverb that shows that an action is done frequently:
- often,
- sometimes,
- always,
- usually,
- every day, etc.
you should use the habitual form of the present tense:
- I often listen to jazz.
- We sometimes talk on the phone.
- Travis usually works until five.