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PRESENT TENSES

Updated: Nov 3, 2022

PRESENT SIMPLE

FORM:

Affirmative sentence: subject + verb

!!! in the 3rd person singular - he/she/ it + verb -s/-es/-ies!!!

I usually work from 9 to 5 o’clock.

My husband is always busy.

She works at Tesla.

He teaches at uni.

She never watches the news.

He carries his laptop in a leather bag. (carry --> carries)


Negative sentence: I / you / we / they + do not (don’t) + verb

He / she / it + does not (doesn’t) + verb

I don’t like to watch horrors.

She doesn’t need our help.

Martin and Marketa don’t get on well.


Questions:

1) YES/ NO: Do + I / you / we / they + verb …?

Does + He / she / it + verb …?

Do you go to school?

Does she eat vegetables?

Do we need to book the tickets in advance?

2) WH/HOW: WH/HOW + I / you / we / they + verb …?

WH/HOW + Does + He / she / it + verb …?

Where do they study?

Which ice cream do you prefer?

How does she go to the office?

What does it mean?


  • Adverbs of frequency: never, rarely, occasionally, sometimes, usually, often, always

If you use these adverbs, be careful about their position in a sentence. The position depends on the verbs.


After the verb ‘BE’: I am usually very tired. She is often furious.

Before all other verbs: I usually spend time on my own.

In negative before the main verb: She doesn’t often speak with people.

The traditionally, neuter position for the adverbs is in the sentence. Some of these adverbs can be used outside the sentence, but it is usually for emphasizing.

Every day he comes home late.

He comes home late every day. (a neutral position for the adverbial phrase ‘every day’ is at the end)


Other adverbials if used at the beginning have some special word order. It is for example the adverbial ‘never’ after which inversion is applied.

Never do I smoke.

Never does she ask for my permission to borrow a car.

Other adverbs: rarely, seldom,


USE


TASKS


Task 1: Say what you do:

every day

every morning at 7:30

usually

never

sometimes


Task 2: Describe your daily routine.


Task 3: Practice correct verb forms with Bruno Mars's song Just the Way You Are: https://www.eslsongs.com/bruno-mars-just-the-way-you-are/




PRESENT CONTINUOUS

FORM:

Affirmative sentence: I + am + verb -ing

You / we / they + are + verb -ing

He / she / it + is + verb -ing

I am listening to an interesting podcast on Spotify now.

She is sleeping at the moment.

They are discussing the holiday.


Negative: subject + am / is / are + not + verb – ing

I am not listening to anything now.

She is not sleeping at the moment.

They are not discussing the holiday.


Questions:


1) YES/ NO: Am + I + verb -ing …?

Are + you / we / they + verb -ing …?

Is + He / she / it + verb -ing …?

Are you going to school?

Is she eating the vegetables?

Are they booking the tickets now?

2) WH/HOW: WH/HOW +am + I + verb -ing …?

WH/HOW + is + he / she / it + verb-ing …?

WH/HOW + you / we / they + verb-ing …?

Where are they studying?

What is she doing?

How are you feeling after being fired?

What am I thinking?


USE:

  • For activities happening now or around now

  • To talk about trends and changes

  • Used with dynamic verbs

  • Some verbs (stative) cannot be used in present continuous because they express states and not actions

  • Adverbials: now, right now, at the moment, currently…



TASKS:


1) DESCRIBE A PICTURE: For describing pictures, we use present continuous except for stative verbs. Try to practice the tense and say what is happening in the picture below. You can write the sentences or just say them out loud. For correction, you can record yourself.

2) WHAT ARE YOU DOING RIGHT NOW?

Say short sentences about what you are doing at the moment. For example: I am reading a newspaper. I am thinking about the story. I am drinking coffee and eating a sandwich.



Grammatical exercises:

Present simple only:


Present continuous only:


Mix:






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