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Present Simple Vs Present Continuous.

We use the present simple and present continuous tenses to contrast habitual activities with
activities happening around now.
Example:
Everybody studies math, English, history, chemistry, and physics. This semester I am studying
Spanish too.

Present Simple
Describe daily events, facts or to narrate
contemporary events.
Example:
The take a taxi to the station, check the
timetable and get on the train
Present Continuous
It is used for temporary actions and to
describe what happens at the moment of
speech.
Example:
The Smiths are going on holiday. At the
moment, they are standing in front of the
time table

Temporary markers.

Present Simple
Present Continuous
 Always
 At the moment
 Every day
 Now
 Often
 Right now
 Normally
 Listen!
 Usually
 Look!
 Sometimes
 Today
 Rarely
 This week
 Never
 This summer
 First
 This year
 Then

State verbs
State verbs are those that do not indicate an action but a state and are not usually used in
continuous tenses.
Example:
 I know the answer. (Correct)
 I’m knowing the answer. (Incorrect)

 She believed him. (Correct)

 She was believing him. (Incorrect)
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 I don’t mind! (Correct)

 I am not minding. (Incorrect)

 I promise I will stay. (Correct)

 I am promising I will stay. (Incorrect)

 I want a new car. (Correct)

 I am wanting a new car. (Incorrect)

 Status and possession: be, have, own, belong, owe, possess

 Perception and sense: See, hear, smell, feel, taste
 Thought or opinion: Believe, remember, know, think, seem, forget, agree, understand,
imagine.
 Taste, preferences: Like, dislike, love, hate, want, hope, prefer, wish.
There are verbs with two meanings, one with the action and the other with the state.
Example:
I think he is friendly.
I am thinking about going shopping
I feel you should come.
I am feeling cold
Practice:
1. Choose the present simple or present continuous. This exercise includes the verbs
see, think, have, be, and taste, which are sometimes stative.

 My husband ____________ (always/taste) the food while I'm cooking! It's very
annoying.
 (Is always tasting)
 She __________(have) a bath every evening.
 (Has)
 Luke ______(see) the doctor now.
 (Is seeing)
 He _______(have) a party next weekend.
 (Is having)
 This coffee _______ (not/taste) right.
 (doesn't taste)
 We _______ (see) John and Susie next month.
 (are seeing)
 What _______ (you/think) about the war?
 (do you think)
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 She _______ (have) a headache.

 (has)
 It_______ (be) cold today.
 (is)
 They _______ (not/have) a car.
 (don't have)

2. Say if one of the sentences is a state verb or not.

 It depends on the weather (State verbs)

 I am disagreeing with you. (It is not a state verb)
 I am not feeling that this is a good idea. (It is not a state verb)
 This shirt is fitting me well. (It is not a state verb)
 I love chocolate. (State verbs)
 It doesn’t matter. (State verbs)
 ‘Enormous’ means ‘very big’. (State verbs)
 This window measures 150cm. (State verbs)

3.Put the verb int o the correct form.use either the present simple or the presente
continuos.

1. Please don`t make so much noise .I_________(study)

I`m stuying
2. How many language_____________(tom speak)
Does Tom speak.
3. I________(not/belong) to a tolitical party.
Don`t belong.
4. Hunrry! The bus ______(come).I_______(not/want)to miss it.
Is coming and don`t want
5. The river Nile ______(Flow) into the Mediterranean.
Flows
6. The river _____(Flow) very fast today-much faster tan usual.
Is flowing
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vocabulary

Weather Clima

Matter Importar

Means Medio

Measures Medida

speech habla

Wanting Falto

Possess Poseer

Understand Entender

Sense Sentido

Wish Deseo

Should Debería

Right now Ahora mismo

Meanings Significados

Biography:
Lingolia. (2016). Present Simple – Present Continuos recuperado de:
https://english.lingolia.com/es/gramatica/tiempos-comparacion/simple-present-present-
progressive.
Garcés. R (2015) Presente simple y presente continuo. Recuperado de:
https://www.superprof.es/apuntes/idiomas/ingles/gramatica-inglesa/verb-tense/simple-present-
and-present-continuous.html.
Garcés. R (2015). Verbos de estado. Recuperado de:
https://www.superprof.es/apuntes/idiomas/ingles/gramatica-inglesa/verb-tense/state-verbs-
2.html.
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