Present Simple vs Present

Continuous

Tense: the present simple

1. Take a look at the following sentences. Place them under the
correct use.
1. Dario is a boy.
2. I drink soft drinks every day.
3. I often wake up at 7 AM in the morning.
4. I watch TV every evening.
5. I play basketball every weekend.
6. Ms.Walthery teaches English.
7. Water always boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
8. Every morning I eat cereals.
9. Birds normally can fly.
10. The sun rises in the east.

The present simple is used for:

Habits Routines Facts Jobs

2, 4, 5 3, 8 1, 7, 9, 10 6

2. Mark the time indicators in the sentences. List them below.

Time indicators – present simple

Every day
Often
Every evening
Every weekend
Always
Every morning
Normally

3. How to form the present simple?

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 Positive (+)
1 p. singular (= I)
st
I go to school.
2nd p. singular (= you) You go to school.
3rd p. singular (= he she it) He/she goes to school.
1st p. plural (= we) We go to school.
2nd p. plural (= you) You go to school.
3rd p. plural (= they) They go to school.
Rule: Subject + base form

3rd p. singular: + s (here: goes)

Negative (-)
1 p. singular
st
I don’t go to school.
2nd p. singular You don’t go to school.
3rd p. singular He/she doesn’t go to school.
1st p. plural We don’t go to school.
2nd p. plural You don’t go to school.
3rd p. plural They don’t go to school.
Rule: Subject + do not + base form

3rd p. singular: does not + base form

Question (?)
1 p. singular
st
Do I go to school?
2nd p. singular Do you go to school?
3rd p. singular Does he/she go to school?
1st p. plural Do we go to school?
2nd p. plural Do you go to school?
3rd p. plural Do they go to school?
Rule: Do + subject + base form + rest of the
sentence + ?

3rd p. singular: does

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4. How to ask questions using the present simple?

Question Answer
1. Yes-no question Short answer Short answer
(positive) (negative)
 With I, you, we and they Yes, I do. No, I don’t.

Do you speak English?

Rule: Do + subject + base form + rest of the sentence + ? Yes, subject + do No, subject + don’t
 With he, she and it Yes, she does. No, she doesn’t.

Does she speak English?

Rule: Does + subject + base form + rest of the sentence + ? Yes, subject + does No, subject + doesn’t
2. WH-question (what, where, when, why, how)
 With to be
Why am I here? Because you live here.
How long is the flight to Japan? The flight is about 15 hours.
Where are my shoes? They are in your room.
Rule: WH-word + to be + subject + rest of the sentence + ?
 With other verbs
Where do I sleep? You sleep in the tent.
When does he leave for Japan? He leaves on Monday.
Rule: WH-word + do / does + subject + base form + rest of the sentence + ?
3. Asking for the subject (= who) Long answer Short answer
 Who stays home alone? Sam stays home alone. Sam does.
Rule: Who + verb in 3 person singular + rest of the sentence + ?
rd

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5. Spelling rules

Examples Rules

walk – she walks General rule: + s

talk – she talks
answer – he answers

miss – he misses
Verbs ending in s, ss, ch,
watch – he watches sh, x:
wash – she washes
+ es
fix – he fixes

Verbs ending in consonant

study – she studies + y:
tidy – she tidies
‘y’ changes into ‘ie’ + s

play – he plays Verbs ending in a vowel +

enjoy – he enjoys y:

stay – she stays +s

6. Fill in the correct form of the present simple.

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1. She (teach) English every Monday. teaches
2. He (carry) his schoolbag every day. carries
3. My dad (fix) the car once a month. fixes
4. She (try) new recipes every weekend. tries
5. The baby (cry) a lot at night. cries
6. We (hurry) to school every morning. hurry
7. My brother (watch) cartoons every evening. watches
8. He (do) exercise every morning. does
9. They (go) to the cinema every Friday. go
10. My aunt (wash) the car twice a week. washes

7. Correct the mistakes in the sentences below if necessary.

a. He go to school by bus. → ___goes__________________

b. They play tennis on Sundays. → __correct___________________

c. Does she eats vegetables? → _____eat________________

d. My parents doesn’t work on Sundays. → ______don’t______________

e. The cat sleep on the sofa. → ______sleeps_______________

8. Complete the sentences using the correct form of the verbs in

brackets.

