Simple Present Present Continuous Tenses

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    Simple Present and Present Continuous Tenses

    The present indefinite or the simple present

    Form:

    Affirmative

    I work.

    She works.

    They/you work.

    Negative

    I don't work.

    She doesn't work.

    They/you don't work.

    Interrogative

    Do I work?

    Does she work?

    Do they/you work?

    The simple present tense has several uses.

    Habitual action

    Read the sentences given below.

    Water boils.

    The dog barks.

    The cow eats grass.

    Birds fly in the air.

    John wakes up at 7 am.

    In the sentences given above, the simple present tense is used to talk about a

    habitual action.

    Exclamation

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    Here comes the bus.

    How beautiful she is!

    There goes the dinner bell!

    Here the simple present tense is used in exclamatory sentences.

    General truth

    The earth revolves around the sun.

    Honesty is the best policy.

    Man is mortal.

    Honey is sweet.

    Glass is brittle.

    Here the simple present tense is used to talk about some general or universal truth.

    Historic present

    The two boxers sparred for sometime. Suddenly John Louis knocks his opponent

    out with a terrific upper cut for the full count.

    Here the simple present tense is used instead of the simple past tense to make the

    narration lively and immediate. This use of the simple present tense is called the

    ?historic present'.

    Schools re-open on Monday.

    We leave for Mumbai tomorrow.

    The Prime Minister returns next Monday.

    Here the simple present tense is used to talk about a planned future event.

    Conditional clauses

    The simple present tense is also used in conditional clauses when the result clause

    is in the future tense.

    When you go abroad, who will look after your house?

    The present continuous tense

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    Form

    Affirmative

    I am working.He is working.

    They/you are working.

    Negative

    I am not working.

    He is not working.

    They/you are not working.

    Interrogative

    Am I working?

    Is he working?

    Are they/you working?

    The present continuous tense is used to talk about an action that is going on at

    the time of speaking. Note that the present continuous tense is more frequently

    used for this purpose than the simple present.

    I am writing.

    It is snowing.

    She is working.

    We are watching TV.

    They are waiting for us.

    To talk about a future event

    The present continuous tense can be used to talk about a pre-planned future event.

    This is very common in informal English.

    We are coming.

    I am going to New York tomorrow.

    He is getting married.

    Note that there are some verbs that are not normally used in the present continuoustense. Examples are: think, know, want, suppose, understand, remember, trust,

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    agree, hear, see, smell, wish, desire, love, hateetc.

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    I love her. (NOT I am loving her.)

    I know. (NOT I am knowing.)

    I understand your predicament. (NOT I am understanding your predicament.)I think he is right. (NOT I am thinking he is right.)