UNIT 1: PRESENT SIMPLE, CONTINUOUS

A. Present Continuous
A1. Purposes of use
1. Describe an action at the time of speaking that is not finished.
● Sarah is in her car. She is on her way to work.
She’s driving to work. (= She is driving …)

2. Describe temporary situations.

Steve is talking to a friend on the phone. He says:
● I’m reading a really good book at the moment. It’s about a man who …
Steve says ‘I’m reading …’ but he is not reading the book at the time of speaking.
He means that he has started reading the book, but has not finished it yet. He is in the middle
of reading it.

3. Describe a change or a trend that has started to happen.

getting, becoming changing, improving
starting, beginning increasing, rising, falling, growing
● Is your English getting better? (not Does your English get better)
● The population of the world is increasing very fast. (not increases)
● At first, I didn’t like my job, but I’m starting to enjoy it now. (not I start)

A2. Present continuous form

Statement Negative Question

I am ('m) playing … I am not ('m not) playing … Am I playing …?

He/she/it is ('s) playing … He/she/it is not (isn't/'s not) Is he/she/it playing …?

playing …

You/we/they are ('re) playing You/we/they are not Are you/we/they playing …?
… (aren't/'re not) playing …

01 Use the table above to correct these sentences.

1. I studying Piano at the moment.
_______________________________________________
2. He not attending IELTS classes now.
_______________________________________________
3. Are she studying at Ngo Quyen High School?
_______________________________________________
A3. Phrases to indicate time
You can use the present continuous with today / this week / this year etc. (periods around
now):
A: You’re working hard today. (not You work hard today)
B: Yes, I have a lot to do.
The company I work for isn’t doing so well this year.

A4. Exercise
02 The sentences on the right follow those on the left. Which sentence goes with
which?

1. Please don't make so much noise. A. I'm getting hungry.

2. We need to leave soon. B. They're lying.
3. I don't have anywhere to live right now. C. It's starting to rain.
4. I need to eat something soon. D. They're trying to sell it.
5. They don't need their car anymore. E. It's getting late.
6. Things are not so good at work. F. I'm trying to work.
7. It isn't true what they say. G. I'm staying with friends.
8. We're going to get wet. H. The company is losing money.

03 Fill in the blanks using the correct forms of the verbs in brackets.
1. Right now, my mom __________ (cook) dinner in the kitchen.
2. My sister __________ (watch) TV in the living room at the moment.
3. We __________ (listen) to music while we clean the house.
4. My dad __________ (mow) the lawn in the front yard today.
5. I __________ (study) English online with a teacher right now.
6. My friend __________ (paint) a picture in her studio at the moment.
7. We __________ (clean) the bathroom right now for when our guests arrive.
8. My mom and I __________ (plant) flowers in the garden at present.
9. My dad __________ (fix) the leaky faucet in the kitchen right now.
10. I __________ (read) Harry Potter at the moment.
B. Present Simple
B1. Purposes of use
1. Describe things that are true in general.
● Nurses look after patients in hospitals.
● The earth goes around the sun.
● The cafe opens at 7.30 in the morning

2. Describe present habits.

● I get up at 8 o’clock every morning.
● Julie doesn’t drink tea very often.
● Robert usually goes away two or three times a year.

B2. Present simple form

Statement Negative Question

I/you/we/they play ... I/you/we/they do not (don't) play... Do /you/we/they play ...?

He/she/it plays... He/she/it does not (doesn't) play... Does he/she/it play...?

01 Use the table above to correct these sentences.

1. We doesn’t go to the local library very often.
_______________________________________________
2. She go to dance lessons every Saturday.
_______________________________________________
3. Do he like romantic films?
_______________________________________________

B3. Adverb of frequency

always usually often sometimes rarely never
100% - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0%
Remember that these adverbs usually go before the verb, but after the verb be.
I often play football with my friends.
I am often late for my piano lessons.

B4. Exercise
02 Put the verb into the correct form.
1. Julia __doesn’t drink____ (not / drink) tea very often.
2. What time ________________ (the banks / close) here?
3. I have a car, but I ________________ (not / use) it much.
4. Where ________________ (Maria / come) from? Is she Spanish?
5. ‘What ________________ (you / do)?’ ‘I’m an electrician.’
6. Look at this sentence. What ________________ (this word / mean)?
I 3
C. Comparing Present Continuous And Present Simple

C1. Exercise
01 Are the underlined verbs OK? Correct them where necessary.

1 Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. 1. ____________________

2 How often are you going to the cinema? 2. ____________________
3 Ben tries to find a job, but he hasn’t had any luck yet. 3. ____________________
4 Martina is phoning her mother every day. 4. ____________________
5 The moon goes round the earth in about 27 days. 5. ____________________
6 Can you hear those people? What do they talk about? 6. ____________________
7 What do you do in your spare time? 7. ____________________
8 Sarah is a vegetarian. She doesn’t eat meat. 8. ____________________
9 I must go now. It gets late. 9. ____________________
10 ‘Come on! It’s time to leave.’ ‘OK, I come.’ 10. ____________________
D. Homework
D1. Present Continuous
01 Write questions. Use the present continuous.
1 What’s all that noise? (what / happen?)
__ What’s happening?____________________________________________________
2 What’s the matter? (why / you / cry?)
_____________________________________________________________________
3 Where’s your mother? (she / work / today?)
_____________________________________________________________________
4 I haven’t seen you for ages. (what / you / do / these days?)
_____________________________________________________________________
5 Amy is a student. (what / she / study?)
_____________________________________________________________________
6 Who are those people? (what / they / do?)
_____________________________________________________________________
7 I heard you started a new job. (you / enjoy / it?)
_____________________________________________________________________
8 We’re not in a hurry. (why / you / walk / so fast?)
_____________________________________________________________________

