|
Present Simple |
Present Continuous |
|
V1 he/she/it + -s 1) Regular actions in the present, habits I usually study in the evenings. 2) Permanent situations Do you work here? 3) States I like this movie. 4) Facts, general truths The moon goes round the Earth.
|
am/is/are + Ving 1) Actions happening now/around now, temporary situations I‘m studying now. She’s working as a waitress for the summer. 2) Changing and developing situations The prices are going up. 3) Arrangements in the future I’m meeting Pete tonight. 4) Annoying habits (with always) He’s always forgetting my birtday. |
Markers
|
Present Simple |
Present Continuous |
|
always, often, regularly, usually/normally, sometimes, occasionally, rarely, hardly ever, never (She often goes shopping. – before the main verb She’s rarely late. – after to be)
every day/week/month, from time to time, once/twice a week etc. once/twice/3 times a day/week/year |
at the moment, now, currently, at present
Look! Listen!
|
More uses
Present Simple is used
- To describe stages in a process
The sun heats the water, which then evaporates and forms clouds.
- To describe a plot
The main character meets a young artist and falls in love with him.
- To give directions, instructions
You go straight, then turn right.
- In proverbs and sayings
Too many cooks spoil the broth.
- In newspaper headlines
Britney Spears releases a new album.
- In live sports commentary
Dzyuba passes to Golovin.
Stative verbs
Stative verbs are used only in Simple tenses (!) They are not normally used in Present Continuous.
They relate to:
- feelings and emotions: like, love, dislike, hate, prefer, adore, etc.
- wishes and needs: wish, desire, want, need, etc.
- senses and perceptions: see, hear (+ sound), smell, taste
- looks: look*, appear, seem, etc.
- mental activity, opinions: know, understand, mean, believe, remember, forget, expect, think*/consider (about opinions), agree, doubt, etc.
- possession: have*, belong to, own, possess, lack, consist of, contain, include, etc.
- other verbs with an abstract meaning: be, exist, depend, matter, concern, cost, owe, etc.
Add each verb to one of the groups above:
suppose, detest, long for, imagine, recognize, resemble, mind, involve, etc.
Stative vs. Non-stative uses of verbs
Some verbs are stative with one meaning and non-stative with another meaning.
|
Stative |
Non-stative |
|
be |
|
|
a constant quality (the main meaning) He’s a kind person. |
unusual behaviour, not typical of sb I can’t understand why he’s being so mean now. |
|
fit |
|
|
‘be the right size’ The dress fits me. |
‘attach’ They‘re fitting an air conditioner on the wall. |
|
have |
|
|
= ‘to own’ (the main meaning) I have a big family. |
in expressions: a bath/a shower, fun, a good time, breakfast/dinner, a class etc…. I’m having breakfast. |
|
look |
|
|
= ‘seem, have the looks’ + adj To look good, bad, excited etc. You look tired. Have some rest. |
‘to turn your eyes in a particular direction’ (the main meaning) at What are you looking at? + phrasal meanings (look for/into/after etc.) |
|
see |
|
|
‘use your eyes’ (the main meaning), ‘understand’ I see the trees when I look out of the window. I see what you mean. |
‘meet’ I’m seeing Pete tonight. I’m seeing him a lot these days. |
|
smell, taste |
|
|
‘to have a particular smell/taste’, ‘to recognize smell/taste’ The perfume smells really nice. This pie tastes delicious!
|
‘to test the taste/smell of something’ They’re tasting the wine to choose which sort to buy. I’m smelling the flowers. |
|
think |
|
|
‘to have an opinion’: I think it’s a good idea. |
‘to consider an idea’ I’m thinking of buying a new car. What are you thinking about? – I’m thinking about the party. |
|
weigh |
|
|
‘have the weight’ It weighs 3 kg. |
‘to measure the weight’ I’m weighing the watermelon. |
More:
1) to appeal
‘to attract’ vs ‘to make a formal request’
This dress appeals to me. vs Police are appealing for the witnesses to come forward.
2) to depend
‘to be affected by sth’ vs ‘to rely on sb/sth’
Whether we come or not depends on the weather. vs Please, come. We‘re depending on you!
(Destination C1-C2)
Exercises
1. Open the brackets using Present Simple or Present Continuous (regular actions, permanent situations, facts vs. actions now/around now).
1) This year we (stay) in a 5-star hotel by the beach.
When we go abroad, we always (stay) in a hotel.
2) I (study) at Linguistic University.
Can you turn off the radio, please? I (study).
