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 situationse.g I work for a big foreign trade firm. My parents live in England.

2. Temporary/particular situationse.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/complainitse.g. My car is always breaking down! You are always arriving late on Fridays.

4. Timetables and programmese.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 arangementse.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 weighWeightTo complaincomplaint

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 ) I’ll 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. I’m 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/ I’m having a shower.7. I feel dizzy./I’m feeling dizzy.

8. This is a great party. I’m having/I have a great time.9. What do you do/ are you doing here?10. . I don’t 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.

enjoyprefer

playproduce

workseem

knowinterview

waittalk

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?

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

TO BE – A FI

Start again!

InterrogativeLong form Short form Long form Short formI am You areHe isShe isIt isWe areYou areThey are

I’m You’reHe’sShe’sIt’sWe’reYou’reThey’re

I am not You are notHe is notShe is notIt is notWe are notYou are notThey are not

I’m notYou aren’tHe isn’tShe isn’tIt isn’tWe aren’tYou aren’tThey aren’t

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 formI have You haveHe hasShe hasIt hasWe haveYou haveThey have

I do not have You do not haveHe does not haveShe does not haveIt does not haveWe do not haveYou do not haveThey do not have

I don’t have You don’t haveHe doesn’t haveShe doesn’t haveIt doesn’t haveWe don’t haveYou don’t haveThey don’t 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 mergeAffirmative Interrogative

Long form Short formI goYou goHe goesShe goesIt goesWe goYou go

I do not goYou do not goHe does not goShe does not goIt does not goWe do not goYou do not go

I don’t goYou don’t goHe doesn’t goShe doesn’t goIt doesn’t goWe don’t goYou don’t go

Do I go? Do you go?Does he go?Does she go?Does it go?Do we go?Do you go?

They go They do not go They don’t go Do they go?

TO DO – A faceAffirmative Interrogative

Long form Short formI doYou doHe doesShe doesIt doesWe doYou doThey do

I do not doYou do not doHe does not doShe does not doIt does not doWe do not doYou do not doThey do not do

I don’t doYou don’t doHe doesn’t doShe doesn’t doIt doesn’t doWe don’t doYou don’t doThey don’t 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?