Nixon

Present Simple VS Present Progressive/Continuous

Simple Present Present Progressive

infinitive form of 'be' and verb + ing
(3rd person singular: infinitive + 's')
I speak I am speaking
you speak you are speaking
he / she / it speaks he / she / it is speaking
we speak we are speaking
they speak they are speaking
Exceptions
Exceptions when adding 's' : Exceptions when adding 'ing' :
 For can, may, might, must, do not add s.  Silent e is dropped. (but: does not apply for -ee)
Example: he can, she may, it must Example: come - coming
 After o, ch, sh or s, add es. but: agree - agreeing
Example: do - he does, wash - she washes  After a short, stressed vowel, the final
 After a consonant, the final consonant is doubled.
consonant ybecomes ie. (but: not after a vowel) Example: sit - sitting
Example: worry - he worries  After a vowel, the final consonant l is doubled in
but: play - he plays British English (but not in American English).
Example: travel - travelling (British English)
but: traveling (American English)
 Final ie becomes y.
Example: lie - lying

Simple Present Present Progressive

action set by a timetable or schedule arrangement for the near future
The film starts at 8 pm. I am going to the cinema tonight.

daily routine only for a limited period of time (does not have to
Bob works in a restaurant. happen directly at the moment of speaking)
Jenny is working in a restaurant this week.
 Simple Present Present Progressive
in general (regularly, often, never) right now
Colin plays football every Tuesday. Look! Colin is playing football now.
present actions happening one after another also for several actions happening at the same time
First Colin plays football, then he watches TV. Colin is playing football and Anne is watching.
Signal words
 always  at the moment
 every ...  at this moment
 often  today
 normally  now
 usually  right now
 sometimes  Listen!
 seldom  Look!
 never
 first
 then
Note: The following verbs are usually only used in Simple Present:
be, have, hear, know, like, love, see, smell, think, want

1. I ………………………. (play) golf every weekend.

2. The children ………………………. (play) outside at the moment.
3. Sandy ………………………. (work) today.
4. You can’t borrow my lawnmower because it doesn’t ………………………. (work).
5. Smells good! What are you ………………………. (make)?
6. My husband never ………………………. (make) me breakfast.
7. Pauline is ………………………. (live) in Hong Kong.
8. Do you still ………………………. (live) with your parents?

Frequency Adverbs we use with the Present Simple

With the present simple we use these frequency adverbs:
(Notice that the adverb comes before the main verb in the sentence.)

Always: ‘I always read before I go to bed.’

 Often: ‘Her sister often comes shopping with us.’
Frequently: ‘Michael frequently visits his family.’
Sometimes: ‘You sometimes go to the gym, don’t you?’
Occasionally: ‘It occasionally rains in summer.’
Seldom: ‘They seldom ask for help.’
Rarely: ‘He rarely goes out without his backpack.’
Hardly ever: ‘I hardly ever eat pizza.’
Never: ‘Japanese people never wear shoes inside.’

Time Expressions we use with the Present Continuous

With the present continuous we use these time expressions:
(Notice that the time expression can come at the start or at the end of the sentence.)

At the moment: ‘I’m watching TV, at the moment.’

These days: ‘Paul’s living in Cardiff, these days.’
Now: ‘What are you doing, now?’
Nowadays: ‘I think you are smoking too much, nowadays.’

Exercise

1. Look! He ……………………. (be) in the house.

2. Quiet please! I am ……………………. (write) a test.
3. She usually ……………………. (walk) to school.
4. But look! Today she is ……………………. (go) by bike.
5. Every Sunday we ……………………. (go) to see my grandparents.
6. He often ……………………. (go) to the cinema.
7. We are ……………………. (play) Monopoly at the moment.
8. The child seldom ……………………. (cry).
9. I am not ……………………. (do) anything at the moment.
10. Does he ……………………. (watch) the news regularly?
11. I ……………………. (be) very busy today.
12. At noon I ……………………. (visit) my friend Tanya.
13. We ……………………. (want) to have lunch together.
14. In the afternoon I ……………………. (play) squash with Emily.
15. In the evening, I ……………………. (meet) Rob.
16. We ……………………. (go) to the cinema.
17. The film ……………………. (start) at 8 pm.
18. James ……………………. (live) in a little village.
19. He ……………………. (be) in his last year at school.
20. After school, James ……………………. (want) to become a banker.
21. So this week, he is ……………………. (do) a practical course in a bank.
22. There ……………………. (be) a bank in a nearby town, but James ……………………. (have) to take
the bus to get there.
23. The bus ……………………. (leave) at 5.30 in the morning and ……………………. (return) at 8.15 in
the evening.
24. James ……………………. (not/like) to spend so much time in town before and after work, waiting
for the bus.
25. Therefore, this week he ……………………. (stay) with his aunt, who ……………………. (live) in town.
26. Dan usually ……………………. (wear) jeans and t-shirts, but while he ……………………. (work) for
the bank now, he ……………………. (wear) a suit and a tie.
27. Today ……………………. (be) Betty's birthday.
28. Betty ……………………. (love) birthdays.
29. She ……………………. (be) always very excited and ……………………. (wake up) very early.
30. At six o'clock in the morning, Betty ……………………. (hear) a noise.
31. She ……………………. (get up) and ……………………. (go) into the sitting room.
32. What ……………………. (go on)?
33. Look! Betty's cat Carlos ……………………. (sit) on the table and he……………………. (play) with
Betty's present.
34. Kim ……………………. (be) a student from South Korea.
35. He ……………………. (live) in Seoul and studies medicine.
36. At the moment, however, Kim ……………………. (live) in London.
37. He ……………………. (do) a six-months practical course in a London hospital.
38. In five days, Kim ……………………. (go) back to South Korea because the next term at
university ……………………. (starts) in ten days.
39. Mary and Joe ……………………. (be) in a clothes shop at the moment.
40. They ……………………. (look) at some jeans.
41. Joe only ……………………. (have) one very old pair of jeans.
42. So he ……………………. (want) to buy a new pair of jeans now.
43. Right now, he is ……………………. (try on) a pair of blue jeans.
44. These jeans ……………………. (fit) very well, he ……………………. (say).
45. But they ……………………. (not suit) you, Mary ……………………. (reply). Try on another pair.
46. What ……………………. (think/you)? He ……………………. (ask) Mary, when has tried on another
pair.
47. Great! How much ……………………. (cost/they)?
48. She ……………………. (wear) a raincoat and wellies and she ……………………. (carry) an umbrella.
49. Jenny usually ……………………. (cycle) to school, but today she ……………………. (take) the bus
because it ……………………. (rain).
50. The bus ……………………. (leave) at 7.35 and ……………………. (arrive) at Jenny's school at 7.45.