okThe Present Continuous and Present Simple Tenses 

1. Permanent (usual) and Temporary (now, around now) actions.

o We use the Present Continuous tense to speak about things which are happening now or things which are temporary.

I am not working now. I am on holiday.Sally is listening to a new CD.Who are you phoning?

o The Present Simple tense describes usual, repeated and permanent things - for example, always, usually, often, sometimes, never.

I work as an accountant.John doesn't know German.How often do you play tennis?

o Compare how these two tenses are used.

Why are you walking to work? Don't you usually go by bus?I live in Kharkiv, but now I am living in Moscow.Usually we have dinner at 7, but today we are having it at 9.

2. Present Continuous and Present Simple to talk about the future.

o We use the Present Continuous Tense for plans and arrangements.

What are you doing tonight?I'm seeing a very important customer in my office at 4 o'clock.We are going to the see for our holiday.Where are you staying in Vienna?I'm not going anywhere. It is final.

o We use the Present Simple in the conditional clauses afterif, when, as soon as, until etc, and when we talk about timetable, schedules, itineraries etc.

What will you do if you fail your exam?We will wait, until she comes.

My plane takes off at 9.00.The President arrives in Norway on 17 September.What time does your train leave?

 Present Continuous and Simple - Practice 

1. Put the verb in brackets in the correct form, either the Present Simple Tense or the Present Continuous Tense.

I   a very interesting book.

1. Joanne   eight hours a day.-- 8 hours a day is a usual working time! The answer is WORKS.

2. Tonight we   a play at the thereatre.

3. Who   to?

4. I   him very well.

5. What will you do if she   late?

6. My wife   coffee for breakfast. - She usually prefers coffee!!

7. What   for breakfast?

8. Your train   at 17.25 from platform 3.

9. What  ? She's a student. She is a student, this can't be a temporary thing, can it? Answer: What does Josephine do...

Exercise 2. Tell me what are you doing now? What are your plans for tonight? When does your school starts, when do you get home? What are your parents doing for living? What is your family doing right now? What are they doing tonight? What language do you speak? Do you know Italian? Does your parents know any foreign language? Which grade are you? Do you have friends? How many?

I doing my homework made by Kristina. I haven't plans for tonight. I will starting my classmates on 2 March. I will arriving to my home between 4 & 5 p.m. My dad sell kitchen sponges by major. My brothers Felipe and Alvaro are watching T.V, Alexis are playing a PlayStation's game. We will doing nothing. I speak Spanish. Yes, I know Italian, but

am reading

is w orking

are seeing

are you speaking

don't know

comes

is prefering

are you usually having

leaves

does Josephine do

begginer. It's a luck that they're speaking Spanish. I'm on 2nd Grade. No, I haven't real friends... just classmates.

Here are my corrections:

I don't have any plans for tonight. The school startS on March 2nd. (timeline) I usually get home between 4 and 5 p.m. (When you are at school) or I will be getting home sometime between 4 and 5 p.m. (when the school starts). My dad sells kitchen sponges for living. (the use of tense is ok). Alexis IS playing... (Alexis IS singular, right?) We don't have any plans for tonight. HOWEVER, if you do... you say for e.g.: We are going to the cinema tonight. Yes, I speak Italian, but I am a beginner. Jajaja I think what you wanted to say is: My parents can barely speak Spanish. (SPEAK, because this is the fact, permanent fact, they will always know Spanish, right?). I am in my second grade. I don't have any real friends, just my classemates.

Exercise 3. Just go through these links, set your cursos over the word read and listen:

Learning the English alphabet: http://www.languageguide.org/english/alphabet/

Writing: http://www.languageguide.org/english/vocabulary/writing/

Numbers: http://www.languageguide.org/english/numbers/

Ordinal numbers: http://www.languageguide.org/english/ordinal-numbers/

Time and Calendar: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/dictionarysubjects/time.shtml

Thanks for everything… I hope that’s great…

You need to learn well the two Tenses because other Tenses would be difficult to learn for you. Go through the theory again and make the exercises. Send it all back to me to check them.

