Simple Present Tense & Present Continuous Tense

This slide contains material about simple present tense, present continuous tense, including their exercises.

1. GRAMMAR:
PRESENT
All of the materials were taken from Raymond Murphy’s book entitled:
Essential Grammar In Use (1990) & English Grammar In Use (1985)

2. SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
S + V1 (+s/es) + O


He/She/It + V1 (s/es)
I/You/They/We + V1

●The Earth goes around the Sun.
●I usually go to work by car but sometimes I walk.
●She works in a bank.

3. SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
NEGATIVE & QUESTIONS


He/She/It - does
I/You/They/We - do

●My car doesn’t use much petrol.
●I don’t like washing the car.
●Do you play tennis? Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
●Does he like music? Yes, he does. / No, he doesn’t.

4. SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
THE USAGE

●Talk about things in general.
In Britain, most of the shops close at 5.30 P.M

●How often we do things
I get up at 8 o’clock every morning.
In summer, Tom usually plays tennis twice a week.

●A permanent situation
That machine doesn’t work. It hasn’t worked for years.

5. EXERCISE
1.The swimming bath opens (open) at 9 A.M and closes (close) at 7
P.M every day.
2.What time __________ (the banks/close) in Britain?
3.I have a car but I __________ (not/use) it very often.
4.How many cigarettes __________ (you/smoke) a day?
5.‘What __________ (you/do)’ ‘I’m a student.’
6.‘Where __________ (your father/come) from?’ ‘He __________ (come)
from Scotland.’
7.If you need money, why __________ (you/not/get) a job?
8.I __________ (play) the piano, but I __________(not/play) very well.
9.I don’t understand the word ‘deceive.’ What __________
(deceive/mean)?

6. EXERCISE
NEGATIVE STATEMENTS

cost go know read see use wear

1.I buy a newspaper every day but sometimes I don’t read it.
2.Paul has a car but he __________ it very often.
3.They like films but they __________to the cinema very often.
4.Amanda is married but she __________a ring.
5.I __________ much about politics. I’m not interested in it.
6.It’s not an expensive hotel. It __________ much to stay here.
7.Brian lives near us but we __________ him very often.

7. EXERCISE
QUESTIONS

1.Ann watches television. (How often?)
→ How often does Ann watch television?
2.I write to my parents twice a week. (How often?)
→
3.I have dinner in the evening. (What time/usually?)
→
4.Tom works at the bank. (Where?)
→
5.People do stupid things. (Why?)
→

8. PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE
S + am/is/are + V-ing + O

I + am
He/She/It + is
You/They/We + are

●I’m working right now.
●Christ is writing a letter at this time.
●We’re having dinner today.

9. PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE
QUESTIONS

am/is/are + S + V-ing + O

I + am
He/She/It + is
You/They/We + are

●Is he working today?
●Where are they going?
●Are you enjoying the party?

10. PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

THE USAGE

●Talk about something which is happening at the time of speaking.
Please don’t make so much noise. I’m studying. (NOT ‘I study’).

●A period around the present (today, this season, etc.)
You’re working hard today.

●A temporary situation
The machine isn’t working. It broke down this morning.

11. EXERCISE
1.Please be quiet. I ______________(try) to concentrate.
2.Look! It ______________ (snow).
3.Why _____________________ (you/look) at me like that? Have I said
something wrong?
4.You _______________ (make) a lot of noise. Can you be a bit quieter?
5.Excuse me, I __________________ (look) for a phone box. Is there one near
here?
6.(in the cinema) It’s a good film, isn’t it? _________________ (you/enjoy) it?
7.Listen! Can you hear those people next door? They ___________________
(shout) at each other again.
8.Why ____________________ (you/wear) your coat today? It’s very warm.
9.I _________________ (not/work) this week. I’m on holiday.
10.I want to lose weight. I __________________ (not/eat) anything today.

12. EXERCISE
buildcook gohave standstay swim work

1.Please be quiet. I’m working.
2.‘Where’s John?’ ‘He’s in the kitchen. He ______________________ ’
3.‘You _________________ on my foot.’ ‘Oh, I’m sorry.’
4.Look! Somebody _____________________ in the river.
5.We’re on holiday. We _____________________ at the Central Hotel.
6.‘Where’s Ann?’ ‘She ______________________ a shower.’
7.They _________________ a new theatre in the city centre at the
moment.
8.I _________________ now. Goodbye.

