Present Time

Dragana Filipovic
 What is correct?
1. I am staying / stay at the
Imperial Hotel till they get my flat
ready.
2. The River Amazon flows / is
flowing into the Atlantic Ocean.
3. Buying a house nowadays
becomes / is becoming more
and more expensive all the time.
4. We haven’t decided yet, but we
think / are thinking of moving
house.
5. Whether we play on Saturday is
depending / depends on the
weather.
 Correct answers
1. I am staying / stay at the Imperial Hotel
till they get my flat ready.
2. The River Amazon flows / is flowing into
the Atlantic Ocean.
3. Buying a house nowadays becomes / is
becoming more and more expensive all
the time.
4. We haven’t decided yet, but we think /
are thinking of moving house.
5. Whether we play on Saturday is
depending / depends on the weather.
The Present Simple Tense - Forms
I work … I watch …
He works … He watches …

Do I work … ? Do I watch … ?
Does he work … ? Does he watch … ?

I don’t work … I don’t watch …

He doesn’t work … He doesn’t watch …
 3 person singular - spelling
rd

 -s / -es
 Infinitive + s: gets, works, lives
 ss, sh, ch, x, o + es: passes, watches, goes
 Vowel + y + s: stays, plays, pays
 Consonant + y  i + es: cry – cries, fly – flies,
terrify - terrifies
 What’s the 3 person singular?
rd

1. weigh 1. weighs
2. push 2. pushes
3. sneeze 3. sneezes
4. glorify 4. glorifies
5. annoy 5. annoys
6. kiss 6. kisses
7. deny 7. denies
8. marry 8. marries
 The Present Simple Tense
is used to describe:
1. Facts which are always true – general
truths, e.g. facts in science and
geographical descriptions
 The light from the Sun takes 8 mins
20 secs to reach the Earth.
 The River Po flows into the Adriatic
Sea.
 Matter consists of small particles.
 The Present Simple Tense
is used to describe:
2. Habitual actions. A frequency
adverb is often used.
 I usually take bus to work.
 I use my mobile phone every day.
3. Permanent situations.
• I live in a flat.
• She works for an insurance
company.
 The Present Simple Tense
is used for:

4. Plot summaries (films, books), sports

commentaries and historical tables.
• Our hero goes off to search for the
treasure, which he eventually finds after
many adventures.
• Zigic passes to Kezman… and
Kezman scores!
• 1789. The French Revolution begins.
 The Present Simple Tense
is used for:

5. Timetables / programmes (future

meaning)
• The match finishes at 8.45.
• The plane leaves at 9.15.
2. a) Which machine are they talking
about?

    
b) Complete the dialogue.
Alan: _______________________
Jill: Well, you press the eject button and
then you put the tape in. Then you press
the start and record button at the same
time.
The Present Continuous Tense
I am
‘m
You are
We ‘re standing
They
He is
She ‘s
It
 The Present Continuous Tense


I am not Am I
‘m not
You are not Are you
standing standing ?
We aren’t we
They they
He is not Is he
She isn’t she
It it
 VERB + ing
listen + ing = listening
die (-iey) + ing = dying
write + ing = writing
hop + p + ing = hopping
travel + l + ing = travelling
 Make –ing forms of each verb given.

begin get
rub use
listen admit
lie try
swim decide
study come
happen put
 –ing forms

beginning getting
rubbing using
listening admitting
lying trying
swimming deciding
studying coming
happening putting
 The Present Continuous Tense
is used for
1. Actions which are happening at or
around the moment of speaking.
• I’m doing the washing up.
• Just now I’m waiting to do my
military service.
• She is working very hard
nowadays.
 The Present Continuous Tense
is used for
2. Temporary situations.
• At the moment we’re sending all
the mail by courier, because the
Post Office is on strike.
• I’m staying with a friend at the
moment.
 The Present Continuous Tense
is used for
3. Annoying habits. A frequency
adverb is necessary (always).
• You are always borrowing money
from me!
• He is always complaining that
waiters are rude.
 The Present Continuous Tense
is used for