3) She (have) a shower twice a day.
She’s not here, she (have a shower).
4) Hey, where you (go)?
I (go) to work at 8.
5) I can’t go now. I (have) dinner with my family.
We normally (have) dinner at 7.
6) What he (do) for a living?
Are you busy? What you (do)?
7) She (work) hard this month.
Tim (work) in an IT company.
8) Water (boil) at 100 degrees.
The water (boil). Let’s put in the rice.
9) I often (not listen) to the radio.
Which song you (listen) to?
10) What you (draw)? Can I see it?
You (paint and draw)? I didn’t know that!
2. Choose the right tense (and explain its use in each sentence).
1) I usually buy/I’m usually buying clothes here.
2) Where are you? I don’t see/I’m not seeing you.
3) Cookies contain/are containing a lot of sugar.
4) I study/’m studying a lot this month.
5) What do you look/are you looking at?
6) What do you do/are you doing? How about going to the cinema?
7) My younger sister always takes/is always taking my things! It’s so annoying!
8) I get/’m getting better and better at playing tennis.
9) Penguins live/are living in Antarctica.
10) The band plays/is playing in the local pub tonight.
3. Correct the mistakes.
1) He often is late for classes.
2) They often don’t cook.
3) I hardly ever don’t clean up.
4) We are work in an office.
5) Nobody doesn’t know this author.
6) She every day works out.
7) What are you mean?
8) Sorry, I’m not understand.
9) She is have a big family.
10) This pasta is tasting delicious!
4. Open the brackets.
1) I (meet) Claire this Saturday.
2) The main character (quit) his job and (go) away on a long journey.
3) He always (forget) about our anniversary.
4) What you (do) this weekend?
5) You (go) straight and (turn) left.
6) you (watch) TV or can I turn it off?
7) He (seem) a nice guy.
8) What you (do) at weekends?
9) I (tell) you this is not a good idea.
10) It’s my neighbour John. He (live) next door.
5. Use the verbs in brackets in Present Simple or Present Continuous according to their stative or dynamic meaning (Stative vs. non-stative verbs).
1) The soup (taste) delicious!
2) What (you, think) about this law?
3) I (have) a lesson now, I’ll call you back later.
4) I (see) my doctor on Friday.
5) (You, have) a car?
6) Look at this picture. What (you, see)?
7) We (think) of moving to another country.
8) What’s going on with you? Why (you, be) so selfish?
9) We (taste) the pizza we’ve made. It’s fantastic!
10) (You, see) what I mean?
11) These shoes (not, fit) me. Can I try on a bigger pair?
12) My teacher (be) an intelligent and polite person.
13) The sauce (smell) really nice.
14) – What’s that noise?
– They (fit) an alarm to the ceiling.
15) You (look) great!
16) How much (it, weigh)?
17) I (smell) the rose.
18) The shop assistant (weigh) the melon.
19) Why (you, look) at me this way?
20) They (have) breakfast now.
Homework
1. Open the brackets using Present Simple or Present Continuous (regular actions, permanent situations, facts vs. actions now/around now).
1) What’s the noise? The dog (bark)?
Bob is a quiet dog, it (not, bark).
2) I (eat) a lot of pizza. I love it.
I (eat) a lot these days because of stress at work.
3) I can’t reach her on the phone. She (sleep)?
She (sleep) 8 hours a day.
4) you (drink) much coffee?
We (have) coffee in the coffee shop. Will you join us?
5) We (not, watch) often horror movies.
They (watch) a horror at the cinema at the moment.
6) Beth (exercise) a lot.
She (work out) at the gym right now.
7) What you (talk) about? I don’t get it.
Ben’s very talkative. He (talk) a lot.
8) Melanie (speak) 4 languages.
Who she (speak) to now?
9) I (wait) for my daughter in the hall every Friday.
I’m at the bus stop. I (wait) for a bus.
10) Pete (run) every morning.
Where is he? he (run) in the park?
2. Choose the right tense (and explain its use in each sentence).
1) Do you know/are you knowing this guy?
2) I have/’m having a driving lesson this afternoon.
3) She doesn’t do/isn’t doing very well at school at the moment.
4) I don’t like/’m not liking what you’re saying.
5) Does this bag belong/is it belonging to you?
6) Koalas eat/are eating leaves.
7) Tom leaves/is leaving tomorrow.
8) How’s it going? Do they win/are they winning?
9) Listen! That song plays/is playing again.
10) Look! They take/are taking your bag!