Gramática: Las formas presentes

Hay dos formas de expresar acciones presentes: el Presente Progresivo o Continuo (Basic 1: Units 4 to 8) y el Presente
Simple (Basic 1: Units 1-2 / Basic 2: Unit 3)

Present Progressive / Continuous

Uso: describe acciones que ocurren en el momento en que se las enuncia o temporalmente en el presente. También
puede describir acciones futuras que han sido consensuadas con otra/s personas.

Forma afirmativa: TO BE + -ING

Ejemplos: Please, be quiet. I’m trying to study. (ocurre en este momento)

She’s living with her sister this semester. (ocurre temporalmente en el presente)

We are meeting at the library tomorrow to study biology. (ocurrirá en el futuro)

Complete las oraciones con la forma correcta.

(1) Peter (study) for an exam.

(2) They (play) tennis tomorrow afternoon.

(3) We (watch) TV in the living room.

(4) María (text) her friend with her cell phone.

Forma negativa: TO BE + NOT + -ING

Forma interrogativa: TO BE + Subject + -ING

Ejemplos: Are you listening to me?

He is not paying attention.

Is your sister moving to New York?

 Complete las oraciones con la forma correcta.

(1) She (not / talk) on the phone right now.

(2) Who (she / wait) for?

(3) (you / plan) a party for your birthday?

(4) We (not / have) lunch tomorrow. Jennifer is sick.

Simple Present

Uso: describe acciones que son permanentes o habituales.

Forma afirmativa del verbo TO BE: I am We are

You are You are

He/she/it is They are

Forma afirmativa de los demás verbos: Sujeto + verbo

Sujeto de 3ra persona + verbo + “s”

Ejemplos: I am a student. I study Computer Science at university.

She is a designer. She works for a small agency.

Enzo’s grandparents are Italian. They live in Rome.

Michael is a great teacher. Every student loves him!

 Complete las oraciones con la forma correcta.

(1) Charlie and Jenny (love) sushi.

(2) Liz (have) a great voice. She (sing) beautifully.

(3) Katia and Hans (be) from Denmark. They are visiting our country.

(4) My friends and I (play) volleyball every Saturday.

Forma negativa de BE: TO BE + NOT

Forma interrogativa: TO BE + Subject

Ejemplos: - Are you a student in this class?

- No, I am not.

- Are John and Kim married?

- No, they’re not. They’re divorced.

Complete las oraciones con la forma correcta.

(1) (they/ be) sisters?

(2) His father (not / be) a doctor; he is a lawyer.

(3) (today / be) Monday?

(4) These exercises (not / be) difficult.

Forma negativa del presente: DO/DOES + NOT + VERB

Forma interrogativa: DO/DOES + Subject + VERB

Ejemplos: - Does she drink coffee every morning?

- Luke and Claire do not eat meat.

- He doesn’t play the guitar very well.

- Do you smoke?

Complete las oraciones con la forma correcta.

(1) Vegetarians (not / eat) meat.

(2) A vegetarian (not / eat) meat.

(3) (you / like) pasta or (you / prefer) pizza?

(4) He (not / have) breakfast before school. He prefers to eat during the
first break.

Simple Present or Present Progressive?

La diferencia entre ambas formas verbales es que la forma simple describe acciones que son permanentes o habituales
en cambio la forma progresiva describe acciones presentes que son temporales o bien acciones futuras programadas.

Seleccione la forma correcta del presente.

(1) She to Paris next month.

A. moves
B. is moving

(2) My sister on Main Street next to the library.

 A. lives
B. is living

(3) Henry with his parents this summer before moving to Australia.

A. lives
B. is living

(4) They usually home in the afternoon after work.

A. return
B. are returning

Adverbs of frequency
Los adverbios de frecuencia generalmente acompañan al presente simple para expresar actividades habituales.

% Adverb of frequency Example

100% always I always study afer class.
90% usually I usually walk to work.
80% normally / generally / regularly I normally get good grades.
70% often / frequently I often read in bed at night.
50% sometimes I sometimes sing in the shower.
30% occasionally I occasionally go to bed late.
10% seldom I seldom put salt on my food.
5% hardly ever / rarely I hardly ever get angry.
0% never I never take sugar with my coffee.

Subject + adverb + main verb Subject + BE + adverb

Daniel always passes his exams. He is always happy.

Other ways of expressing frequency: EVERY + noun - ONCE /TWICE + noun -

THREE, FOUR, etc. TIMES a day /week /month /year

He does exercise every morning. They travel to the city once a month. We visit my parents three times a year.
Seleccione la respuesta correcta en cada caso.

(1) He at home when I call.

A. never is
B. is never
C. never

(2) How your coffee?

A. do you take
B. you take
C. take

(3) What doing tonight?

A. do you
B. are you
C. you are

(4) He playing basketball.

A. doesn’t likes
B. don’t like
C. doesn’t like

(5) He with his cousin this weekend.

A. stays
B. staying
C. is staying

(6) She Italian food.

A. like
B. not like
C. doesn’t like

(7) My older brother in a restaurant. He a chef.

A. work / is
B. works / is
C. is work / not
 (8) for someone?

A. Do you wait
B. You waiting
C. Are you waiting

(9) - What are you doing tomorrow?

- with Cathy in a coffee shop.

A. I meet
B. I’m meeting
C. I’m meet

(10) I vitamins in the morning.

A. usually take
B. take usually
C. not usually take

Short answers
Al responder a una pregunta, particularmente en el lenguaje conversacional, se utilizan formas cortas repitiendo el
primer verbo de la frase verbal.

Ejemplos: - Do you like thrillers? - Is he working?

- Yes, I do. / No, I don’t. - Yes, he is. / No, he isn’t.

Complete las preguntas y respuestas con las formas verbales que faltan.

(1) - you Spanish?

- Yes, I .

(2) - they live in Scotland?

- No, they . They in Ireland.

(3) - she working at the moment.

- Yes, she .

(4) - he usually take the train to work?

- No, he .

(5) - you and John American?

- No, we . We’re Canadian.
Signal words
Como hemos visto, los adverbios de frecuencia están asociados con el presente simple mientras que los adverbios que
indican un período temporario de tiempo o un tiempo futuro, se relacionan con el presente continuo. Por eso, para
ayudarnos a discernir qué tiempo utilizar, podemos prestarle atención a estos indicadores o “signal words”.

Determine cuál de las siguientes palabras son indicadores del presente simple y cuáles
son indicadores del presente continuo.

Which signal words/phrases are for the Simple Present and which are for the Present Progressive?

now sometimes often

every Friday at the moment tomorrow night

next Friday never every now and then

Reading comprehension

Lea el texto y decida si los enunciados que siguen son V (verdaderos) o F (falsos).

My name is Paolo. I’m a photographer and I’m from Milan in Italy. My wife, Ana, is from Spain. She is a fashion
designer here in Milan. I use the Internet just for fun, but my wife doesn’t. She uses it only for work. She says it’s
essential.

(1) Paolo is a photography student.

(2) Paolo has a Spanish wife.
(3) He uses the Internet for fun.
(4) Ana is an interior designer.
(5) Ana and Paolo live in Spain.
(6) Ana doesn’t use the Internet a lot.