Form

Simple Present Present Continuous

infinitive To + 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

Negative Negative

I don’t speak I am not speaking

You don’t speak You aren’t speaking

He/she/it doesn’t speak he doesn’t speaks He/She/It isn’t speaking

We don’t speak We aren’t speaking

You don’t speak You aren’t speaking

They don’t speak They aren’t speaking

Exceptions

Exceptions when adding 's' : Exceptions when adding 'ing' :

 For can, may, might, must, do not add s. e:

Example: he can, she may, it must

Example: come - coming

 After o, ch, sh or s, add es. but: agree – agreeing/ see -seeing

Example: do - he does, wash - she washes  1 syllable word: consonant + vowel + consonant. The
final consonant is repeated.
 After a consonant, the final consonant y
becomes ie. (but: not after a vowel) Example: sit – sitting stop- stopping get -getting

Example: worry - he worries  Final ie becomes y.

but: play - he plays
Example: lie - lying
 Use

In general or right now?

Do you want to express that something happens in general or that something is happening
right now?

Simple Present Present Continuous

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

Exercises

Positive sentences
Complete the sentences. Use Simple Present or Present Progressive.

1. The lesson (start)   at 9 o'clock.

2. He often (wear)   a black cap.

3. I (meet)   my friends in the youth club tonight.

4. My friend (move)   house tomorrow.

5. My birthday (be)   in September.

Negative sentences
Complete the sentences. Use Simple Present or Present Progressive.

1. She (not / ride)   her bike right now.

2. We (not / stay)   at home tonight.

3. I (not / like)   bananas.

4. They (not / know)   the answer.

5. I (not / sit)   in the garden at the moment.

questions
Complete the sentences. Use Simple Present or Present Progressive.

1. When (arrive / the plane)  ?

2. (visit / you)   Jane in hospital today?

3. What time (get up / you)   in the mornings?

4. Why (cry / she)   now?

5. (swim / they)   in the pool at the moment?

Text
Complete the sentences. Use Simple Present or Present Progressive.

1. I (live)   in London.

2. This weekend, I (visit)   my friends in Brighton.

3. Right now, I _____________ (read) a newspaper.

4. In the early afternoon, we (want)   to go on a sightseeing tour.

5. In the evening, we usually (play)   table-tennis.

6. The concert (start)   at 8 o'clock.

7. When ____________________ (Paul/ go) to school every day?

8. My train (arrive)   in London at 7.50 in the evening.

Answers: Positive sentences: 1) starts, 2) wears 3) am meeting 4) is moving 5) is Negative sentences: 1) isn’t riding 2) isn’t staying
3) don’t like 4) don’t know 5) am not sitting Questions: 1) does the plane arrive 2. Are you visiting 3) Do you (usually) get up 4) is
she crying 5) Are they swimming Text: 1)live 2) am visiting 3) lam reading 4) want 5) play 6) starts 7) does Paul go 8) arrives