Hey there! This is TOP episode 284. Master Present Tenses: Speak English with Confidence!
Are you tired of lacking confidence when speaking English? Does it block you from achieving your true goals? This podcast is the place for you. This is Teacher Ola Podcast. My name’s Ola Mierniczak and I empower English learners to become confident speakers. The key to fluency is in your pocket. You’ll boost your vocabulary, brush up your grammar and improve your pronunciation. Enjoy your journey to fluency!
Hey there! Welcome to today’s episode! If you’re here, it means you’re serious about improving your English fluency—and I love that! Today, we’re tackling something that can make or break your confidence when speaking: using tenses correctly. And trust me, tenses are not just boring grammar rules—they’re the key to sounding natural, speaking with confidence, and never hesitating in conversations.
So, here’s the plan. We’re focusing on present tenses—because they’re the foundation of real, everyday speech. I’ll give you examples and real-life situations where each tense is used.
And most importantly… we’re going to practice OUT LOUD—because confidence comes from speaking, not just thinking or listening.
Before we jump in, let me remind you! I’m hosting a FREE live English lesson on future tenses this Sunday, March 23 2025, at 8:00 pm! This is your chance to master future tenses and start choosing them with confidence. Don’t miss it! Sign up now—the link is in the description! Or simply, go to teacherola.com/future
And if you’ve been waiting for the next round of my SIOL program (Say It Out Loud)—good news! Enrollment is opening very soon! SPARK group, the last group is already in the middle of the programme! The previous group, JOY, has finished their meeting so, time to invite you. New members!! I can’t wait to meet you! You can read about the programme on the enrollment page that is siol.pl
Now, let’s start today’s lesson! So, are you ready? Let’s go!
SECTION 1: Present Simple – Your daily routine, habits, and facts
Alright, let’s start with the Present Simple. This tense is your go-to for:
Daily habits → I drink coffee every morning.
General facts → AI takes over many jobs.
Things that never change → Spring comes unexpectedly.
NOW YOU TRY! Say these sentences out loud with me:
I drink coffee every morning.
AI takes over many jobs.
Spring comes unexpectedly.
One Quick Tip. To practice present simple, describe your routine. Right now, think of 3 things you do every day and say them out loud.
SECTION 2: Present continuous – What’s happening right now?
Now, let’s talk about the Present Continuous. We use this for:
Things happening right now → I’m talking to you!
Temporary situations → I’m learning Italian this year.
Future plans → I’m meeting a friend later.
And we’re going to talk some more on future tenses during my free live class this Sunday at 8 pm, sign up and be there, because we’ll go into very practical detail of all useful ways of describing FUTURE. Go to teacherola.com/future and sign up now. I’ll here. Do it now. Teacherola.com/future.
Repeat these sentences out loud:
I’m listening to a podcast right now.
I’m living with my parents now.
I’m meeting someone special later this week.
Throughout your day, just say what you’re doing out loud. Right now, describe your actions: “I’m walking. I’m making coffee. I’m checking my phone.” The more you do this, the more natural it becomes!
SECTION 3: Present perfect – talking about life experiences
Alright, moving on to the present perfect. This present tense connects the past to the present. We use it for many many many situations, there are episodes in which I talk about present perfect specifically. Today, let’s just give you three examples of how to use the present perfect. But please mind that there are more!!
Life experiences → I’ve been to Italy.
Recent actions → She has just finished work.
Ongoing actions → I’ve lived here for 10 years.
Say these sentences out loud:
I’ve never been to Canada.
I’ve met some amazing people recently!
I’ve known her since high school.
A great way to practice Present Perfect? Tell short stories about your life. About your life experience without stating specific dates, ok? For instance:
I’ve traveled to three countries.
I’ve never tried sushi before!
I’ve met so many interesting people!
Try it now! Say one thing you’ve done in your life. Go!
SECTION 4: How to speak more confidently using tenses
Now that you’ve practiced some present tenses, here’s how you can build confidence even faster:
One. Shadowing – Listen to something and repeat what they say. Present tenses are everywhere in every podcast episode, in every vlog, listen and repeat. There is an episode of teacher ola podcast that talks about SHADOWING technique in detail, go and check it. Episode 25.
Two. Role-playing – Imagine conversations and say them out loud. Watch them in your head and say your sentences out loud. This way you’ll prepare your brain to use the correct phrase, tense in real life!
Three. Recording yourself – Listen to yourself, do not cringe, listen and improve! Recording yourself speaking English is beneficial for your speech and even if you don’t listen to it later you will see the improvement. That’s a hack!
Four. Speaking daily – Don’t wait for the perfect moment—just speak! Out loud. Really, nothing beats consistency. Choose one thing from the list I’ve just given to you and do it daily. I know it seems hard, but honestly, really it doesn’t have to be. It can be 10 minutes, believe me, it is not hard. You can do it, if you really want to. If it’s your priority.
CHALLENGE FOR YOU!
Today, pick one present tense and use it as much as possible in your daily speech. Say things out loud, even if you’re not alone. The more you speak, the more confident you’ll be!
That’s it for today! If you found this helpful, subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, rate this podcast on Spotify, you can give me stars here, you can leave a like on youtube – I know it’s boring but to me? It means a lot! So thank you for listening and leaving your review! Let me know—which present tense do you struggle with the most?
Now it’s time to practice some more! I’ve created a free worksheet with one exercise to help you remember and use these present tenses naturally. You can download it now—just go to your inbox! If you don’t receive my emails, head to teacherola.com/284 and sign up there!
Before we wrap up, don’t forget—I’m hosting a FREE live English training on future tenses this Sunday, March 23, at 8:00 PM! If you want to finally master future tenses, make sure to sign up now—the link is in the description! Or go to teacherola.com/future and sign up there.
Also, if you’re ready to take your English to the next level, my SIOL program is opening again very soon—so stay tuned!
That’s it for today. Thank you so much for listening! I’ll see you in the next episode. I believe in you—you can speak English with fluency if you truly want it! Stay fearless, take care, and say it out loud!
I’m your teacher, Teacher Ola, and you’ve been listening to the Teacher Ola Podcast. Bye for now!