SIMPLE PRESENT

VS
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
 SIMPLE PRESENT
 GENERAL STATEMENTS OF FACT

 TIMELESS TRUTHS (SOMETHING

WAS TRUE IN THE PAST, IS TRUE IN
THE PRESENT AND WILL BE TRUE
IN THE FUTURE)
 SIMPLE PRESENT
 HABITUAL OR EVERYDAY
ACTIVITIES

 PERMANENT SITUATIONS
 WORDS FOR ROUTINES:
ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY
FREQUENCY ADVERB OF FREQUENCY EXAMPLE SENTENCE
100% ALWAYS I ALWAYS GO TO BED AT 11:00 PM
90% USUALLY I USUALLY HAVE CEREAL FOR BREAKFAST
80% NORMALLY/GENERALLY I NORMALLY GO TO THE GYM
70% OFTEN/FREQUENTLY I OFTEN SURF THE INTERNET
50% SOMETIMES I SOMETIMES FORGET MY WIFE´S BIRTHDAY
30% OCCASIONALLY I OCCASIONALLY EAT JUNK FOOD
10% SELDOM I SELDOM READ THE NEWSPAPER
5% HARDLY EVER/RARELY I HARDLY EVER DRINK ALCOHOL
0% NEVER I NEVER SWIM IN THE SEA
 PRESENT
CONTINUOUS
 EXPRESSES AN ACTIVITY IN
PROGRESS AT THE MOMENT OF
SPEAKING

 OFTEN THE ACTIVITY IS OF A

GENERAL NATURE (SOMETHING
GENERALLY IN PROGRESS THIS
WEEK, THIS MONTH, THIS YEAR.
(TEMPORARY SITUATIONS)
  JOE IS CHASING THE BUS.
ACTION VERBS
(DYNAMIC VERBS)  I AM READING MANY BOOKS THIS SEMESTER.

 DESCRIBE AN ACTION RATHER  I AM WALKING TO SCHOOL THIS WEEK

THAN A STATE. BECAUSE MY CAR BROKE DOWN.
 SHE IS EATING A SANDWICH.
  PAUL FEELS SAD TODAY

STATIVE VERBS
(STATE VERBS)  MARIA LOVES CATS

 EXPRESS A STATE RATHER THAN AN

ACTION.

 THEY USUALLY RELATE TO THOUGHTS,

EMOTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS,SENSES,
 KEVIN WANTS SOME ICE CREAM
STATES OF BEING.

 THESE VERBS ARE NOT USUALLY USED

WITH ING IN CONTINUOUS (PROGRESSIVE)
TENSES. WE USE THE SIMPLE TENSES FOR
THEM.  CHILDREN LIKE CHOCOLATE.
  MIND
SOME VERBS CAN
 HAVE
BE EITHER
DYNAMIC OR  SMELL

STATIVE  BE
 SEE
 LOOK
 SMELL/TASTE
 THINK/FEEL
 WEIGH/MEASURE
 THINK

“I THINK IT IS WRONG TO HIT CHILDREN”

“I´M THINKING ABOUT BUYING A NEW CAR”
 MIND

“I DON´T MIND IF WE WATCH A MOVIE TONIGHT”

“I´M NOT BEING NOSY . I´M MINDING MY OWN BUSINESS”
 HAVE

“I HAVE THREE BROTHERS”

“I´M HAVING A BAD DAY TODAY”

BE
“HE IS IMMATURE”
“HE IS BEING IMMATURE”
SEE
“I SEE SOME BIRDS”
“I SEE WHAT YOU MEAN”
“I´LL BE SEEING THE DOCTOR TOMORROW”
“THEY´VE BEEN SEEING EACH OTHER FOR A MONTH”
LOOK
“THAT CAKE LOOKS DELICIOUS”
“HE IS LOOKING AT THE COMPUTER SCREEN”
“SHE IS LOOKING FOR A JOB”
“THEY ARE LOOKING AFTER MY DOG FOR THE WEEKEND”
 SMELL/TASTE
“THE BAR SMELLS OF SMOKE”
“THIS MEAT TASTES LIKE CHICKEN”
“HE IS SMELLING THE COOKIES”
“SHE IS TASTING THE FOOD TO SEE IF IT NEEDS MORE SALT”
 FEEL

“I FEEL THAT THIS IS NOT THE BEST USE OF OUR TIME”

“I´VE BEEN FEELING UNUSUALLY TIRED LATELY”
 WEIGH /MEASURE
“THE SUITCASE WEIGHS TWENTY POUNDS”
THE SURFBOARD MEASURES TWO METERS BY FIFTY FIVE CENTIMETERS”
“THE BUTCHER IS WEIGHING THE MEAT ON THE SCALE”
“THE ARCHITECTS WERE MEASURING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE PILLARS”
 SOURCES

www.gramar.cl
www.gingersoftware.com
www.really-learn-english.com
www.espressoenglish.net
Shrampfer, B. (1999) Understanding and using English Grammar, Prentice Hall Regents, New
Jersey.
Richards, J. and Bohlke , D. (2014) Four Corners Teacher´s edition. CUP, United States of
America.