Present simple and present continuous

1. True or False.
Read and circle True or False.

I like sport. I play tennis every weekend and I watch tennis matches on TV every
time there is one! I also play basketball on Fridays. I am not very good so I am
learning with a trainer. Right now I am looking for information about famous players
on the internet. My sister doesn’t like sport. Every weekend she stays at home and
watches TV! At the moment she is helping our dad cook dinner in the kitchen.

a. I play tennis every Saturday and Sunday. True False

b. I’m playing tennis now. True False

c. I play basketball every day. True False

d. I’m using the computer now. True False

e. My sister is watching TV now. True False

We use the present simple to talk about routines – what you do

every day or every week. We use the present continuous to talk
about things you are doing now.
I watch cartoons every day. I’m watching a film now.

2. Where does it go?

Do we usually use these words with the present simple or present continuous?
Write them in the correct group.

every day now on Mondays right now always

usually sometimes at the moment never every weekend

present simple present continuous

every day
3. Fill it in!
Write the verbs in (brackets) in the present simple or present continuous.

a. I ____ sleep_____ for a long time at weekends. (sleep)

b. At the moment our two cats ____________________. (sleep)

c. I ____________________ computer games every day! (play)

d. I ____________________ outside with my friends now because it’s raining. (not play)

e. Right now my mum ____________________ a magazine. (read)

f. My dad usually ____________________ a bedtime story to me and my brother. (read)

g. Now we ____________________ our favourite cartoon. (watch)

h. On Sundays we ____________________ TV in the evening. (not watch)

4. Write and draw!

Write about what you do every day. Then write about what you are doing now.
Draw a picture!

Every day I ........................................................

...........................................................................

...........................................................................

Right now I ........................................................

...........................................................................

...........................................................................
 PRESENT CONTINUOUS VS. SIMPLE PRESENT

A. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the Present Simple or
Progressive as appropriate.

Dear Sara:

I ________(write) to you from our hotel. I am on vacation

with my family and we_________(have) a great time.

The weather is great and the sun __________(shine).

I___________(look) outside my window and people
_________(go) towards the beach. There are some people who
___________(swim) and others _______(sail). I________
(look) at some children. They________(play) near the edge of
the beach and others ________________(build) sandcastles.

Just to left of our hotel ________(be) a big restaurant. There, some people
_____________(sit) and _________(drink) some kind of drink that looks delicious.
The waiter_________(go) towards them and I am sure that they _________(be)
ready to order. They look very hungry. At the moment my brother__________ (watch)
television and my mother _____________(tell) him to get ready because
we__________(go) to do some sightseeing. My father___________(wait) for us
downstairs, so I will write to you again later in the week.

Have to go now.

Love Paula.

B. Answer these questions about the reading.

1. Where is Paula?

2. How is the weather?

3. What is Paula doing at the moment?

4. What are the people doing?

5. What are the children doing?

6. Where is the restaurant located?

7. Do the people at the restaurant look hungry?

8. What is Paula’s brother doing?

9. What is Paula’s father doing?

10. Who is Paula writing?

Present Simple or Present Continuous?

A. Complete the following sentences using the simple present or the

present continuous of the verbs in brackets.

1. Usually, Nathalie and Chantal ____________________ (to play) in the

park but today they ____________________ (to study) at school. The
teacher ____________________ (to give) them an exam.

2. Kathy always ____________ (smile) in class and at the moment some of

the other pupils ____________________ (smile) as well.

3. Right now the pupils __________ (read) a book and the teacher
____________________ (to write) on the board.

4. Almost every day class_______(begin) at 8:00, but on Tuesdays the class

_________(start) at 8:30.

5. She_______(like) to bake cookies, but at the moment she

___________(not bake) cookies because she___________(study) at school.

6. Dany _________(enjoy) climbing mountains during his vacation, but this

year he_________(not take) any vacation because he________(study)
English.

7. Martine___________(do) computer exercises at the moment. She usually

______(do) computer exercises on Tuesday.

8. Isabelle __________(like) to read at the moment.

She_____________(read) a very good novel about Ghandi.

9. Suzanne_________(come) from France, and ___________(return) there

for a holiday in the near future.

10. Claude _____________(try) to complete the on-line exercises at the

moment.

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