a. The train _____leaves_______________ (leave) at 7:30 AM every morning.

b. What time __does she finish__________________ (she / finish) work?

c. Mr. Brown ___teaches_________________ (teach) English at our school.

d. I ____do not believe________________ (not / believe) in ghosts.

e. Why _do you always forget___________________ (you / always / forget)

your keys?

f. The library closes____________________(close) at 6 PM on weekdays.

g. My sister ___studies_________________ (study) very hard for her exams.

h. Where ____does your father________________ (your father / work)?

i. The bus ___doesn’t stop_________________ (not / stop) at this station.

j. How often __do they go__________________ (they / go) to the gym?

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9. Ask for the underlined part of the sentence.

a. Danny goes to school from Monday to Friday.

When does Danny go to school?

b. The children like cats because they are nice.

Why do the children like cats?

c. Jenny is never late.

Who is never late?

d. My parents live in London.

Where do your parents live?

e. Sarah drinks coffee in the morning.

What does Sarah drink in the morning?

f. Tom speaks three languages.

How many languages does Tom speak?

g. David and Emily go to the gym twice a week.

How often do David and Emily go to the gym?

h. Emma works in a hospital.

Where does Emma work?

Tense: the present continuous

1. Take a look at the following sentences. Place them under the
correct use.
1. Someone is knocking on the door at the moment.
2. More and more people are using electric cars.
3. She is talking on the phone right now.
4. The population is growing quickly.

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5. Temperatures are rising and the Earth is getting
warmer.
6. The sun is shining today.
7. I am travelling abroad next year.
8. I am telephoning my best friend now.
9. I feel that things are getting better.

The present continuous is used for:

Actions going on now Changing situations

1, 3, 6, 8 2, 4, 5, 7, 9

2. Mark the time indicators in the sentences. List them below.

Time indicators – present continuous

At the moment
Right now
Today
Next year
Now

3. How to form the present continuous?

Positive (+)
1 p. singular (= )
st
I am talking.
2nd p. singular (= ) You are talking.
3 p. singular (=
rd
) He/she is talking.
1 p. plural (=
st
) We are talking.
2 p. plural (=
nd
) You are talking.
3 p. plural (=
rd
) They are talking.
Rule: Subject + ‘to be’ in present simple + verb
in -ing form
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 Negative (-)
1 p. singular
st
I am not talking.
2nd p. singular You are not talking.
3rd p. singular He/she is not talking.
1st p. plural We are not talking.
2nd p. plural You are not talking.
3rd p. plural They are not talking.
Rule: Subject + negative form of ‘to be’ + verb
in -ing form

Question (?)
1 p. singular
st
Am I talking?
2nd p. singular Are you talking?
3rd p. singular Is he/she talking?
1st p. plural Are we talking?
2nd p. plural Are you talking?
3rd p. plural Are they talking?
Rule: ‘To be’ + subject + verb in -ing form

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4. How to ask questions using the present continuous ?

Question Answer
1. Yes-no question Short answer Short answer
(positive) (negative)
 Am I asking for help? Yes, you are. No, you aren’t.
 Is it raining? Yes, it is. No, it isn’t.
 Are we leaving soon? Yes, we are. No, we aren’t
 ……………………………………………………………………………
……………….
 ……………………………………………………………………………
……………….

Rule: To be + subject + verb in -ing form + rest of the sentence + ?

2. WH-question (what, where, when, why, how )
 What am I doing? You are dreaming.
 Who are we meeting? We are meeting the new neighbours.
 ……………………………………………………………………………
……………….
 ……………………………………………………………………………
……………….

Rule: WH-word + to be + subject + verb in -ing form + rest of the sentence + ?

3. Asking for the subject (= who + what )
 Who is doing it? Sam is.
 What is going on? The boys are fighting.
 ……………………………………………………………………………
……………….

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Rule: Who/What + is + verb in -ing form + rest of the sentence + ?

