Present simple and present continuous

PRESENT SIMPLE AND PRESENT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT

SIMPLE CONTINUOUS

v habits, routines, hobbies v action going on now/unfinished

actions
v facts v talk about something that is
happening around now

v characteristics v temporary situations/habits

à permanent à temporary

PRESENT SIMPLE

!! bare infinitive = infinitive without ‘to’

AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCES

• On Sundays I play football.

• He works hard.

I + bare infinitive +

you + bare infinitive +

he / she / it + bare infinitive + *

we + bare infinitive +

you + bare infinitive +

they + bare infinitive +

* bare infinitive ends in -s, -z, -sh, -ch or -x he / she / it à bare infinitive + _____

* to do / to go he / she / it à bare infinitive + _____

* bare infinitive ends in consonant + y he / she / it à bare infinitive – _____

+ ____

1
 Present simple and present continuous

NEGATIVE SENTENCES

• I don’t like Monday.

• She doesn’t have many friends.

I + + bare infinitive

you + + bare infinitive

he / she / it + + bare infinitive

we + + bare infinitive

you + + bare infinitive

they + + bare infinitive

QUESTIONS

‘NORMAL’ è USE DO!

• Do you like tennis?

• Does an elephant have a long tail?

+ I + bare infinitive

+ you + bare infinitive

+ he / she / it + bare infinitive

+ we + bare infinitive

+ you + bare infinitive

+ they + bare infinitive

TO BE + HAVE GOT + CAN + SHOULD è DON’T USE DO!

• Are you happy?

• Have you got a sister?

• Can they run a marathon?

• Should I stop talking?

2
 Present simple and present continuous

TO BE

+ I

+ you

+ he / she / it

+ we

+ you

+ they

HAVE GOT
+ I +

+ you +

+ he / she / it +

+ we +

+ you +

+ they +

CAN
+ I

+ you

+ he / she / it

+ we

+ you

+ they

SHOULD
+ I

+ you

+ he / she / it

+ we

+ you

+ they

3
 Present simple and present continuous

QUESTION WORD QUESTIONS

è FOLLOW THE SAME RULES AND JUST ADD THE QUESTION WORD TO THE
BEGINNING OF THE SENTENCE

• Where do you live?

• Why does she like to dance?
• How can I fix this?
• What does he want?
• …

è EXCEPTION: SUBJECT QUESTIONS è DON’T USE DO!

In some questions, WHO or WHAT is the subject of the verb.

• Who lives in London?

• What causes cancer?

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCES

• I am eating a salad right now.

• She is studying in her room.

I + + ing-form

you + + ing-form

he / she / it + + ing-form

we + + ing-form

you + + ing-form

they + + ing-form

à personal pronoun + to be + ing-form

4
 Present simple and present continuous

NEGATIVE SENTENCES

• I’m not eating enough.

• We aren’t talking about you.

I + + ing-form

you + + ing-form

he / she / it + + ing-form

we + + ing-form

you + + ing-form

they + + ing-form

QUESTIONS

• Is she reading a book?

• Are they running?

+ I + ing-form

+ you + ing-form

+ he / she / it + ing-form

+ we + ing-form

+ you + ing-form

+ they + ing-form

QUESTION WORD QUESTIONS

è FOLLOW THE SAME RULES AND JUST ADD THE QUESTION WORD TO THE
BEGINNING OF THE SENTENCE

• Where are you going?

• Why is she laughing?
• How are you doing?
• What are they making?
• …

5
 Present simple and present continuous

EXERCISES

PRESENT SIMPLE – EXERCISE 1

1. My sister ___________________ (love) horses.

2. My cat always ___________________ (catch) mice.

3. I ___________________ (be) at home.

4. He ___________________ (ride) his bike every day.

5. My niece ___________________ (cry) when she is sad.

6. Ferdinand ___________________ (be) my best friend.

7. My father often ___________________ (go) abroad for work.

8. My grandmother ___________________ (fix) everything.

PRESENT SIMPLE - EXERCISE 2

1. Michelle ___________________ (not read) magazines.

2. I ___________________ (not like) dogs.

3. Brian ___________________ (not wear) a wedding ring.

4. They ___________________ (not know) my phone number.

5. John ___________________ (not live) near to us.

6. He ___________________ (not do) the same thing every day.

7. We ___________________ (not work) very hard.

8. I ___________________ (not read) the newspaper every day.

PRESENT SIMPLE - EXERCISE 3

1. Where ___________________ Angela and Rita ___________________ (live)?

2. ___________________ Jack ___________________ (play) football?

3. What ___________________ Angela ___________________ (do)?

4. Who ___________________ (live) in Berlin?

5. ___________________ (can) you open the door?

6. Where ___________________ (be) your school?

7. ___________________ (should) I go there?

8. How ___________________ you ___________________ (feel)?

9. ___________________ Anne ___________________ (listen) to music?

