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It is practical for EFL teachers to consider that there are three different times in English (tense means time): the past, the present, and the future. Each of these times has four aspects: simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous, giving us twelve tenses in all.
There are three forms to each verb tense: affirmative, negative, and question.
Present simple affirmative is constructed using: subject+base form(+s/es). - I talk.
Present simple negative: subject+aux.verb'do'+not+base form. - He doesn't talk.
Present simple question: aux.verb'do'+subject+base form. - Do they talk?
Present continuous affirmative: subject+aux.verb'be'+verb+ing. - You are eating.
Present continuous negative: subject+aux.verb'be'+not+verb+ing. - She's not eating.
Present continuous question: aux.verb'be'+subject+verb+ing. - Are you eating?
Present perfect affirmative: subject+aux.verb'have'+past participle. - I have slept.
Present perfect negative: subject+aux.verb'have'+not+past participle. - She has not slept.
Present perfect question: aux.verb'have'+subject+past participle. - Have they slept?
Present perfect continuous affirmative: subject+aux.verb'have'+been+verb+ing.
- You have been running.
Present perfect continuous negative: subject+aux.verb'have'+not+been+verb+ing.
- She hasn't been running.
Present perfect continuous question: aux.verb'have'+subject+been+verb+ing
- Have they been running?
Usages for present simple are: habitual/routine actions, permanent situations/facts, commentaries, directions/instructions, news headlines, present stories, and historical sequence.
Usages for present continuous are: to talk about an action in progress at the time of speaking, to talk about a temporary action that is not necessarily in progress at the time of speaking, to emphasize very frequent actions, background events in a present story, to describe developing situations, and to refer to regular actions around a point of time.
Usages for present perfect are: when we talk about finished actions/states that happened at an indefinite time (general experience without specific detail), when we are thinking about completed past actions carried out in an unfinished time period at the time of speaking, when we talk about something which began in the past and is still true at the time of speaking (we don't know if this will likely continue or not), and when we describe past actions with present results.
Usages for present perfect continuous are: to communicate and incomplete and ongoing activity (when we want to say how long it has continued), and to describe a recently finished, uninterrupted activity which has a present result.
I learned a lot about present tenses in this unit. I think it is good for EFL teachers to have a sound knowledge of the twelve tenses and how to teach them to students. It is good for teachers to design lessons that include activities for students to work with forming and using all of the twelve tenses. While learning tenses, students will also have to make words plural, form contractions, and use past participles. drilling for memorization should be included in lessons for irregular verbs. I think lessons for learning tenses can be designed with activities to make learning interactive and fun for both teachers and students.
