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:
Jason doesn't repair access points on Fridays.
How often do you click on adware?
BUT:
Sally usually uses emoticons in her email.
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:
When are you modifying the status bar?
Shelly is hoping to crash the system today.
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 data stream isn't updated 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:
I have already called technical support twice.
This wiki has been updated twice.
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:
How long have the programmers been discussing the perks of virtual memory?
I've been looking for the easter egg on this DVD menu screen for six hours. That's why my eyes are bloodshot.