6
 Present simple and present continuous

PRESENT CONTINUOUS - EXERCISE 1

1. You ___________________ (use) my mobile phone!

2. The sun ___________________ (shine) today.

3. My dad ___________________ (wash) his car.

4. The students ___________________ (have) lunch.

5. We ___________________ (play) badminton tonight.

6. My students ___________________ always ___________________ (talk).

7. He ___________________ (work) in a restaurant now.

8. She ___________________ (play) the guitar today.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS - EXERCISE 2

1. She ___________________ (not drink) tea now.

2. It ___________________ (not rain) today.

3. He ___________________ (not work) in Spain.

4. She ___________________ (not sleep) now.

5. Tommy ___________________ (not wait) for the bus.

6. I ___________________ (not meet) my father at four.

7. Anne and Carl ___________________ (not leave) now.

8. You ___________________ (not read) the newspaper.

7
 Present simple and present continuous

PRESENT CONTINUOUS - EXERCISE 3

1. What ___________________ I ___________________ (eat)?

2. ___________________ she ___________________ (sleep)?

3. ___________________ we ___________________ (leave)?

4. Why ___________________ they ___________________ (fight)?

5. What ___________________ you ___________________ (do)?

6. ___________________ the students ___________________ (study)?

7. When ___________________ she ___________________ (arrive)?

8. Where ___________________ Ellen ___________________ (go)?

9. ___________________ the animal ___________________ (sleep)?

10. What ___________________ I ___________________ (do)?

QUESTION WORDS

1. ___________________ are you going tomorrow? I’m going to England tomorrow.

2. ___________________ would you like to have for dessert? I’d like to have an ice

cream.

3. ___________________ do you go there? I go there because it is fun?

4. ___________________ do you feel today? I feel fine today.

5. ___________________ time do you leave? I leave at 9 a.m..

6. ___________________ goes to swimming practice on Wednesdays? Jimmy goes

to swimming practice on Wednesdays.

7. ___________________ don’t you see a doctor? I don’t see a doctor because I’m

scared.

8. ___________________ do you like best? I like Cathy best.

9. ___________________ old is Mike? Mike is 14 years old.

10. ___________________ is Susan’s birthday? Susan’s birthday is in December.

8
 Present simple and present continuous

QUESTIONS – PRESENT SIMPLE

1. What ___________________ I ___________________ (do)?

2. Where ___________________ John ___________________ (come) from?

3. How long ___________________ it ___________________ (take) from London

to Paris?

4. How often ___________________ they ___________________ (go) to the

cinema?

5. How many children ___________________ your sister ___________________

(have)?

6. When ___________________ you ___________________ (get up)?

7. What time ___________________ the film ___________________ (start)?

8. Where ___________________ you ___________________ (play) tennis?

QUESTIONS – PRESENT SIMPLE

1. the cat / to be / home / why / all day

_________________________________________________________________

2. can / we / football / where / to play

_________________________________________________________________

3. you / to be / where / from

_________________________________________________________________

4. me / why / to play / can’t / she / with

_________________________________________________________________

5. your teacher / to have got / in / a computer / why / her bathroom

_________________________________________________________________

9
 Present simple and present continuous

QUESTIONS – PRESENT CONTINUOUS

1. Peter / to go / to the cinema

_________________________________________________________________

2. they / to play / a game

_________________________________________________________________

3. she / to listen /to the radio

_________________________________________________________________

4. I / to dream
_________________________________________________________________

5. they / to pack / their bags

_________________________________________________________________

6. you / to do / the washing-up

_________________________________________________________________

7. we / to talk / too fast

_________________________________________________________________

8. they / to clean / the windows

_________________________________________________________________

9. she / to watch / the news

_________________________________________________________________

10. you / to pull / my leg

_________________________________________________________________

ADVANCED:

Turn these positive sentences into negative sentences in the present continuous
first. Then make yes or no questions using the same tense. Lastly, ask question
word questions to the underlined parts.
1. We are moving to a bigger office in London.
Negative:
________________________________________________________________
Yes/no:
________________________________________________________________

10
 Present simple and present continuous

Question word:
________________________________________________________________

2. Sean is doing his presentation at the moment.

Negative:
________________________________________________________________
Yes/no:
________________________________________________________________
Question word:
________________________________________________________________

3. The children are watching TV.

Negative:
________________________________________________________________
Yes/no:
________________________________________________________________
Question word:
________________________________________________________________

4. I am washing my car.
Negative:
________________________________________________________________
Yes/no:
________________________________________________________________
Question word:
________________________________________________________________

5. You are talking to the neighbours.

Negative:
________________________________________________________________
Yes/no:
________________________________________________________________
Question word:
________________________________________________________________

6. Brando is becoming a doctor.

Negative:
________________________________________________________________

11
 Present simple and present continuous

Yes/no:
________________________________________________________________

Question word:
________________________________________________________________

7. You’re taking your brothers with you.

Negative:
________________________________________________________________
Yes/no:
________________________________________________________________
Question word:
________________________________________________________________

8. The dog is playing with the kids.

Negative:
________________________________________________________________
Yes/no:
________________________________________________________________
Question word:
________________________________________________________________

9. They are coming tonight.

Negative:
________________________________________________________________
Yes/no:
________________________________________________________________
Question word:
________________________________________________________________

10. He is learning piano.

Negative:
________________________________________________________________
Yes/no:
________________________________________________________________
Question word:
________________________________________________________________

12