PRESENT TENSE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE CONTINUOUS
USE 1.permanent states/general truth: Water boils at 100 degrees. 1. actions happening at the moment of speaking: Peter is reading a book now.
2. repeated actions: I go to the English classes weekly. 2. fixed plan in the near future: She is going to Basel on Saturday.
something that is fixed in the future: The school term starts next
3.something which we think is temporary: Michael is at university. He's studying history.
week.
4. something which is changing, growing or developing:
3.something in the future after time words like when, after and
before and after if and unless: The children are growing up quickly.
The climate is changing rapidly
I'll talk to John when I see him.
You must finish your work before you go home.
5.something which happens again and again: It's always raining in London.
If it rains we'll get wet.
He won't come unless you ask him. Note that we normally use always with this use.
FORM Affirmative (+) Affirmative (+)
Subject + Verb + ... Subject + to be + Verb + ing …
Ex: I go to school. You read a book. Ex: I am going to school. He is reading a book.
For the 3rd person (singular):
Subject + Verb + -s/-es + ... Negative (-):
Ex: He goes to school. She reads a book. Subject + to be + NOT + Verb + ing ...
Ex: I am not going to school. He is not (isn’t) reading a book.
Negative (-):
Subject + Verb + do not (don't)... Interrogative (?):
Ex: I do not (don't) go to school. to be + Subject + Verb + ing....
Am I going to school? Is he reading a book?
For the 3rd person (sig): Subject + Verb +does not (doesn't) + ... to be + Subject + NOT+ Verb + ing....
Ex: He does not (doesn't) go to school. Am I not going to school? Is he not reading a book?
to be (negative form)+ Subject + Verb + ing....
Interrogative (?) Do + Subject + Verb + .…/ Isn’t he reading a book?
Do + Subject + NOT + Verb + .... / Don't + Subject + Verb + ....
Ex: Do I go to school? Do I not/Don’t I go to school?
For the 3rd person (singular): Does + Subject + Verb + .…
Does + Subject + NOT + Verb + .…/Doesn't + Subject + Verb
+ ....
Does she go to school?/ Does she not /Doesn't she go to school?
Time a) in the morning at noon now
Indicators in the evening at night right now
in the afternoon at the moment
look!
b) on Monday; on Tuesday; on Wednesday; on Thursday; etc Listen!
c) every day – daily
every week - weekly When describing a plan in the near future:
every year - yearly this evening,
d) in spring/summer/autumn/winter this week,
e) generally normally usually as a rule today etc.
most of the time always often frequently
rarely seldom
Spelling Verb ending in:
rules -s I pass - he passes 1) consonant after a short, stressed vowel at the end of the word
I cross - he crosses Double the consonant: sit – he is sitting put - he is putting
-o I go - she goes
If the consonant is not stressed, we do not double it: benefit - benefiting
- sh I wish - He wishes
- ch I watch - He watches In British English we double one -l at the end of the word: travel - travelling
- Y consonant + y we fly - it flies
vowel + y you play - he plays 2) one -e at the end of the word is left out
write – he is writing BUT: double –e: add -ing
take – he is taking see – he is seeing
3) verbs ending in -ie - change 'ie' to 'y'
lie - he is lying die – he is dying
4) verbs ending in -c - change 'c' to 'ck'.
picnic - he is picnicking
Special verbs in the Present Progressive
We do not normally use the continuous with stative verbs. Stative verbs include:
• verbs of thinking and feeling:
believe dislike know like love hate prefer realise recognise remember
suppose think (= believe) understand want wish
• verbs of the senses: appear feel look seem smell sound taste
• others: agree be belong disagree need owe own possess
We normally use the simple instead:
I understand you. (NOT I am understanding you.)
This cake tastes wonderful. (NOT This cake is tasting wonderful.)
