PRESENT SIMPLE & PRESENT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT SIMPLE

As you already know, we use the ​present simple ​for:

● Regular actions, routines or habits​ (things that you do every day, week,
year).

I always have breakfast at 7 am.

● True facts ​(things that are always true).

The sun rises in the east.

● Descriptions of states​, and not actions, through ​state verbs (​think​, ​believe​,
know​, ​like​, ​hate​, ​want​, ​need​, ​prefer​, ​smell​, ​taste​, ​hear​, ​see​…).

It smells of roses.

I
You speak

He / She / It speak​s
​English and French.
  We
You speak
They

I
don’t have
You

He / She / It do​es​n’t have ​much money.

We
You don’t have
They

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 I
Do
you

Do​es he / she / it
like going to the cinema?
we
Do you
they

Don’t forget to add the ​-s for 3​rd person singular. Do you remember the
spelling rules to do that?

general rule look → look​s add -​s

stu​dy​ → stud​ies
verbs ending in ​consonant ​+ y y​ and add ​-ies
f​ly​ → fl​ies
tea​ch​ → teach​es
verbs ending in ​-​sh​, -​ch​, -​s​, -​o​, -​x add -​es
g​o​ → go​es

ADVERBS AND EXPRESSIONS OF FREQUENCY

W​e often use the present simple with ​adverbs of frequency (​usually​, ​always​, ​often​,
sometimes​, ​never​, …).

I ​usually​ play tennis every Monday night.

Adverbs of frequency always go ​before​ ​the main verb, but ​after​ ​the verb ​to be​.

I ​never ​have​ ​coffee at night.

but

She ​is​ ​never ​late.

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Expressions of frequency (​every day​, ​every week​, ​once a week​, ​twice a week​…)
usually go ​at the end of a sentence​.

I have piano lessons ​twice a week​.

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PRESENT CONTINUOUS

And, as you also know, we use the ​present continuous​ for:

● Things that are happening​ ​now​, at or around the time of speaking (the
action is not complete).

I’m writing an essay at the moment.

● Temporary situations​.

​I’m using this car until I can buy a new one.

● Activities in progress​, but not necessarily at the time of speaking.

I’m studying four new subjects this semester, so I’m very busy.

● Complaints ​(things that someone finds strange or annoying). In these cases,

we usually use ​always ​in the sentences.

They are always making noise. They are so noisy!

● Describing pictures​.

In this picture, people are having lunch together.

We form the present continuous with the present simple of the verb ​to be and the
-ing form​ of the main verb. Revise how to form it by looking at these examples:

I am

You are

He / She / It is working ​hard today.

 
We
You are
They

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 I ’m not

You aren’t

He / She / It isn’t listening​.

 
We
You aren’t
They

Am I

Are you

Is he / she / it learning ​English now?

 
we
Are you
they

The most common expressions to indicate that the action is happening now
are: ​at the moment​, ​now ​and ​right now​.

Revise the ​spelling rules ​for​ ​the​ ​-ing​ endings​:

general rule work → work​ing add -​ing

arriv​e​ → arriv​ing
decid​e​ → decid​ing usually remove -​e​ and
verbs ending in -​e
Exception: b​e​ → add ​-ing
b​ei​ ng
verbs ending in p​lan​ → plan​ning double the last
consonant-vowel-consonant consonant before -​ing

verbs ending in
consonant-vowel-consonant​ (​not o​pen​ → open​ing no change, add ​-ing
stressed​ on the final syllable​)