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5. Spelling rules

Examples Rules

work – working General rule: + -ing

talk – talking

take – taking Verbs ending in -e:

dance – dancing Drop ‘e’ + -ing
bake – baking

run – running One-syllable verbs ending

in a consonant and a
swim – swimming
vowel:
sit – sitting
Double the consonant + -
ing

die – dying Verbs ending in -ie:

lie – lying Change ie to y + -ing

Two-syllable verbs ending

travel – travelling in a vowel and consonant:
cancel – cancelling
Double the consonant + -
ing
6. Fill in the correct form of the present continuous.

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 1. She (read) a book right now. is reading
2. They (play) football in the park. are playing
3. I (watch) a movie at the moment. am watching
4. We (have) lunch together. are having
5. He (write) an email to his friend. is writing
6. The children (draw) pictures in their notebooks. are drawing
7. I (see) my doctor this afternoon. am seeing
8. You (study) for your exam, aren’t you? are studying
9. Look! The birds (fly) in the sky. are flying
10. The soup (taste) delicious!. is tasting

7. Make sentences using the present continuous.

1. (I / study at the moment)

___________________________________________________________

2. (I / not / sleep)

___________________________________________________________

3. (you / play badminton tonight)

___________________________________________________________

4. (we / watch TV)

___________________________________________________________

5. (she / not / work in Spain)

___________________________________________________________

6. (he / not / wait for the bus)

___________________________________________________________

7. (they / read)

___________________________________________________________

8. (we / not / go to the cinema tonight)

___________________________________________________________

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9. (you / not / read the newspaper)

___________________________________________________________

10. (she / eat chocolate)

___________________________________________________________

11. (we / study French)

___________________________________________________________

12. (he / work in a restaurant now)

___________________________________________________________

13. (she / play the guitar)

___________________________________________________________

14. (he / walk to school now)

___________________________________________________________

Summary
Time indicators
Choose the correct time indicators for the present simple and the
present continuous.

next year – now – usually – at the moment – every day – every evening –
normally – every Sunday – right now – every weekend – tonight – later –
this weekend

Present simple Present continuous

usually, every day, every evening, next year, now, at the moment,
normally, every Sunday, every right now, tonight, later, this
weekend weekend

Present simple vs present continuous

1. Fill in the correct form of the verb. Choose between the present simple
and the present continuous. Highlight time indicators.

Sentences Verb in present simple or

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 present continuous
1. (you / come) tonight? Are you coming

2. (he / eat) rice every day? Does he eat

3. I (work) at the moment. I am working

4. (he / come) to London often? Does he come

5. He (play) tennis now. He is playing

6. (you / come) to the cinema later? Are you coming

7. They (not / come) to the party They are not coming

tomorrow.

8. He (not / play) golf now. He is not playing

9. (you / play) tennis this Sunday? Are you playing

10. They (go) to a restaurant every They go

Saturday.

11. She (not / go) to the cinema very She does not go / doesn’t go

often.

12. You usually (arrive) late. You arrive

13. He normally (eat) dinner at home. He eats

14. (you / study) every night? Do you study

15. (they / work) late usually? Do they work

16. You (not / go) out later. You are not going out

17. I (not / work) tonight. I am not working

18. (she / work) at the moment? Is she working

19. I (not / drink) coffee very often. I don’t drink

20. Julie (sleep) now. Julie is sleeping

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2. Complete the text about the lives of the Petersons with the correct
forms of the verbs. Choose between the present continuous and the
present simple. Highlight time indicators.

The Petersons (to live) (1) in Castle Combe. Mr Peterson (to

be) (2) an office clerk. He (to work) (3) in Swindon. He (to
go) (4) there by car every day. He always (to leave) (5)
home at 8.15. Mrs Peterson (to teach) (6) History in a
school nearby. Mr and Mrs Peterson (to have got) (7) three
children: Emma, Thomas and Mason.

The Petersons usually (to spend) (8) their weekends at

home. It’s Sunday afternoon now. Let’s see what they (to do) (9).

On weekdays, Mr Peterson never (to help) (10) around the house, but now
he (to iron) (11) the children’s clothes while he (to listen) (12) to his
favourite radio programme. During the week, Mrs Peterson (often, not to
have) (13) the time to relax, but now – to Mr Peterson’s surprise – she (to
lie) (14) on the sofa reading a magazine, instead of (to plan) (15)
schoolwork.

