LESSON 5

Simple Present Present Progressive

infinitive form of 'be' and verb + ing

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

I speak I am speaking
you speak you are speaking
he / she / it speaks he / she / it is speaking
we speak we are speaking
they speak they are speaking

Exceptions

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

 For can, may, might, must, do not add s.  Silent e is dropped. (but: does not apply for -ee)

Example: he can, she may, it must Example: come - coming

but: agree - agreeing
 After o, ch, sh or s, add es.

Example: do - he does, wash - she  After a short, stressed vowel, the final

washes consonant is doubled.

Example: sit - sitting

 After a consonant, the final
consonant y becomes ie. (but: not after a  After a vowel, the final consonant l is doubled in
vowel) British English (but not in American English).

Example: worry - he worries Example: travel - travelling (British English)

but: play - he plays but: traveling (American English)

 Final ie becomes y.

Example: lie - lying

Simple Present Present Progressive

in general (regularly, often, never) right now

 Colin plays football every Tuesday. Look! Colin is playing football now.

present actions happening one after also for several actions happening at the same time
another
Colin is playing football and Anne is watching.
First Colin plays football, then he
watches TV.

Signal words

 Always  at the moment

 every ...  at this moment
 often  today
 normally  now
 usually  right now
 sometimes  Listen!
 seldom  Look!
 never
 first
 then

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

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

Simple Present Present Progressive

arrangement for the near future

action set by a timetable or schedule
I am going to the cinema tonight.
The film starts at 8 pm.

Present Progressive
Simple Present

only for a limited period of time (does not have to happen

daily routine directly at the moment of speaking)
Jenny is working in a restaurant this week.
Bob works in a restaurant.

EXERCISES
l. Alegeți forma corectă a verbului:
1. I am only working / work there for a few weeks because I
want to continue my studies.
2. If you are not feeling / don’t feel well, why don’t you go
home?
3. We are thinking / think of buying a house.
4. What do you say / are you ? Is it a good idea?
5. He smokes / is smoking too much.
6. This child is / is being surprisingly quiet.
7. I am washing up / wash up because my wife is tired.
8. The milk tastes / is tasting sour, don’t you think?
9. He sees / is seeing a new girl.
10. The boss appears / is appearing to be nice enough.

ll.Puneți verbele din paranteză la timpul potrivit:

1. I can’t help you now. I ( write ) an important report.
2. They always ( spend ) a week in the mountains.
3. He ( do ) all the housework while his wife is away.
4. Water ( freeze ) at 0 ﬞ C.
5. They ( want ) to express their sympathy.
6. An elephant never ( forget ) being treated badly.
7. They ( make ) an important experiment.
8. Scientists ( bring ) great contributions to the
development of computer technology.
9. This is how you ( make ) a cake : first you ( take ) some
eggs and ( break ) them.
10. Listen ! He ( speak ) about the new budget.

lll. Completați propozițiile cu forma corectă a verbului la

timpul prezent:
1. LISTEN
A) He never ... to what his parents say.
B) Speak up ! I ...
2. SEE
A) I have to wear glasses, I ... not ... at a distance.
B) My brother ... that a new girl.
3. WALK
A) He walk ... home today, his car is being used by his wife.
B) She often ... the long distance to her mother’ s house.
4. LOOK
A) You ... exhausted, what have you been doing?
B) Ladies and gentleman, you ... at a great painting!
5. THINK
A) My friend ... of leaving the company.
B) She ... she is not paid well enough.
7. HAVE
A) The weather is wonderful, they ... breakfast in the
garden.
B) The government ... many problems to solve.
8. BOIL
A) Put the spaghetti in, the water ....
B) Water ... 100ﬞ C.
9. DO
A) This new book is great. It ... justice to the writer’s name.
B) He ... me a great favour by helping with this project.
10. MAKE
A) The children ... cakes, it’s great fun.
B) Ten people ... up the committee.
Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below
with the appropriate tenses.

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)  . !!! Am

rămas

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

Present Simple or Progressive - Exercise 2

1. It's seven o'clock and they   to school now. (go)

2. Mrs Cooper   in the restaurant every Sunday. (eat)

3. Our cat never   on the kitchen table. (jump)

4. Look! The men   blue uniforms. (wear)

5. Curt always   his guitar in the afternoon. (play)

6. The taxi   for them at the moment. (wait)

7. He always   his grandmother in the coat. (help)

8. They never   very much. (eat)

9. Listen! Bill   his electric guitar. (play)

10. He   his car every Sunday. (wash)

11. The alarm   at seven o'clock every morning. (ring)

12. They always   their aunt a tree for Christmas.

(bring)

13. She   a red pullover and black jeans today. (wear)

14. The boys   snowballs at the girls now. (throw)

15. Mr Black   into the classroom at the moment. (walk)