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The four present tense forms for verbs include: present simple, present continuous, present perfect, and present perfect continuous. Each of these tense has it's own structure and can convey a variety of meaning. Because the meaning given by each form can be rather nuanced and deal with actions occurring in the past, present, or in continuity from the past to present, students can easily confuse forms.
Even though within each form, different meanings can also be conveyed, I would focus on those use primarily in everyday English for the beginner and intermediate student. For instance the present simple (subject-verb(s/es)) in common English, usually conveys a habitual behavior. For example: "Jane studies English."
The present continuous form of this statement "Jane is studying English," now says nothing of the future wherein Jane may no longer study English, but does so in the present sense. It can also mean, that she is studying in the immediate present, for instance "Jane is studying English right now, so she can't come out and play." I would attempt in a lesson perhaps, to introduce the present simple and present continuous forms separately, but quickly draw them into comparison to each other.
The present perfect and present perfect continuous forms can also be tricky, since they have similar meanings with different points of emphasis. For instance "Jane has studied English" emphasizes the result of the statement in the present. On the other hand "Jane has been studying English," the present perfect continuous form, moves the emphasis to the activity. However, apart from emphasis, these two clauses alone can occasionally be interchangeable. Jane has studied/has been studying English for a long time, so she should be able to read this book." Per the lesson, the present perfect my be slightly "more" correct, but common vernacular may use both.