02 Put the verb into the correct form, positive (I’m doing etc.) or negative (I’m not doing
etc.).
1 Please don’t make so much noise. __ I’m trying ____ (I / try) to work.
2 Let’s go out now. __ It isn’t raining ____ (it / rain) any more.
3 You can turn off the radio. ________________ (I / listen) to it.
4 Kate phoned last night. She’s on holiday with friends. ________________ (She / have) a
great time and doesn’t want to come back.
5 Andrew started evening classes recently. ________________ (He / learn) Japanese.
6 Paul and Sarah have had an argument and now ________________ (they / speak) to one
another.
7 The situation is already very bad and now ________________ (it / get) worse.
8 Tim ________________ (work) today. He’s taken the day off .
9 ________________ (I / look) for Sophie. Do you know where she is?
10 The washing machine has been repaired. ________________ (It / work) now.
11 ________________ (They / build) a new hospital. It will be finished next year.
12 Ben is a student, but he’s not very happy. ________________ (He / enjoy) his course.
13 ________________ (The weather / change). Look at those clouds. I think it’s going to rain.
14 Dan has been in the same job for a long time. ________________ (He / start) to get bored
with it.
D2. Present simple
03 Complete the sentences using the following verbs:
cause(s) close(s) connect(s) go(es) live(s) speak(s) take(s)

1 Tanya __speaks____ German very well.

2 Ben and Jack ________________ to the same school.
3 Bad driving ________________ many accidents.
4 The museum ________________ at 4 o’clock on Sundays.
5 My parents ________________ in a very small flat.
6 The Olympic Games ________________ place every four years.
7 The Panama Canal ________________ the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

04 Complete the sentences using these verbs. Sometimes you need the negative.
believe eat flow go grow make rise tell translate

1 The earth __goes____ round the sun.

2 Rice __doesn’t grow____ in cold climates.
3 The sun ________________ in the east.
4 Bees ________________ honey.
5 Vegetarians ________________ meat.
6 An atheist ________________ in God.
7 An interpreter ________________ from one language into another.
8 Liars are people who ________________ the truth.
9 The River Amazon ________________ into the Atlantic Ocean.

05 You ask Lisa questions about herself and her family. Write the questions.
1 You know that Lisa plays tennis. You want to know how often. Ask her.
How often __do you play tennis____ ?
2 Perhaps Lisa’s sister plays tennis too. You want to know. Ask Lisa.
__________________ your sister _________________________________________ ?
3 You know that Lisa goes to the cinema a lot. You want to know how often. Ask her.
____________________________________________________________________?
4 You know that Lisa’s brother works. You want to know what he does. Ask Lisa.
____________________________________________________________________?
5 You’re not sure whether Lisa speaks Spanish. You want to know. Ask her.
____________________________________________________________________?
6 You don’t know where Lisa’s grandparents live. You want to know. Ask Lisa.
____________________________________________________________________?
D3. Present simple and Present continuous
06 Put the verb into the correct form, present continuous or present simple.
1 a __I usually get____ (I / usually / get) hungry in the afternoon.
b __I’m getting____ (I / get) hungry. Let’s go and eat something.
2 a ‘________________ (you / listen) to the radio?’ ‘No, you can turn it off.’
b ‘________________ (you / listen) to the radio a lot?’ ‘No, not very often.’
3 a The River Nile ________________ (flow) into the Mediterranean.
b The river ________________ (flow) very fast today – much faster than usual.
4 a I’m not very active. ________________ (I / not / do) any sport.
b What ________________ (you / usually / do) at weekends?
5 a Rachel is in New York right now. ________________ (She / stay) at the Park Hotel.
b ________________ (She / always / stay) there when she’s in New York.

07 Put the verb into the correct form, present continuous or present simple.
1 Why are all these people here? __What’s happening____ (What / happen)?
2 Julia is good at languages. ________________ (She / speak) four languages very well.
3 Are you ready yet? ________________ (Everybody / wait) for you.
4 I’ve never heard this word. How ________________ (you / pronounce) it?
5 Kate ________________ (not / work) this week. She’s on holiday.
6 I think my English ________________ (improve) slowly. It’s better than it was.
7 Nicola ________________ (live) in Manchester. She has never lived anywhere else.
8 Can we stop walking soon? ________________ (I / start) to get tired.
9 Sam and Tina are in Madrid right now. ________________ (They / visit) a friend of theirs.
10 ‘What ________________ (your father / do)?’ ‘He’s an architect.’
11 It took me an hour to get to work this morning. Most days ________________ (it / not /
take) so long.
12 I ________________ (I / learn) to drive. My driving test is next month. My father
________________ (teach) me.