Emma (to work) (16) in a pub. But for how long? She (always, to serve)
(17) customers the wrong drinks! Thomas and Mason (to lie) (18) on the
carpet in their bedroom and (to play) (19) computer games. All of them
(not to think) (20) about the week to come.

1 live 11 is ironing
2 is 12 is listening
3 works 13 often doesn’t have
4 goes 14 is lying
5 leaves 15 planning
6 teaches 16 works

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7 have got 17 always serves
8 spend 18 are lying
9 are doing 19 playing
10 helps 20 are not thinking

 Complete the missing information in the email Olivia sent to

Jessica.
 Write questions to complete the missing information.

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  Pair up with your neighbour and ask each other the questions you
wrote down. Compare your answers.

Jessica

Holiday!!!

Hi Jessica,
Greetings from Naples, Italy! At the moment, I’m sitting (1)
_________________________________________ , drinking coffee and
eating (2) _________________________________________ . I often come
here for lunch. It’s a nice place to relax and watch people. Right
now, two fishermen are casting out their nets and a boy is (3)
_________________________________________ .
We wake up at (4) _________________________________________ and
start work at 9 o’clock. We work in a (5)
_________________________________________ . I like where we work
because I get to meet a lot of new people. At the moment, were
are staying in (6) _________________________________________ . Every
afternoon, we travel around and (7)
______________________________________. In the evening, we usually
go for a walk along the seafront. Then, we go to (8)
________________________________________ . We like it here very
much.
Henry can’t stop taking pictures! At the moment, he’s looking for
(9) _________________________________________ . He wants to buy a
new lens for his camera.
We are going to (10) _________________________________________ in a
few days, but we want to come back again next year. You should
come with us. You would like it here because (11)
____________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_____.

Your questions

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1. Where are you sitting at the moment?

2. What are you eating at the moment?

3. What is that boy doing?

4. When do you wake up? At what time do you wake up?

5. Where do you work?

6. Where are you staying?

7. What do you do every afternoon?

8. What do you do in the evening? What do you do after walking along the
seafront?

9. What is Henry looking for at the moment?

10. Where are you going to in a few days?

11. Why would I like it there?

Reading
Read the text and answer the questions.

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Vocab list: to embark: aan boord gaan
Jonathan's
punctual: op tijd to retire: op pensioen gaan luxury liner: luxe schip
Last Day
marmalade: confituur a siesta: een rustmoment harbour: haven
Jonathan is a famous
baker. He's hard-
1. Answer true
working andor false to each statement about the text.
punctual. He always
TRUE FALSE
gets up at three
1. Many people know Jonathan’s Bakery. x
o'clock every night
2. Jonathan has breakfast before he bakes his x
and bakes his
products.
products. Then, he
3. Today, he’s wearing the same clothes just like x
has his breakfast
every day.
with his wife and
4. At the moment he’s sleeping. x
opens his bakery. He
5. He’s leaving the town with his wife tonight. x
usually has his
favourite pear
2. Answer the questions.
marmalade for Form full sentences.

breakfast.
1. What He has
time does Jonathan wake up?
many customers till
_He wakes up at three o’clock every night.
afternoon. At noon,
__________________________________________________________
he has lunch at
2. What
home.does
Afterhe have for breakfast?
lunch,
he usually
_He leaves the
hasbakery
his favourite pear marmalade for breakfast.
to his son and sleeps
__________________________________________________________
about two hours. He
3. What does he do after his siesta?
returns to the shop
_Heand chatstowith
returns the his
shop and chats with his favourite customers.
favourite customers.
__________________________________________________________
He’s been the only
4. Where is he going to be next week?
baker in the town for
___He is going
quite a longto Hawaii with his wife.
time,
________________________________________________________
and now he has
many friends who
shop at his bakery. 19
This has been the
same routine for
5. What is he doing after lunch?

__He is having a cup of espresso with his best friend.

_________________________________________________________

6. How often does the Luxury Liners company send a liner?

__They send a liner every Sunday.

_________________________________________________________

7. Where is the tonight’s liner leaving?

__The tonight’s liner is leaving the harbour.

_________________________________________________________

Ask two more questions about the text and form an answer.

8.

Answer:

9.

Answer:

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