PRESENT TENSESPRESENT SIMPLE

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT PERFECT and PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT SIMPLE

1. FORM:+ [verb] + s/es (3rd person singular)

You speak English.

- don't / doesn't + [verb]

You don't speak English.

? do / does + [verb]

Do you speak English?

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PRESENT SIMPLE

2. USE:• Repeated actions

• I play tennis.• She always forgets her purse.

• Fact or generalizations• Cats like milk.• California is not in the United Kingdom.

• Scheduled events in the near future (timetables) • The train leaves tonight at 6PM. • The party starts at 8 o'clock.

• Actions in progress at the moment (non-continuous verbs)• I am here now.• He has his passport in his hand.

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PRESENT SIMPLE

3. SPELLING OF THE HE / SHE / IT FORM:• Most verbs just add –s to the base form of the verb

• wants, eats, helps, ect.

• Add –ed to verbs that end in –ss, –sh, –ch, –x, and –o.

• kisses, washes, watches, fixes, goes, etc.

• Verbs that end in a consonant and –y change the y to –ies

• carries, flies, worries, tries, etc.

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PRESENT SIMPLE

4. ADVERBS OF FREQUENCYWe often use adverbs of frequency with Present Simple. They go before the main verb, but after the verb be. Sometimes and usually can also be used at the beginning of the end of a sentence.

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never rarely hardly ever not often sometimes often usually always

School usually starts at 7.30 AM.

We‘re rarely home at the weekend.

Sometimes we play cards.

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PRESENT CONTINUOUS

1. FORM:am / is / are + (not) + present participle (–ing form)

+ You are watching TV.

- You aren‘t watching TV.

? Are you watching TV.

! Some verbs cannot be used in any Continuous Tense (e. g. abstract

verbs, possession verbs, emotion verbs)

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PRESENT CONTINUOUS

2. USE:• Actions in progress at this moment

• You are learning English (now).• I am sitting.

• Longer actions in progress now• I am studying to become a doctor.• I am reading Tom Sawyer.

• Near future• I am meeting some friends after school.• I am not going to the party tonight.

• When used with „always“, expressed repetition and irritation• She is always coming to class late.• He is constantly talking.

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PRESENT PERFECT

1. FORMhas / have + (not) + past participle

+ You have seen that movie many times.

- You haven't seen that movie many times.

? Have you seen that movie many times?

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PRESENT PERFECT

2. USE• Unspecified time before now

• I have been to France.

• Man has walked on the Moon.

• Duration from the past until now (non-continuous verbs)

• I have had a cold for two weeks.

• She has been in England for six months.

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PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS1. FORM

has / have + (not) + been + present participle

+ You have been waiting here for two hours.

- You haven't been waiting here for two hours.

? Have you been waiting here for two hours.

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PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS2. USE

• Duration from the past until now

• They have been talking for the last hour.

• James has been teaching at the university since June.

• Recently, lately

• Recently, I have been feeling very tired.

• She has been watching too much TV lately.

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ACTIVE / PASSIVE

Active voice:

The professor teaches the students.subject verb object

doing action receiving action

Passive voice:

The students are taught by the professor.subject verb

receiving action doing action

Passive voice is used, when the thing or person doing the action is unknown or unimportant, so it is often omitted.

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PASSIVE VOICE FORM

Present Simple: AM / IS / ARE + PAST PARTICIPLE

Most workers are paid monthly.

Is service included in the bill?

Present Continuous: AM / IS / ARE BEING + PRESENT PARTICIPLE

This road is being widened.

Are you being served?

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Exercise

1. Every Monday, Sally ___________(drive) her kids to football practice.

2. Usually, I ___________(work) as a secretary at ABT, but this summer I ___________(study) French at a language school in Paris. That is why I am in Paris.

3. Shhhhh! Be quiet! John ___________(sleep) .

4. Don't forget to take your umbrella. It ___________(rain) .

5. I hate living in Seattle because it ___________(rain, always) .

6. I'm sorry I can't hear what you ___________(say) because everybody ___________(talk) so loudly.

7. Justin ___________(write, currently) a book about his adventures in Tibet. I hope he can find a good publisher when he is finished.

8. Jim: Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?Denise: Oh, I'm sorry, I can't. I ___________(go) to a movie tonight with some friends.

9. The business cards ___________(be, normally ) printed by a company in New York. Their prices ___________(be) inexpensive, yet the quality of their work is quite good.

10. This delicious chocolate ___________(be) made by a small chocolatier in Zurich, Switzerland.

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Exercise

Robin: I think the waiter ___________(forget) us. We ___________(wait) here for over half an hour and nobody ___________(take) our order yet.

Michele: I think you're right. He ___________(walk) by us at least twenty times. He probably thinks we ___________(order, already) .

Robin: Look at that couple over there, they ___________(be, only) here for five or ten minutes and they already have their food.

Michele: He must realize we ___________(order, not) yet! We ___________(sit) here for over half an hour staring at him.

Robin: I don't know if he ___________(notice, even) us. He ___________(run) from table to table taking orders and serving food.

Michele: That's true, and he ___________(look, not) in our direction once.

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Answers

1. drives

2. work, am studying

3. is sleeping

4. is raining

5. always rains

6. are saying, is talking

7. is currently writing

8. am going

9. are normally, can

10. are

1. has forgotten

2. have been waiting

3. has taken

4. has walked

5. have already ordered

6. have only been

7. haven't ordered

8. have been sitting

9. has even noticed

10. has been running

11. hasn't looked

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