Present Tenses

Mark works for an advertising company.
general truths and laws of nature. Oil floats on water.
habits and routines (with always, usually, etc). He usually goes jogging in the morning.
timetables and programmes (in the future). The plane to Madrid takes off at 6:30 pm.
sporting commentaries, reviews and narrations. Beckham wins the ball, crosses and Owen scores.
feelings and emotions. I love Paris, Because it’s beautiful city.

I play tennis
I (don’t)
He (doesn’t)
play
tennis
I (don’t)
He (doesn’t)

look, see, seem, smell, sound, taste, etc).

She seems really worried.
verbs of perception (believe, forget, know, realise, remember, understand, etc). I believe what he says.
verbs which express feelings and emotions (desire, detest, enjoy, hate, like, love, prefer, want, etc). Jane hates eating spicy food.
and some other verbs (be, belong, contain, cost, fit, have, include, keep, matter, need, owe, own, weigh, wish, etc). This house belongs to a very rich man.

or around the moment of speaking.

The kids are playing video games in the living room.
for temporary situations. They are painting the house.
for fixed arrangements in the near future. I am going to a party tonight.
for currently changing and developing situations. The rivers are becoming more and more polluted.
with adverbs such as always to express anger or irritation at a repeated action. She is always biting her nails when someone talks to her.

are:
Now, at the moment, at present, these days,

nowadays, still, today, tonight, etc.

lend money to make a profit.

(this is what usually happens)
Banks are lending more money to encourage business to expand. (implies a temporary arrangement)

She teaches Maths in a school in Bonn. (a permanent arrangement)
She’s teaching Maths in a school in Bonn. (implies that this is not, or may not be permanent.

appearance), feel (experience a particular emotion), hurt and ache can

be used in simple and continuous tenses with no difference in meaning.

I feel happy. = I am feeling very happy.
He looks sad. = He is looking sad.

Present Simple & Present Continuous

(have/has +past participle) for:

an action that happened at an unstated time in the past. The emphasis is on the action, the time that it occurred is unimportant or unknown. I have washed the car.
an action which started in the past and continues up to the present, especially with stative verbs. I have known her for six years.
a recently completed action. I have finished my geography essay.
personal experiences or changes. She has dyed her hair.

are:
for, since, already, always, just, ever, never, today,

recently, still, how long? lately, this week/month etc.

(have/has+been+Ving) for:
to

put emphasis on the duration of an action which started in the past and continues up to the present. We have been cleaning the house all morning.
for an action which started in the past and lasted for some time. It may still be continuing or has finished already with visible result in the present. He’s tired because he has been working really hard recently.
to express anger, irritation, or annoyance. She has been using my computer without asking me.
for repeated actions in the past continuing to the present. She has lost weight because she has been going to the gym every night after work.

continuous are:
for, since, how long? all morning/month, lately,

recently etc.