PRESENT SIMPLE AND PREZENT CONTINUOUS TENSES

I. Now keep searching for information about your groupmates’ lifestyles following
these stages:

Stage 1 Work in groups. Each student chooses a different topic from the Key Words box.
Think of three questions to ask the group about your topic.

Example: Do you play a musical instrument? (If so, what?)

KEY WORDS

Sport: do (aerobics/gymnastics/judo/yoga),

go (cycling/swimming/jogging),

play (tennis/football/etc.)

Music: favourite singers/groups,

favourite styles (rap/rock/techno/etc.)

play (the piano/violin/guitar/etc.)

Going out: cafés, the cinema, clubs, concerts, fast food bars, an Internet café, the theatre, disco

Television: favourite programmes, TV personalities

Stage 2 Tell the class about some of your results.

Example: In my group two people play a musical instrument.

II. Look at the weekend activities (1-12). What day of the week do you think a nineteen-year-
old student does them? Put them into the table.

1. go swimming 7. get up early

2. study 8. watch a film on TV

3. go to a concert 9. do the washing-up

4. play basketball 10. cook the supper

5. have a big family lunch 11. go to a club

6. get up late 12. take the dog for a walk

 morning afternoon evening/night

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

GRAMMAR FOCUS

PRESENTATION:

 habits or daily routine  plans or changing situations

 facts  temporary actions

PRESENT SIMPLE PRESENT CONTINUOUS

This June I’m not visiting them, because I’m

Every summer I visit my relatives. (that’s
passing my exams. (I plan not to do that, because
what I regularly do)
I know it beforehand I won’t be able to)

Today I’m working extra hours, so don’t wait for

She is a beautiful slender girl.
me at the café.
(it’s a fact which nobody can deny)
(I’m not usually that busy, just today)
 State verbs and action verbs

State verbs

State verbs express states or conditions which are relatively static. They include verbs of
perception, cognition, the senses, emotion and state of being:

Examples of state verbs

appear cost have need seem
believe doubt know owe suppose
belong exist like own suspect
consider fit love prefer understand
consist hate matter remember want
contain hear mean resemble wish

State verbs are not normally used in continuous forms:

I am needing a new phone. I need a new phone.

Who is this bag belonging to? Who does this bag belong to?
They are seeming tired. They seem tired.

Action verbs

Action verbs (also called dynamic verbs) express activities, processes, momentary actions or
physical conditions:

Examples of action verbs

ache dance have knock sing
arrive eat help leave speak
ask fall hit melt talk
call feel hurt read throw
change go itch say travel
cook grow kick shrink watch

They may be used in continuous forms:

Who was he dancing with?

Someone's knocking at the door.
I've been reading this book for weeks.

State verbs in the continuous form

Some state verbs may be used in the continuous form if they refer to a temporary action or an
action in progress at a certain moment, rather than a permanent attitude:

I'm having second thoughts about moving abroad.

Jones is appearing in Hamlet this evening.
You're looking great in those jeans.

There are also state verbs which may be used in the continuous form, but with a different, active
meaning:

Stative meaning Active meaning

Do you have a car? (own)
You are my best friend. (it's a fact)
That soup smells good. (has a good smell)
This milk tastes sour. (has a sour taste)
You look great! (your current appearance)
What do you see? (notice with eyes)
I don't hear well. (pick up with ears)
I expect that you are tired. (assume)
I feel that you are wrong. (think)
This melon weighs 2 kg. (its weight is 2 kg)
They are having dinner at the moment. (eating)
She's being silly again. (behaving in a silly
way)
He is smelling the soup. (sniffing at)
I was just tasting the food. (testing)
He was looking out the window when I saw
him. (directing his eyes towards)
I'm seeing my dentist this afternoon. (visiting)
The judge will be hearing the evidence later
this week. (listening to)
Are you expecting visitors this evening?
(waiting for them to arrive)
How have you been feeling? (asking about
physical state)
He is weighing the melon. (measuring its
weight)

Naturally, we can use the verbs with the active meaning in the simple form, too:

How often do you see your dentist?

They usually have dinner at 6.

But we cannot use the verbs with the stative meaning in the continuous form:

This melon is weighing 2 kilos.

The soup was smelling good.

GRAMMAR PRACTICE

WRITING
1.It’s 9 p.m.. and you’re at home. Write what your father, mother, brother, grandmother, etc.
are doing at the moment and what they usually do at this time every day.

2.Put the below verbs into the Present Simple or Present Progressive tense.

1. I (know) the answer.

2. The child (look) at the TV now.

3. This cake (taste) delicious.

4. My father (not/own) a car.

5. I (wear) a blue sweater today.

6. Jane (seem) a little angry today.

7. People (do) yoga in the park across the street right now.

8. Chan (think) that English is easy.

9. Lily (love) my brother now.

10. My sister (not/talk) on the phone at the moment.

  3. Fill in Verbs That Are Both State &  Action Verbs

1. John (not/work) now. He (look) outside the window of his office.

He can see two people across the street in the park. One is a woman. She

(wear) a dress. She (look) like she is 40 years old. The other is a man. He

(not/have) any hair. He (seem) angry at the woman. Maybe they

(fight). They (not/look) happy.

 2. There are three other people in the park. They (have) a picnic. It looks like

they (have) a good time. One man (taste) a piece of chicken. The

chicken (look) delicious.  The other people (not/eat). They

(play) cards.

4. More Practice with State & Action Verbs

1. John (want) to leave his office, but he can’t. He (belong) to a big

company, and he (have) a lot of work to do today. He shouldn’t be looking

outside the window. He should (think) about his work.

2. His responsibilities for today (include) writing a report. He (care)

about his job. He (not/mind) writing a report, but he (wish) he

was outside right now.

3. John can see his boss. His boss (not/work) either. He (watch) a

video on his computer. He (look) happy. He (laugh) a little. His

boss often (watch) videos.