PRESENT SIMPLE, CONTINUOUS AND

ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY
GRAMMAR CONTENT
PRESENT SIMPLE
USE, FORM AND SPELLING

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PRESENT SIMPLE: USE AND FORM
We use the present simple for: Verb to buy:
• daily routines or habits I buy
You buy
➢ I go to the gym at 10:00. (daily routine)
He/She/It buys
➢ I drive to school. (habit) We buy
• permanent state You buy
They buy
➢ He lives in Évora.
• timetables
➢ The bus arrives at 9:30.
The affirmative form of the present simple consists in using the verb in the infinitive, but in the
third person singular we must add an –s.

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PRESENT SIMPLE: SPELLING 3RD PERSON SINGULAR

• Most verbs take –s in the third person singular.

➢ I eat- he eats, I run- he runs
• Verbs that end in –ss, -sh, -ch, -x and –o take –es in the thrid person singular.
➢ I kiss- he kisses, I push- he pushes, I catch- he catches, I fix- he fixes, I do- he does
• Verbs that end in consonant + -y, drop the –y and take –ies.
➢ I cry- he cries
• Verbs ending in vowel + -y take –s only.
➢ I say- he says

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PRESENT SIMPLE: NEGATIVE AND INTERROGATIVE
FORM
Negative
• To form the negative we need an auxiliary
verb - the verb to do - in the negative form.
➢ I don’t like strawberries.
➢ I don’t live in London.
➢ He doesn’t play football.
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Interrogative
• To form the interrogative we need an
auxiliary verb - the verb to do - in the
affirmative form. We always put the
auxiliary verb before the subject.
➢ Do you like strawberries?
➢ Do you live in London?
➢ Does he play football?
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PRESENT CONTINUOUS
USE, FORM AND SPELLING

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PRESENT CONTINUOUS: USE
We use the present continuous for:
• actions that are happening right now, while we are speaking
➢ He is mopping the floor now.
• actions happening around the moment of speaking
➢ Mary is studying hard this week.
• fixed arrangements in near future (when we know the time and place)
➢ They are having a party tonight.

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PRESENT CONTINUOUS: FORM
In order to form the present continuous, we need always two verbs:
• the auxiliary verb – the verb to be, conjugated in the present simple
• the main verb in the gerund, or –ing form.
Example:
Verb to go:
Now I am reading Hamlet by Shakespeare.
I am going
auxiliary main verb You are going
verb He/She/It is going
We are going
You are going
They are going

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PRESENT CONTINUOUS: SPELLING THE –ING FORM
• Most verbs take –ing.
➢ eat- eating, speak- speaking
• Verbs ending in one stressed vowel between two consonants double the last
consonant and add –ing.
➢ stop- stopping, prefer- preferring
• Verbs ending in –e drop the –e and add –ing.
➢ dance- dancing, take- taking
• Verbs ending in –l double the –l and add –ing.
➢ travel- travelling
• Verbs ending in –ie drop the –ie and add –y+ -ing.
➢ lie- lying
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PRESENT CONTINUOUS: NEGATIVE AND
INTERROGATIVE FORM
Negative
• To form the negative we need to use the
auxiliary verb - the verb to be - in the
negative form.
➢ I am not lying.
➢ You are not studying enough.
➢ He is not playing football.
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Interrogative
• To form the interrogative we need to use
the auxiliary verb - the verb to be - in the
affirmative form. We always put the
auxiliary verb before the subject.
➢ Are you lying?
➢ Are you studying enough?
➢ Is he playing football?
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PRESENT SIMPLE VS PRESENT CONTINUOUS
DIFFERENCES IN USE AND TIME WORDS USED

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PRESENT SIMPLE VS PRESENT CONTINUOUS: USE

Present Simple Present Continuous

habits/routines actions happening at or around the time of
➢ He plays football after school every day. speaking
➢ Dad’s listening (= is listening) to music at the
moment.
permanent states and facts temporary situations
➢ Larry lives in Rome. ➢ We’re staying (= are staying) with some friends
➢ Anthony has green eyes. these days.
timetables fixed arrangements in the near future
➢ The planes leaves at 10 am. ➢ They’re going fishing this weekend.

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TIME WORDS

Used with the Present Simple Used with the Present Continuous
• every hour/day/week/month/year… • now
• usually • at the moment
• always • these days

• every morning/afternoon/evening/night • at present

• today
• at noon
• tonight
• at night
• nowadays
• in the morning/afternoon/evening…
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ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY

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ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY
• Adverbs of frequency can be used with the ➢ Never (0%)
present simple to show how often • The adverbs of frequency are placed before
somethings happens. the main verb but after the verb to be.
➢ He usually goes jogging in the park (How
➢ She usually gets up early.
often? Usually)
➢ She is always friendly.
• Some adverbs of frequency are:
➢ Always (100%)
➢ Usually (75%)
➢ Often (50%)
➢ Sometimes (25%)
➢ Hardly ever (5%)
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