Abstract The article offers a cognitive subject-oriented perspective on language and its acquisition with a focus on grammar. By sketching out the cognitive mechanisms of languaging ‘conceptual complexes' or mental categories through grammar means, the authors endeavour to define and formulate their semantic representations which are supposed to meet three prime objectives, namely to 1) reflect the orientation effect of grammar forms and constructions used in the process of speech production as coordination of his/her own interactions; 2) interpret the meaningful content and mental imaging associated in the subject's mind with this or that grammar form; 3) serve as an auxiliary technique in understanding and explaining English grammar for various teaching and learning purposes. The proposed approach and delineated technique are showcased by the verbs forms of present simple and present progressive whose cognitive essence and interpretative models are described and analysed in minute detail. Keywords: Cognitive grammar; cognition, English tense forms, simple and progressive tenses