Present Tenses
The present tenses are the basic tenses.
If you can remember these four, it will help you remember all the others. The form is the same, the only things that will change are the verbs "be" and "have".
For the forms, V1 is the main verb, and S is the person or thing connected to the verb. A.V. stands for "auxiliary verb" Q stands for "question word" and X stands for extra information. The names are not so important. The important thing is that you practise making your own sentences.
For the Natural Pronunciation remember the rules for connected speech. If you need to review this, click here.
Present Simple (not "be")
S V1(+s) X
+
I live in Bangkok.
She plays badminton.
They study at Thammasat University.
-
S A.V V1 X
I can't eat spicy food
He doesn't listen to pop music.
We don't want to go.
?
Q A.V. S V X
- Do you like this song ?
Where does he work - ?
Why don't you understand me ?
Natural Pronunciation
ไอ ลิฟิน แบงคอค
ชี เพลซ แบดมินเทิน
เดย์ สตัดดิแยท แทมเมอะสาท ยูเนอะเฟอเสอะทิ
Natural Pronunciation
ไอ คา นทีท สพายสิ ฟูด
ฮี ดะเซิน ลิเสิน เทอะ พอพ มิวซิค
วี โดน วอนเทอะ โกว์
Natural Pronunciation
เดอะ ยู ไลค ดิส สอง
แว เดอะซี เวิค
ไว โดนชูวันเดอะสแทน มี
Present Simple ("be")
S be X
+
I am at home.
It is hot today.
We are on holiday
Natural Pronunciation
ไอแยมแมทโฮม
อิทิซฮอทเทอะเดย์
วียารอนฮอลเลอะเดย์
-
I am not tired.
They are not here yet.
He is not at work today.
S be not X
Natural Pronunciation
ไอแยม นอท ไทเยิด
เดยา นอท เฮีย
ฮียิซ นอแทท เวิค เทอะเดย์
?
- Are you ok ?
Who is he - ?
Why are they so late ?
Q be S X
Natural Pronunciation
เออะยูโวว์เค
ฮูวิซ ฮี
ไวยา เดย์ โสว์เลย์ท
When we are speaking, we normally use contractions.
I am = I'm
you/we/they are = you're / we're / they're
he/she/it is = he's / she's / it's
I am not = I'm not
you
/we/ are not = you aren't or you're not
they we aren't or we're not
they aren't or they're not
he/she/it is not = he isn't or he's not
she isn't or she's not
it isn't or it's not
When do we use the present simple?
General facts
I am British but I live in Bangkok.
Pop works at the shopping centre.
Water boils at 100 degrees.
Repeated Actions/events or habits (often with usually, always, every day/month/year)
Chris wakes up at 6 a.m. every day.
I go to Chiang Mai every Songkran.
He never eats squid.
With "state" verbs such as: be, believe, want, like, love, hate, feel, understand, seem.
I want some chocolate.
Pream has two cats.
I don't understand.
Present Continuous
S be V1-ing X
+
-
?
I am listening to music.
We are going to a party.
She is eating her lunch
S be not V1-ing X
Natural Pronunciation
ไอแยม ลิเสินนิง เทอะ มิวซิค
วียา โกวิง ทูเวอะ พาทิ
ชียิซีทิง เฮอ ลันชฺ
Natural Pronunciation
วียานทฺ แฮฟฟิง ดิเนอะ เฮีย
ไอม นอท เวิคคิงอน แสทเทอะเดย์
ฮียิเซิน สเตย์ยิง วิด ฮิซ แพเรินสฺ
We are n't having dinner here.
I 'm not working on Saturday.
He is not staying with his parents.
Natural Pronunciation
เออะยู โกวิง เทอะ เดอะ สิเนอะมา
แวะนิซ ฮี ฟลายยิง เทอะ เจอะแพน
ไวยา เดย์ เทย์คิง เดอะ บัส
Q be S V1-ing X
- Are you going to the cinema?
When is he flying to Japan?
Why are they taking the bus?
When do we use the present continuous?
