Helping Hints for the Present
Auxiliary Verbs Used with Present Tenses
Knowledge of auxiliary verbs used in various tenses is the key to correct tense conjugation. Here is a review of auxiliary verbs used in present tenses:
Present Simple:
Use 'do / does' in questions and negative statements to express a routine or habitual action. Use no auxiliary verb in the positive form.
Example:
The company doesn’t require that we use encryption software on sensitive emails.
How often do you click on adware?
BUT:
Bob usually prefers wysiwyg software in the morning.
Philip usually uses the help wizard at eight o'clock.
Present Continuous:
Use 'am / is / are' in the present tense for the positive, negative and question forms in the present continuous tense to express something that is happening at the current moment, or around the present moment in time.
Example:
Bob isn't deleting the cache today.
Alice isn't using social networking for her marketing campaign.
Present Simple Passive:
Use the verb 'am / is / are' in the present for positive, negative and question in the present simple passive to express a present passive operation. Remember that the passive takes the participle form of the principal verb.
Example:
That codec isn't used very often.
Is that subdirectory well organized?
Present Perfect:
Use 'have / has' in the present for the positive, negative and question forms for the present perfect tense to express something that has happened up to the present moment in time, or something which has occurred at an unspecified moment in the past.
Example:
Your e-mail hasn't been filtered out as spam.
He's just started ego surfing for the day.
Present Perfect Continuous:
Use the verb 'have been / has been' in the present perfect for the positive, negative and question forms for the present perfect tense to express the duration of something that has been happening up to the present moment in time.
Example:
I've been perusing free computer wallpaper since eight this morning. That's why nothing has been done!
How long have you been using a dual boot system?