Contrasts: Present Simple, Present Continuous, Present Perfect Simple and Continuous. !!!!! Difficult!
e.g. The underground trains have been running late this week but usually they run on time.

Practise this Exercise:
Choose which tense goes in each blank.
1. She always…….(play) well in tennis championships. She ……(play) well for a long time now.
2. The weather…….(get) worse, I'm sure. We……….(get) more wind and rain than ever.
3. The star …………(receive) more and more fan mail these days. Perhaps she …….(act) better!
4. The teacher………..(have) problems with the children in her class. She………(be) ill because of it but she's in class today.
5. Pop stars……….(earn) much more money than the Prime Minister. They…….(pay a lot more tax) too!
6. The Duke…………his bachelor pad for years. Now he……(get) married he ……… (build) a luxurious new house. It isn't finished yet.
7. We………(wait) for hours. Where ………..you (be)? The bus……(leave) any second now. Hurry!
8. ……..you……. (hear) of David Bowie? Yes, I……(see) him three times.
9. …….you…..(know) Patricia? No, we……never (meet) before.
10. What……….they (do)? Oh no, there …….. (be) an accident!

Answers: Please note, where there is only one answer then that is the only answer!!! If there are alternatives you can see them in brackets. Scroll down for examples of how to make the forms.

1.She always plays (Present Simple) well……she has been playing well for ….. (Present Perfect Continuous - or Present Perfect, if you like!)
2. The weather is getting worse (Present Continuous or Present Perfect Continuous, if you  like!)… We have been getting (Present Perfect Continuous or Present Continuous) more wind…
3. The star has been receiving (Present Perfect Continuous - or it could be the Present Continuous) more fan mail ……perhaps she is acting (Present Continuous or Present Perfect Continuous) better!
4. The teacher has been having problems…. (Present Perfect Continuous or Present Continuous)…she has been ill because of it (Present Perfect) but she is here today….
5. Pop stars earn more…(Present simple, not the Present Perfect because then it is implicit that this is going to change!)….they pay (Present Simple, or could be Present Continuous)…
6. The Duke has owned (Present Perfect - 'own' is a state verb not an activity) his bachelor pad…..now he is getting married (Present Continuous for future arrangement)…..he has been building (Present Perfect Continuous or Present Continuous) a new…. It isn't finished yet. His fiancé is fed up with him!
7. We have been waiting (Present Perfect Continuous) for hours. Where have you been? (Present Perfect) The bus is leaving (Present Continuous for arrangement/schedule)….
8. Have you heard (Present Perfect) of David Bowie? Yes, I've seen him (Present Perfect)…
9. Do you know (Present Simple) Patricia? No, we've never met (Present Perfect).
10. What are they doing (Present Continuous - it couldn't be 'What do they do' which is asking about their jobs!)? Oh no, there's been (Present Perfect) an accident.

The Present Continuous or Progressive: is/are + Verb+ing
The Present Perfect Continuous or Progressive: have/has been + Verb+ing
The Present Perfect form is has/have + past participle of the Verb

Read The A - Z of English Grammar & Usage for the rules.

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