WrongI am living here since 2019.
RightI have lived here since 2019.
«since» and «for» take the present perfect, not the present continuous.
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Grammar
The tenses IELTS actually tests
Not the whole tense system — the three the exam really asks for.
Why this moves your band
Task 1 describes past data, Task 2 a general situation, Speaking Part 1 habits and experience. Mixing past simple and present perfect is the most common tense error of all.
The rule
- 1Present simple for general truths and current situations: «Cities grow when jobs appear».
- 2Past simple when a finished time is given: «In 2015 the figure fell».
- 3Present perfect when the period is unfinished or the time is unstated: «The number has risen since 2010».
Wrong and right
WrongThe population grew in 2020 and has fallen in 2021.
RightThe population grew in 2020 and fell in 2021.
If the chart names years, the whole description stays in past simple.
WrongYesterday I have visited my aunt.
RightYesterday I visited my aunt.
«Yesterday» and «last year» cannot sit with the present perfect.
Check after writing
- Are dated facts in the past simple?
- Is the present perfect used wherever «since/for/already/yet» appears?
- Does the tense stay stable inside a paragraph unless the meaning changes?
Practice
Pick one answer for each question — the right answer and the rule appear straight away. Nothing is saved.
1.The number of visitors steadily since 2015.
2.In 2010 the city its first metro line.
3.Water at 100 °C at sea level.
4.I for this company for three years, and I still enjoy it.
5.Last summer my family to Samarkand for the first time.
6.Most young people in my country a smartphone these days.
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