Form

Simple Present Present Progressive

infinitive

(3rd person singular: infinitive + 's')

I speak

you speak

he / she / it speaks

we speak

they speak

form of 'be' and verb + ing

 

I am speaking

you are speaking

he / she / it is speaking

we are speaking

they are speaking

Exceptions

Exceptions when adding 's' : Exceptions when adding 'ing' :

For can, may, might, must, do not add s.

Example: he can, she may, it must

After o, ch, sh or s, add es.

Example: do - he does, wash - she washes

After a consonant, the final

consonant ybecomes ie. (but: not after a vowel)

Example: worry - he worries

but: play - he plays

Silent e is dropped. (but: does not apply for -ee)

Example: come - coming

but: agree - agreeing

After a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is

doubled.

Example: sit - sitting

After a vowel, the final consonant l is doubled in British

English (but not in American English).

Example: travel - travelling (British English)

but: traveling (American English)

Final ie becomes y.

Example: lie - lying

Use

In general or right now?

Do you want to express that something happens in general or that something is happening right now?

Simple Present Present Progressive

in general (regularly, often, never)

Colin plays football every Tuesday.

present actions happening one after another

First Colin plays football, then he watches TV.

right now

Look! Colin is playing football now.

also for several actions happening at the same time

Colin is playing football and Anne is watching.

Signal words

always

every ...

often

normally

usually

sometimes

at the moment

at this moment

today

now

right now

Listen!

seldom

never

first

then

Look!

Note: The following verbs are usually only used in Simple Present:

be, have, hear, know, like, love, see, smell, think, want

Timetable / Schedule or arrangement?

Do you want to express that something is arranged for the near future? Or do you refer to a time set

by a timetable or schedule?

Simple Present Present Progressive

action set by a timetable or schedule

The film starts at 8 pm.

arrangement for the near future

I am going to the cinema tonight.

Daily routine or just for a limited period of time?

Do you want to talk about a daily routine? Or do you want to emphasis that something is only going

on for a limited (rather short) period of time?

Simple Present Present Progressive

daily routine

Bob works in a restaurant.

only for a limited period of time (does not have to happen directly at the moment of speaking)

Jenny is working in a restaurant this week.

Complete the sentences. Use Simple Present and Present Progressive.

1. Mary and Joe (be)   in a clothes shop at the moment.

2. They (look)   at some jeans. ARE + LOOKING, TO BE +ING = Present Continuous

3. Joe only (have)   one very old pair of jeans. HAS, with HE, SHE, IT or a singular noun

we use HAS, remember it or make a note!!

4. So he (want)   to buy a new pair of jeans now. I want, you want, he wantS, she wantS,

it wantS, we want, you want, they want. Look up the form of Present Simple: he / she / it speaks!!!

are

ARE looking

HAS

w antS

5. Right now, he (try on)   a pair of blue jeans.--> Again, to BE is missing, Present

Continuous is formed: BE+ ING. BE (I am, you are, he is, she is, it is, we are, you are, they are)

6. »These jeans (fit)   very well,« he (say)  .

7. »But they (not suit)   you,« Mary (reply)  . »Try on another pair.«

do not suit you because it's a fact, they will never suit them. Replies because it's introductory clause

before the direct speech ( „Try another pair.“ direct speech)

8. »What (think / you)  ?« he (ask)   Mary, when has tried on another pair.

9. »Great! How much (cost / they)  ?« Note: Es/S is not used with negatives and

questions.

It is my fault actualy, I apologize Claudio, I haven't noticed there isn't information on how to form

negatives and questions for the two Tenses, so here they are:

Present Simple 

affirmative negative question

I/you/we/they I play. I do not play. Do I play?

he/she/it He plays. He does not play. Does he play?

Present Continuous 

affirmative negative question

I I am playing. I am not playing. Am I playing?

he, she, it He is playing. He is not playing. Is he playing?

you, we, they You are playing. You are not playing. Are you playing?

