Hey there! This is TOP episode 241. How to Use Present Tenses
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Hello there! I’m so grateful for your presence here! Thank you so much for tuning in! Without you it wouldn’t make sense, so yes, thank you! And now, today’s episode. It’s gonna be present tenses review! Let’s get to it. Today you’ll have some more practice, just listen carefully and speak when I ask you to, ok? Deal! Lets go!
Present Simple. Use it for things that are constant. Your habits, facts, general truths. A habit that I have is waking up a bit earlier to have some time for myself before the day begins. So I can say:
I wake up earlier to have some time for myself.
Ok, now your turn. Think about your hobby and say the sentence in present simple. What is your daily habit?
*PAUSE
Well done! Now, another example from me.
I don’t like speaking on the phone.
Now I’d like to hear from you? Think about something you really like or dislike and make a sentence. Say it out loud. Now.
*PAUSE
Brilliant! So, you make this sentence with the base form of the verb, unless you use the 3rd person singular. If you do, you need to remember about adding an -s to the main verb.
I drink coffee.
You drink coffee.
She drinks coffee.
He drinks coffee.
We drink coffee.
They drink coffee.
So far so good! Let’s go on! How do we make questions in present simple? To make a question you need ‘do’ or ‘does’. For instance:
Do you eat meat?
Does she eat meat?
Do you take sugar in your coffee?
Does she take sugar in her coffee?
And to answer that you need to repeat ‘do’ or ‘does, just like that:
Do you eat meat?
- Yes I do.
Does she like me?
- Yes she does.
or:
- No, she doesn’t.
That was the present simple tense in a nutshell. Now, let’s move on to the present continuous.
Use it for things that are happening now or around now, or things that are temporary. Always always remember about ‘to be’ plus the -ing ending. Ok? So the sentence I can give as an example might be:
I am talking to you right now.
Now please tell me, and do it out loud, I mean, SAY it out loud:
What are you doing now? Are you walking? Are you driving? Are you cooking? What are you doing? Say it out loud now:
*PAUSE
Well done!
I’m recording this episode right now.
But I can also use this tense to talk about things I’m doing around now, just like in this example:
I’m reading a book about anxiety.
I’m not doing it right now but it’s something I’m doing around now.
So tell me, are you reading anything now? Are you watching anything now? Say it out loud. NOW:
*PAUSE
But that’s not all! Present continuous is very useful for describing future plans. Future arrangements. For example:
Tonight I’m cooking.
That’s a plan, that’s a private plan. What are you doing tonight? Tell me now!
*PAUSE
Awesome! We’ve just revised the use and the structure of present continuous which we use to talk about future arrangements but also temporary situations AND current activities.
Time to talk about the present perfect. It’s built with have or has + the past participle, that is the verb in its third form. I have done, I have been, I have seen. She has done, He has been. Ok?
The thing to remember here is that present perfect connects past to the present somehow. There is some kind of connection. The first and very important case is life experience. Whenever you talk about your experience you need to use the present perfect tense. If you talk about thing you’ve done, places you’ve seen, dishes you’ve tasted, people you’ve met and so on and so on WITHOUT giving dates, so without telling when those things happened then you go for present perfect. Let me ask you this:
Have you ever tried any extreme sport?
Now it’s your time to think about your answer and then say it out loud. Do it now:
*PAUSE
‘Ever’ is not obligatory, it just highlights ‘at any time in my life’. But the question can be as well:
Have you tried any extreme sport? or:
Have you ever tried any extreme sport?
I haven’t tried any extreme sports. or:
I have never tried any extreme sports.
Let’s talk about ‘for’ and ‘since’. Both are usually indicators of the present perfect tense. We use them if a past situation has continued until now. ‘For’ and ‘since’ help us to say how long this situation has continued. For example:
I’ve worked here for 10 years.
I’ve lived here since 2015.
Your turn. Tell me:
How long have you worked here? Say it out loud.
*PAUSE
Now, tell me how long have you lived here? Tell me now:
*PAUSE
We are moving on!
Just, yet and already. How to use them with present perfect?
Let’s begin with ‘just’:
I’ve just watched the news.
‘Just’ here means ‘recently’. Now make your own sentence in present perfect with the word ‘just’. Now.
*PAUSE
Yees! What about ‘already’? Something has happened, maybe earlier than expected. For example:
I have already had a coffee.
I have already done it.
Make your own sentence with ‘already’ right now:
*PAUSE
Now! ‘Yet’. ‘Yet’ means ‘not until now’. Like in this example:
I haven’t exercised today yet.
Have you talked to her yet?
Have you finished yet?
Make your own question with the word ‘yet’. Do it now:
*PAUSE
Brilliant! Thank you so much for staying till now because it’s time for even more practice for you! Listen and repeat these sentences out loud:
Do you take sugar in your coffee?
I’m reading a book about anxiety.
Tonight I’m cooking.
I haven’t tried any extreme sports.
I’ve worked here for 10 years.
I’ve lived here since 2015.
How long have you worked here?
I’ve just watched the news.
I have already done it.
Have you finished yet?
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See you next week! Stay fearless and say it out loud! I’m your teacher, Teacher Ola, and you were listening to Teacher Ola Podcast. Bye for now!