Present Tenses
Present Tenses
1. Simple Present
Subject + V1 / V5 (he, she, it take -s or -es)
Used for habits, routines, universal truths, permanent situations, and timetabled future events.
- The school reopens at eight. (routine)
- Water boils at 100°C. (universal truth)
- The train leaves at six tomorrow. (fixed timetable, future meaning)
सावधान: तीसरे पुरुष (he/she/it) के साथ -s / -es लगता है, लेकिन I और you के साथ नहीं।
2. Present Continuous
Subject + is / am / are + V4
Used for actions happening now, temporary situations, and planned near-future arrangements.
- She is correcting the answer sheets. (now)
- He is staying with his uncle this month. (temporary)
- We are meeting the principal tomorrow. (fixed plan)
Stative verbs — verbs of thinking, feeling, possession and perception — are normally not used in the continuous: know, believe, understand, own, belong, seem, like, hate, prefer.
✗ I am knowing the answer. | ✓ I know the answer.
✗ This book is belonging to me. | ✓ This book belongs to me.
3. Present Perfect
Subject + has / have + V3
Used for a finished action whose result matters now, life experience without a stated time, and an action continuing into the present with since or for.
- The bell has rung. (result matters now)
- I have visited Bodh Gaya twice. (experience, no time given)
- He has lived here since 2019. (still living here)
Exam pointer: Present perfect never takes a finished past time expression. ✗ I have met him yesterday. ✓ I met him yesterday. This single rule appears in error-spotting questions again and again.
4. Present Perfect Continuous
Subject + has been / have been + V4
Used for an action that began in the past, is still going on, and whose duration is the point of the sentence.
- She has been preparing for the TRE since April.
- It has been raining for three hours.
Since vs for: since takes a point of time (since Monday, since 2020, since morning); for takes a length of time (for two days, for six months).