1. PRESENT TENSE SIMPLE vs.

PRESENT TENSE CONTINUOUS

Present Tense Simple
is used to express:
Present tense Continuous
is used to
express:
1. Habits and routines
e.g Karen usually deals with the clients.
I often get junk emails from unknown
. companies.
1. Events happening at or around the
moment of speaking
e.g. He is having breakfast at the moment.
It is snowing hard today.
2. Permanent/general situations
e.g I work for a big foreign trade firm.
My parents live in England.
2. Temporary/particular situations
e.g. I am working in Paris for two months.
I am living in England for a while.
3. Facts that are always true
e.g. The sun sets in the West.
Water boils at 100 C.

3. Annoying actions/complainits
e.g. My car is always breaking down!
You are always arriving late on
Fridays.
4. Timetables and programmes
e.g. British Airways flight BA309 leaves
Rome at 7.45 and lands in London at
8.55
School starts on the 15th of September.
4. Fixed future arangements
e.g We are spending our holiday in Greece
next summer.
They are moving to the new premises
in
April.
Time expressions :
- every day/week/month/year etc.
- usually, always, ever, never, often,
seldom, sometimes.
Time expressions :
- now, at the moment, at present, today,
tonight etc.



State verbs - they are not normally used in their continuous form (e.g. be, have,
contain, belong to, cost, depend on, own, forget, prefer, love, like, hate, know,
understand, believe, feel, remember, realize, suspect, want, doubt, smell, hear, see,
weigh etc)



To weigh
Weight
To complain
complaint









Put the verbs in brackets into Present Simple or Present continuous:

A. Andrew (1).(be) a manager who (2) (work) for a MNC
(multinational company). Although he normally (3) (work) in India, at
present he (4)(supervise) a project in Thailand which (5)(involve) the
coordination of local people, many workers and managers like himself.
Although he (6) (enjoy) the experience, he (7)(doubt) the project will
be finished soon.


B. Dear Mother,
I (1).(just write) to tell you how much I (2)(appreciate) the money you
sent me, and to tell you how I (3)(get on) in my first term at university.
Actually, I (4). ( really enjoy) myself! I (5).. (study) quite hard as well,
but at the moment I (6)(spend) a lot of time just making friends. I
(7).(still stay) with my friend Sarah, and I (8)(look for) somewhere of
my own to live. Only a few of the first-year students (9) (live) in college
here, and I (10)(seem) to be spending a lot of time traveling backwards
and forwards. I (11) (go) to lectures every morning, and most afternoons I
(12)(study) in the library. In fact I (13) (write) this letter instead of an
essay on Hamlet! I (14) (think ) Ill buy some new clothes with the
money you sent. Everything (15) (cost ) a lot here, and I (16)(save) to
buy a winter coat. It (17) (get) really cold here in the evenings. I (18)
(know) lots of other students and generally speaking we (19)(have) quite a
good time socially! I (20) (also learn) to drive. See you soon!

C. Which sentence is correct?

1. Why are you being so noisy? /Why are you so noisy?
2. He is tall/He is being tall.
3. You are looking pale/ You look pale.
4. I told you not to call me. Im having a nap/ I have a nap.
5. What are the children doing? They are tasting a cake./ They taste a cake.
6.Please answer the phone for me. I have a shower/ Im having a shower.
7. I feel dizzy./Im feeling dizzy.
8. This is a great party. Im having/I have a great time.
9. What do you do/ are you doing here?
10. . I dont understand. What is happening/happens?


Test it out!
Present simple or Present Continuous?
Complete the sentences below using one of the verbs in the box in the correct form. You
may use each verb once only.
enjoy
prefer
play
produce
work
seem
know
interview
wait
talk
finish


1.
I always tennis on Fridays.

2.
He his report. He will bring it into the office when it is complete.

3.
"My parents phoned me this morning. They themselves in the Seychelles.
Champagne every night! In fact, they don't want to leave."

4.
We to entertain our guests in a local restaurant rather than the canteen. Although
it is expensive, we can talk freely there.

5.
I the answer to your problem. Get a new computer.

6.
"Where is John?" "In his office for an important telephone call."

7.
I can't make the meeting tomorrow. I the applicants for the sales manager's
job.

8.
My brother for Shink Inc. which makes bathroom fittings.

9.
Who to Bill? Is it the new secretary?

10.
The new contract fine to me. However, could you just check it through once
more?


Start again!







BASIC VERBS TO BE, TO HAVE, TO DO and TO GO

TO BE A FI
Interrogative
Long form Short form Long form Short form
I am
You are
He is
She is
It is
We are
You are
They are
Im
Youre
Hes
Shes
Its
Were
Youre
Theyre
I am not
You are not
He is not
She is not
It is not
We are not
You are not
They are not
Im not
You arent
He isnt
She isnt
It isnt
We arent
You arent
They arent
Am I?
Are you?
Is he?
Is she?
Is it?
Are we?
Are you?
Are they?


TO HAVE a avea
Affirmative Interrogative
Long form Short form
I have
You have
He has
She has
It has
We have
You have
They have

I do not have
You do not have
He does not have
She does not have
It does not have
We do not have
You do not have
They do not have
I dont have
You dont have
He doesnt have
She doesnt have
It doesnt have
We dont have
You dont have
They dont have
Do I have?
Do you have?
Does he have?
Does she have?
Does it have?
Do we have?
Do you have?
Do they have?





TO GO a merge
Affirmative Interrogative
Long form Short form
I go
You go
He goes
She goes
I do not go
You do not go
He does not go
She does not go
I dont go
You dont go
He doesnt go
She doesnt go
Do I go?
Do you go?
Does he go?
Does she go?
It goes
We go
You go
They go
It does not go
We do not go
You do not go
They do not go
It doesnt go
We dont go
You dont go
They dont go
Does it go?
Do we go?
Do you go?
Do they go?




TO DO A face
Affirmative Interrogative
Long form Short form
I do
You do
He does
She does
It does
We do
You do
They do
I do not do
You do not do
He does not do
She does not do
It does not do
We do not do
You do not do
They do not do
I dont do
You dont do
He doesnt do
She doesnt do
It doesnt do
We dont do
You dont do
They dont do
Do I do?
Do you do?
Does he do?
Does she do?
Does it do?
Do we do?
Do you do?
Do they do?