Lesson 1 | Present Simple vs Present Continuous

2nd Level

Teacher and Coordinator dr. Celso Mondlane

 Lesson 1 | Present Simple vs Present Continuous
1 Auxiliary verbs be and do Present Simple: Do you like football?

They are used

- on their own (in short answers and
question, question tags, etc.)
- to form questions and negatives.
a. be (+ verb + -ing) is used to form continuous tenses Past Simple: I didn't get your letter.
REMEMBER!
1 Third person singular forms
e.g1. do - he / she / it does
have – he / she/ it has
2 Contractions
Present Continuous: She is waiting - She's waiting
you are joking - You're joking
He's studying to become a doctor.
2 Auxiliary verbs in questions and negatives
e.g2. Questions are formed by inverting the subject and auxiliary verb.
e.g. Is he studying to become a doctor?
Past Continuous: How long have your brother and sister lived here?
I was talking to Charles the other day.
Negatives are formed by adding not to the verb. We often shorten this to n’t
b. do is used in simple tenses (but only in the (especially when we speak).
REMEMBER!

questions and negative forms): e.g. She is not working - She isn't working Modal verbs: we form questions using the model
auxiliaries instead of do or be.
He has not come home. - He hasn't come home Can I come in?

1 I mustn't stay long.

 Lesson 1 | Present Simple vs Present Continuous
3 Auxiliaries used on their own 4 Present Simple
Positive form Negative form Question form
Short answers: these can make the speaker sound
I/you/we/they I/you/we/they Do I/you/we/they
more polite / Interested. don’t (= do not) work Work?
Work
A: Do you like studying English? He/she/it doesn’t (= does
B: Yes, Actually I do. He/she/it works not) work Does He/she/it work?

We also use them to avoid repeating long sentences.

We use the present simple
A: Do your parents both work in Paris?
a. Repeated actions or habits:
B: My mother does, but my father doesn’t.
We go out on Saturdays.
Short questions
A: My brother’s gone to live in Australia. b. Something we see as permanent:
B: Has he? My brother works in a bank.

question tags c. Describing a state that doesn’t change:

You were in this class last year. weren’t you? She looks like her mother.
The boy didn’t come here. Did he?

2
 Lesson 1 | Present Simple vs Present Continuous
5 Present continuous 6 Present Simple VS Present Continuous
Positive form Negative form Question form
In many cases, either form is possible. The one we choose
I’m (= am) I’m not (= am Am I working? depends on how we see the state or action.
working not) working Compare the following pairs of sentences:
Are you/we/ Paola is the student who sits at the back of the class.
you/we/they’re you/we/they’re they working? (= she always does this)
(= are) working (= are not) Paola is the student who is sitting at the back of the class. (= she is there now)
working Is he/she/it
He/she/it’s (= is) working?
working He/she/it’s (= is I stay at the Metropole Hotel.
not) working (= I do this every time I visit the town)
1. We use the present continuous for: I'm staying at the Metropole Hotel
(= an action happening around now)
Things in progress at the moment of speaking.
Look! It’s raining again 7 'State' versus 'action' verbs
Some verbs are almost never found in continuous forms: these are verbs which
2. Temporary actions that are happening “around describe states (things which stay the same) rather than actions (things which
now” or for limited period, but not necessarily can change). Some of the most common are:
right now. - verbs connected with emotions: like, love, hate, want, need
I’m reading a very good book at the moment. - verbs connected with understanding: understand, know, prefer, agree, believe
- verbs connected with possession and unchanging qualities: belong, cost, weigh
- verbs connected with the senses: taste, hear, smell, sound
Some verbs can describe both states and actions. Notice the difference between:
3. Describing a state which is changing. I think you're right. (= a state)
Families are getting smaller. and
What are you thinking about? (= an action)
Our apartment has three bedrooms. (= a state)
and
3 Claire is having a shower at the moment. (- an action)
 Lesson 1 | Practice
1 – Define exemplify showing the difference between
present simple and continuous.
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2 – Discuss the difference between state verbs and
action verbs.
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3. Give examples about short answers, short
questions and question tags.
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