Form

Simple Present Present Continuous

AFFIRMATIVE AFFIRMATIVE

infinitive form of 'be' and verb + ing

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

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

NEGATIVE: NEGATIVE:

I don't speak I am not speaking

You don't speak You are not speaking

He, she, it DOESN'T speak He, she, it is speaking

We don't speak We are speaking

You don't speak You are speaking

They don't speak They are speaking

INTERROGATIVE INTERROGATIVE:

Do I speak? Do you speak? DOES he, she, it speak; Do we speak; Am I speaking? Are you speaking? Is
Do you speak; Do they speak? he/she/it speaking? Are we speaking? Are
you speaking? Are they speaking?

(Potvrdni oblik: u 3.l.j. dodaje se nastavak -s, -es, -ies. U

niječnom I upitnom obliku koristimo pomoćni glagol DO u svim
licima, osim u 3.l.j. gdje koristimo DOES. Tada glavni glagol ostaje
u infinitivu.)

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
 After o, ch, sh or s, add es.
but: agree - agreeing
Example: do - he does, wash - she washes
 After a short, stressed vowel, the
 After a consonant, the final consonant y becomes ie. final consonant is doubled.
(but: not after a vowel)
Example: sit - sitting
Example: worry - he worries
 After a vowel, the final
but: play - he plays
consonant l is doubled in British
English (but not in American
 English).

Example: travel - travelling (British English)

but: traveling (American English)

 Final ie becomes y.

Example: lie - lying

Use:

Simple Present Present Continuous

in general (regularly, often, never) right now

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

present actions happening one after another also for several actions happening at the same time

First Colin plays football, then he watches TV. Colin is playing football and Anne is watching.

Facts- I live in Zagreb, This wall is yellow…. Active verbs

Habits and routines – I wake up at 7 o'clock

every morning, then I go to school. After school I

play video games…..)

Active and state verbs (see, like, understand,

know, belong, want, prefer, remember……)

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
Timetable / Schedule or arrangement

Simple Present Present Continuous

action set by a timetable or schedule arrangement for the near future (unaprijed planirana buduća
(unaprijed planirana radnja, raspored, ne radnja, odnosi se na blisku budućnost, plan osobne prirode.
možemo mijenjati plan) Možemo utjecati na planove i mijenjati ih)

The film starts at 8 pm. I am going to the cinema tonight.

The train leaves at 7 o'clock. I am meeting my friends tonight.

Daily routine /a limited period of time

Simple Present Present Continuous

daily routine only for a limited period of time (does not have to happen directly
at the moment of speaking)
Bob works in a restaurant.
Jenny is working in a restaurant this week.

Certain Verbs

The following verbs are usually only used in Simple Present (not in the progressive form).

 state: be, cost, fit, mean, suit

Example: We are on holiday.

 possession: belong, have

Example: Sam has a cat.

 senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, touch

Example: He feels the cold.

 feelings: hate, hope, like, love, prefer, regret, want, wish

Example: Jane loves pizza.

 brain work: believe, know, think, understand

Example: I believe you.