4. A repeated temporary event. A time

expression is necessary.
• Whenever I see Tom he’s smoking.
• You’re making the same mistake
again!
 The Present Continuous Tense
is used for
5. Changing or developing situations.
• His English is getting better.
• It’s getting colder.
6. Fixed arrangements in the near
future.
• They are getting married next week.
 Choose the most suitable tense

a) What sort of work do you do / are

you doing?
b) I can’t talk now. I cook / I’m cooking
the dinner.
c) What shall we have? Do you like /
Are you liking fish?
d) Can I borrow this tape recorder? Or
do you use / are you using it?
 Answers
a) What sort of work do you do ?
b) I can’t talk now. I I’m cooking the
dinner.
c) What shall we have? Do you like
fish?
d) Can I borrow this tape recorder? Or
are you using it?
e) What do the people here do / are
the people here doing in the
evenings?
f) Follow that bus. Then you turn / you
are turning left.
g) A lot of people think that the Sun
goes / is going around the Earth.
h) Excuse me, do you read / are you
reading your newspaper? Can I
borrow it?
 Answers
e) What do the people here do in the
evenings?
f) Follow that bus. Then you turn left.
g) A lot of people think that the Sun
goes around the Earth.
h) Excuse me, are you reading your
newspaper? Can I borrow it?
i) Do you wait / Are you waiting for the
bus to Newcastle?
j) Andy builds / is building his own house
in the country.
k) I’m sleeping / sleep on Nigel’s sofa
until I find a place of my own.
l) I’m only working / only work there for a
couple of months because I’m going
abroad in the summer.
m) You make / are making goulash using
meat, vegetables and paprika.
 Answers

i) Are you waiting for the bus to

Newcastle?
j) Andy building his own house in the
country.
k) I’m sleeping on Nigel’s sofa until I
find a place of my own.
l) I’m only working there for a couple of
months because I’m going abroad in
the summer.
m) You make goulash using meat,
vegetables and paprika.
 Stative or ‘State’ Verbs
Verbs describing a permanent state do
not normally have continuous forms.
1. Verbs of the senses: see, hear,
smell, feel, taste …
2. Verbs of opinion: agree, believe,
consider…
3. Verbs of emotion: feel, forgive, hate,
like, love…
4. Other verbs: appear (=seem), be,
belong, consist (of), contain, fit (=be
the right shape and size for sth),
have (=possess), know, look
(=appear), need,prefer, require,
want, weigh, wish…
 We can use some stative verbs
in the Present Continuous when
they have different meanings.
• She has a pet • She is having a

dog. (=she owns) good time.

(=actively involved
•They think it’s too in)
expensive. • They are thinking
(=opinion) of buying a cheaper
• I feel what we car. (=considering)
did was wrong. • I am feeling / feel
(=opinion) sick. (= physical
reaction)
•This juice tastes •
He’s tasting the
good. (=senses) milk to see if it’s
OK. (=checking the
quality)

Julia is appearing
•
•She appears to
at the Odeon on
be very upset.
Friday.
(=appearance)
(=performing)
•I Iove holidays. (in •I’m loving this
general) holiday. (=I’m
enjoying)
•I see what you •You’re seeing
mean. things – there’s
(=understand) nobody outside.
(=imagining)
•He comes from •He’s coming from
Spain. (=was Spain. (=He’s
born in) travelling from)

•Your hair looks •She’s looking at

great. (=it his photos.
appears) (=examining)
PRACTICE
Which form suggest a permanent
address?

THE AUTHOR: Josceline lives / is

living in London with her
husband, journalist and
broadcaster David Dimbleby,
and their three children.
Manchester City once more. Baker
plays it up the line for Tolmey.
Tolmey fires a shot but it’s deflected.
Keagan tries to pass it out to
Beardsley but doesn’t succeed…

a) Who is speaking?
b) Who is he/she speaking to?
c) Why is he/she speaking?
 The Guardian

Australia mourns

Australia is holding a weekend of

national mourning for the 70 victims
of the bush fires. An appeal has been
launched for 8,000 others left
homeless. Page 6.
Two boys die on mountain
By a Staff Reporter

Two boys believed to be from London

died and seven others were injured in
the Snowdonia mountain range
yesterday. The boys were roped
together when one fell …
1. My sister is waiting
patiently for her exam
results.
2. We don’t travel by train
very often.
3. I’m considering accepting
that job in Crete.

4. The film ends with a

dramatic car chase.
5. I’m sorry, I feel too tired to
go out this evening.

6. I can’t answer the phone. I

_________ (have) a bath.
(action now)
7. __ you __ (eat) a lot of fat
these days? (temporary
situation)

8. We __ (trust) on you to
bring the keys with you.
(state verb)
9. That tree ________ (grow)
too fast. (developing
situation)

10. Louis ______ (start)

working at 7:00 tomorrow.
(schedule)
9. I wish people didn’t smoke
in restaurants.

10.Who do you think you are,

speaking to me like that!
Naughts and crosses
Tic-tac-toe

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