Temporary situations and actions (maybe repeated actions)
I am waking up early this week.
Bee is staying with her sister for a few weeks.
It's raining.
Changing situations (usually with get)
It is getting dark outside.
It is getting cold in here, turn off the air con.
Future Plans
I'm going to Phuket in October.
We're having dinner with Jom tonight.
I'm meeting him at 7pm .
Present Perfect Simple
S have/has V3 X
+
I 've been here before.
She has worked there since March.
We have finished lunch.
-
S have/has not V3 X
We have n't eaten yet.
I have not heard this song before.
He has n't seen her.
?
- Has she got better?
Where have you been ?
Why haven't you done your homework?
Q have/has S V3 X
Natural Pronunciation
ไอฟบินเฮีย บิฟอ
ชี แฮซ เวิคแด สินสฺ มาช
วี แฮฟ ฟินิชทฺ ลันชฺ
Natural Pronunciation
วี แฮฟเฟินทีเทิน เยท
ไอ แฮฟ นอท เฮิด ดิส สอง บิฟอ
ฮี แฮซเซิน สีน เฮอ
Natural Pronunciation
แฮซ ชี กอท แบะเทอะ
แว แฮฟฟิว บิน or บีน
ไว แฮฟเฟิน ยู ดัน ยอ โฮมเวิค
When we are speaking, we normally use contractions.
I have = I've
you/we/they have = you've / we've / they've
he/she/it has = he's / she's / it's (the same contraction as is)
I I haven't or I've not
you you haven't or you've not
we have not = we haven't or we've not
they they haven't or they've not
he/she/it has not = he hasn't or he's not
she hasn't or she's not
it hasn't or it's not
When do we use the present perfect simple
Both present perfect simple and present perfect continuous usually refer to an action or actions in the past. They are used slightly differently.
Duration (up to and including now, or just before now), often used with for/since/how long?
How long have you lived in Thailand?
He has worked there for ages.
Life experiences (only you don't say when it happened)
She's been to Japan three times.
I've never eaten oysters.
Repeated actions (but just a few times)
We've been to the gym since we moved here. (maybe just one or two times)
The first/second/third... time
Is this the first time you've been to Ayutthaya?
State verbs (the same as present simple)
I've known him for three years. (not I've been knowing him)
Present Perfect Continuous
S have/has been V1-ing X
+
I've been living in Bangkok for a while.
She's been working there for a few weeks
They've been playing all morning.
Natural Pronunciation
ไอฟ บิน ลิฟิงงิน แบงคอค เฟอะเรอะไวลฺ
ชีซ บิน เวิคคิง แด เฟอะ เรอะ ฟิว วีคสฺ
ไว แฮฟเฟิน ยู ดัน ยอ โฮมเวิค
-
S have/hasn't been V1-ing X
We haven't been waiting for a long time.
She hasn't been swimming recently.
They haven't been dating for long.
Natural Pronunciation
วี แฮฟเฟิน บิน เวย์ทิง เฟอะเรอะ ลอง ไทม
ชี แฮซเวิน บิน สวิมมิง รีเสินลิ
เด แฮฟเฟิน บิน เดทิง เฟอะ ลอง
Q have/has S been V1-ing X
?
- Have you been running ?
Where has she been working ?
How long have you been studying English?
Natural Pronunciation
แฮฟฟิว บิน รันนิง
แว แฮซ ชี บิน เวิคคิง
ฮาว ลอง แฮฟฟิว บิน สทัดดียิง อิงกลิช
When do we use the present perfect continuous
Both present perfect simple and present perfect continuous usually refer to an action or actions in the past. They are used slightly differently.
Duration (up to now but usually shows it is just a short period of time)
I've been working here for a few days.
He's only been waiting for five minutes.
Uncompleted actions
We've been driving for hours. (You started driving a few hours ago and you are still driving.
Repeated actions (many times)
I've been trying to call you all morning.
Action completed recently (but you can still see some evidence of it)
Have you been running? (You can see the person is breathing heavily and looks sweaty).