English 10 - Mainstream

PRESENT FORMS
A. Use
Present simple Present continuous
Permanent situations or states Temporary situations
She works as a nurse. They’re staying at the park Hotel at present.
She owns a large shop.
Repeated/habitual actions (especially with frequency Actions happening at or around the moment
adverbs: often, usually, etc.) of speaking.
I usually get up at 7. 30. She is looking for a better job.
Permanent truths or laws of nature. Repeated actions with “always” expressing
Money doesn’t buy happiness. annoyance or criticism.
Water freezes at 0 C.
0
She’s always interrupting me!
Timetables/programmes (future meaning) Fixed arrangements in the near future.
The match finishes at 7.45. The Browns are visiting us tonight. (It’s all
The plane leaves at 6.05. arranged.)
Reviews/ sports / commentaries/dramatic narrative Changing or developing situations.
Meryl Streep acts brilliantly in this film. His English is getting better.
B. Time expressions used with:
Present simple everyday/week/month/year, usually, often, always, rarely, never, sometimes,
in the morning/afternoon/evening, at night, on Mondays etc.
Present Cont. now, at the moment, at present, nowadays, today, tonight, always, still
C. Stative verbs
Stative verbs express a permanent state rather than an action and do not have continuous forms.
These are:
1. Verbs of the senses : hear, see, smell, feel, taste, etc.
“look, watch, listen” express deliberate actions can be used in continuous forms.

2. Verbs of opinion: agree, believe, consider.

3. Verbs of emotions: feel, forgive, hate, life, love
4. other verbs: appear (=seem), be, belong, fit (=be the right shape and size for sth), know, look
(=appear), need, prefer, require, want, weigh, wish, mean.
- He knows where Peter is. (not: is knowing )
- Do you understand?
- Nobody believes him.
- This car belongs to my brother.
- Whose car is it? →Who does this car belong to?/ To whom does this car belong?
- What does this word mean?
- Keeping fit doesn’t mean that you have to be a super athlete.
5. consist of = to be composed of
- There are ten chapters in this book. →This book consists of/is composed of ten chapters.
- Water consists of/is composed of hydrogen and oxygen.
6. exist
- Life exists only on the Earth.
- This story exists only in your mind.
7. think
- What are you thinking about?
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English 10 - Mainstream
- What do you think of this film?
8. Have: a run, a swim, a bath, dinner: present cont /have (=possess) (a car, a house)
- They are having dinner at the moment.
- They often have dinner at 7 o’clock.
- They haven’t got a car./ They don’t have a car.
EXERCISES
Exercise 1. Underline the correct item.
1. I see/am seeing that the situation is out of control.
2. The sausages are tasting/taste delicious.
3. Do you enjoy/Are you enjoying this party?
4. You haven’t said a word all morning. What are you thinking/do you think about?
5. He has/is having a Siamese cat.
6. These flowers are smelling/smell nice.
7. I don’t know/am not knowing where she keeps the keys.
8. Why are you feeling/do you feel your pockets? Have you lost anything?
9. Why do you smell/are you smelling the milk? Do you think it has gone off?
10. Anna is Italian. She is coming/comes from Italy.
11. That dress looks/is looking nice on you.
12. Paul listens/is listening to a new record in his room.
13. If you don’t look/aren’t looking at that comic book, I’d like to see it.
14. Joan weighs/is weighing 50 kilos.
15. Mary is/is being very naughty these days.
Exercise 2. Fill in with Present Simple or Continuous.
Sue: What (1. you/do) now?
Mark: I (2. look) through these old film magazines. Look, here’s an old
picture of Jack Nicholson.
Sue: Oh, I (3.think) he (4. look) awful! And
his suit (5. not/fit) him properly.
Mark: Yes, I (6. agree) . And he (7. appear)
to be really angry. I wonder what he (8. think) about.
Sue: He (9. be) in that new film that’s on at the Odeon now, isn’t he?
Mark: Yes, I saw it last night. He (10. look) very different now. He (11.
weigh) a lot more.
Sue: I (12. hope) it’s a good film. I (13. see) it
tonight. Stuart (14. take) me. Actually, he (15.be)
very nice to me these days.
Mark: He probably (16.want) to borrow some money.
Sue: I (see) . That explains it.
Exercise 3. Fill in with Present Simple or Continuous.
1. A: I (1. think) about visiting Jane this afternoon.
B: I wouldn’t bother. I (2. think) she’s away on holiday.
2. A: Mr Jones (3. have) a telephone message from his wife.
B: Can it wait? He (4. have ) a business meeting and I don’t want to disturb him.
3. A: The police (5. still/look) for fingerprints left in the room.
B: It (6. look) as if they won’t find the criminal.
4. A: I (7. love) breathing in clean, country air!
B: So do I. I (8. love) every minute of this walking trip.
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5.A: I (9. see) my boss about a pay rise this afternoon.
B: I (10. see) . That’s why you’re wearing a suit and tie.
6. A: Why (11. you/taste) the soup? Is there anything wrong with it?
B: Yes, it (12. taste) too sweet. I think I’ve used sugar instead of salt.
7. A: Why (13. you/feel) the baby’s forehead, Mum?
B: I think she’s got a temperature. She (14. feel) rather hot.
8. A: John (15. be) a very rude person, you know.
B: I know. Sheila (16. be) very rude these days too, although she’s usually polite.
9. A: It (17. look) as if it’s going to rain this afternoon.
B: I know. I (18. look) for my umbrella to take out with me.
10. A: Why (19. you/smell) the inside of your car?
B: Because it (20. smell) of petrol and I want to check for leaks.
11. A: How much (21. your new baby/weigh)?
B: I don’t know yet. The nurse (22. weigh) him at the moment.

High School for Gifted Students - HNUE 3