Present Simple and Present Continuous/Progressive

Tense Use Form Adverbs of Examples Examples Examples

frequency AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE INTERROGATIVE
Present  habits;  Affirmative:  always I sg. I always wake up at I don’t wake up Do I wake up at 8?
Simple  daily S + V (infinitive form without  usually 8 o’clock. at 8.
routines; to)  often, II sg. You usually wake You don’t wake Do you wake up at
 statements;*pers. III sg. – s/es  sometimes up at 10 o’clock. up at 10. 10?
 permanent  Negative:  rarely
situations.S + don’t/doesn’t + V  never III He/She/It often He/She/It doesn’t Does he/she/it wake
(infinitive without to)  every sg. wakes up at noon. wake up at noon. up at 7?
 Interrogative: morning/day/
Do/Does + S + V? (infinitive evening I pl. We sometimes wake We don’t wake Do we wake up at 9?
without to) up at 12. up at 12.
Short answers: II pl. You rarely wake up You don’t wake Do you wake up at
Yes, I/we/they do. / No, at 12. up at 4. 12/
I/we/they don’t. III They never wake up They don’t wake Do they wake up at
Yes, he/she/it does. / No, pl. at 9. up at 9. 5?
he/she/it doesn’t.
Present  actions Affirmative:  now I sg I am listening to I’m not listening Am I listening to
Continuous happening S + to be (am/is/are) + V-ing  right now music now. to music. music?
/ at/around Negative:  at the II sg You are listening to You aren’t Are you listening to
Progressive the moment S+ to be (am not/isn’t/aren’t) + moment music right now. listening to music?
of speech; V-ing  tonight music.
 temporary  today III sg He/She/It is listening He/She/It isn’t Is he/she/it listening
actions; Interrogative:  at present to music. listening to to music?
 describing To be (am/is/are) + S + V-ing music.
pictures. Short answers: I pl We are listening to We aren’t Are we listening to
Yes, I am. / No, I’m not. music tonight. listening to music?
Yes, we/they are. / No, music.
we/they aren’t. II pl You are listening to You aren’t Are you listening to
Yes, she/he/it is. – No, music. listening to music?
music.

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 she/he/it isn’t. III pl They are listening to They aren’t Are they listening to
music. listening to music. music?

Spelling rules:
Present simple:

 verbs ending in: o/ss/sh/ch/x – es : go - goes

 verbs ending in consonant + y – keep the y + es: tidy – tidies
 verbs ending in vowel + y - y becomes i + s : play – plays

Present Continuous:

 vowel + consonant – we double the consonant: shop – shopping

 consonant + e – drop the e + ing: close – closing
 y/w + ing : study – studying; show - showing

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