13. EXERCISE
QUESTIONS

Brian and Steve meet in a restaurant:
Brian: Hello, Steve. I haven’t seen you for ages. What _________________
(you/do) these days?
Steve: I_________________ (train) to be a shop manager.
Brian: Really? _________________ (you/enjoy) it?
Steve: Yes, it’s quite interesting. How about you?
Brian: Well, I_________________ (not/work) at the moment, but I’m very
busy. I_________________ (build) a house.
Steve: Really? _________________ (you/do) it alone?
Brian: No, some friends of mine _________________ (help) me.

14. THE DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN SIMPLE
PRESENT AND PRESENT
CONTINUOUS TENSE?

15. SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

I-You-They-We work.
He-She-It works.


I-You-They-We do not work.
He-She-It does not work.

Do I-you-they-we work?
Does he-she-it work?
I am working.
You-They-We are working.
He-She-It is working.

I am not working.
You-They-We are not working.
He-She-It is not working.

Am I working?
Are you-they-we working?
Is he-she-it working?

16. SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE
TALK ABOUT THINGS IN GENERAL
-Water boils at 100 degrees
centigrade.
-Excuse me, do you speak English?

HABIT
-Tom plays tennis every Saturday.
-What do you usually do at
weekends?
-Most people learn to swim when
they are children.

PERMANENT
-My parents live in London.
-I teach here.
HAPPENING RIGHT NOW
-The kettle is boiling. Can you turn it off,
please?
-Listen to those people. What language are they
speaking?

SOMETHING HAPPENING IN THE PRESENT TIME
-I am reading the novel “The Last House Guest”
this semester.
-Tom isn’t playing football this season.

TEMPORARY
-I’m living with some friends until I can find a
dorm.
-I am teaching here for few weeks then I move
to another school.

17. REMEMBER!

Simple Present: in general, all the time or sometimes.
I do
past NOW future


Present Continuous: now, at the time of speaking.
I’m doing
past NOW future

18. DO NOT USE THESE VERBS IN PRESENT
CONTINUOUS (V-ing)


want like belongknow suppose remember depend
need love see realisemean forget
preferhate hear believeunderstand seem


I’m tired. I want to go home. (NOT I’m wanting)
He doesn’t understand. (NOT he isn’t understanding)
These shoes belong to me. (NOT are belonging)
I don’t understand. What do you mean?
Do you know that girl? Yes, but I don’t remember her name.

19. EXERCISE
TRUE OR FALSE?
1.Look! Somebody is climbing up that tree over there.
2.Can you hear those people? What do they talk about?
3.Are you believing in God?
4.Look! That man tries to open the door.
5.The moon goes round the earth.
6.I’m usually going to work by car.

20. EXERCISE
AM/IS/ARE or DO/DON’T/DOES/DOESN’T

1.Excuse me, _______ you speak English?
2.‘Where’s Ann?’ ‘I _______ know.’
3.What’s funny? Why _______ you laughing?
4.‘What _______ your sister do?’ ‘She’s a dentist.’
5.It _______ raining. I _______ want to go out in the rain.
6.‘Where _______ you come from?’ ‘Canada.’
7.How much _______ it cost to phone Canada?
8.George is a good tennis player but he _______ play very often.

21. EXERCISE
PRESENT SIMPLE OR PRESENT CONTINUOUS
1.Excuse me. _________________ (you/speak) English?
2.‘Where’s Tom?’ _________________ (he/have) a shower.’
3._________________ (I/not/watch) television very often.
4.Listen! Somebody _________________ (sing).
5.How often _________________ (you/read) a newspaper?
6.‘Excuse me but _________________ (you/sit) in my place.’ ‘Oh, I’m sorry.’
7.It’s late. _________________ (I/go/home) now. _________________ (you/come)
with me?
8.What time _________________ (your father/finish) work in the evenings?
9.You can turn off the radio. _________________ (I/not/listen) to it.
10.‘Where’s Paul?’ ‘In the kitchen. _________________ (he/cook) something.’
11.Sandra is tired. _________________ (she/want) to go home now.

22. EXERCISE
PRESENT SIMPLE OR PRESENT CONTINUOUS
1.I _________________ (not/belong) to a political party.
2.Hurry! The bus _________________ (come). I _________________
(not/want) to miss it.
3.The River Nile _________________ (flow) into the Mediterranean.
4.The river i_________________ (flow) very fast today – much faster than
usual.
5.You can borrow my umbrella. I _________________ (not/need) it at the
moment.
6.George says he’s 80 years old but I _________________ (not/believe)
him.
7.A: What _________________ (your father/do) ?
B: He’s a teacher, but he _________________ (not/work) at the
moment.

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