Exercise 11

Complete the sentences. Use Simple Present and Present Progressive.

1. Sue (be)   a student from South Korea. SHE IS

IS trying on

fit says

do not suit you REPLIES

DO you think ask+S

DO they cost

IS

2. She (live)   in Seoul and (study)   medicine. Present Simple because it’s

a daily routine, and studies Y goes to I before -ES/-S.

3. At the moment, however, Sue (live)   in London.

4. She (do)   a six-months practical course in a London hospital. Be+ ING forms

Present continuous!!

5. In five days, Sue (go)   back to South Korea because the next term at

university (start)   in ten days. IS GOING because it’s a persona arrangement for the

near future ( Present Continuous) The second one you have recognized, it’s a timeline or schedule so

Present Simple is used.

Complete the story. Use Simple Present and Present Progressive.

1. Today (be)   Betty's birthday.

2. Betty (love)   birthdays.

3. She (be)   always very excited and (wake up)   very early.--> SHE IS

4. At six o'clock in the morning, Betty (hear)   a noise.--> SHE hearS

5. She (get up)   and (go)   into the sitting room.

6. What (go on)  ? IS go+ING, Present Continuous

7. Look! Betty's cat Carlos (sit)   on the table and he (play)   with Betty's

present. Present continuous because this is happening now!! Note plaYING, Y didn't go into I this

time!

Complete the sentences. Use Simple Present and Present Progressive.

1. James (live)   in a little village.

2. He (be)   in his last year at school. I am, you are, he is, she is, it is, we are, you are,

they are!!

3. After school, James (want)   to become a banker.

4. So this week, he (do)   a practical course in a bank. BE + ING

5. There (be)   a bank in a nearby town, but James (have)   to take the bus to

get there. I have, you have, he HAS, she HAS, it HAS, we have, you have, they have!!!

liveS studiES

is living

IS doing

IS GOING

starts

is

loves

IS w akes up

hear+S

gets up goes

IS going on

IS sitting IS playing

lives

IS

w ants

IS doing

IS, bank is IT HAS

6. The bus (leave)   at 5.30 in the morning and (return)   at 8.15 in the

evening. Both are timelines, Present Simple is used!!

7. James (not / like)   to spend so much time in town before and after work, waiting for the

bus. Present Simple because it's a fact! And: I/you/we/they DO/DO NOT(don't) and He/she/it

DOES/DOES NOT(doesn't)

8. Therefore, this week he (stay)   with his aunt, who (live)   in town.

9. James usually (wear)   jeans and t-shirts, but while he (work)   for the bank

now, he (wear)   a suit and a tie. Present Continuous: BE + ING

I am satisfied Claudio, you are improving! :D Don’t worry, once you learn the basics it will be much easier for you. Keep trying. I want you to analyze all your mistakes, go through the theory one more time, and then do these exercises again:

Complete the sentences. Use Simple Present and Present Progressive.

1. Look! Jenny (go)   to school.

2. She (wear)   a raincoat and wellies and she (carry)   an umbrella.

3. Jenny usually (cycle)   to school, but today she (take)   the bus because

it (rain)  .

4. The bus (leave)   at 7.35 and (arrive)   at Jenny's school at 7.45.

5. The first lesson (begin)   at 8 o'clock.

Complete the sentences. Use Simple Present and Present Progressive.

1. I (be)   very busy today.

2. At noon I (visit)   my friend Tanya.

3. We (want)   to have lunch together.

4. In the afternoon I (play)   squash with Emily.

5. In the evening, I (meet)   Rob.

6. We (go)   to the cinema.

7. The film (start)   at 8 pm.

leaveS returns

DOES NOT like

IS STAYING lives

w ears is w orking

IS w earing

is going

is w earing is carries

cycles takes

is raining

is leaving arrives

begin

am

w ill visit

w ant

am play

am meeting

are going

starts

Please send it back to me in Word Document, so I can write my comments, deal? Good luck!

Ok. I revised my homework time by time. I hope that's great.