Revision  of present simple and present continuous



Present simple:

Form:

Positive                                                                Negative:

I/You/We/They  start at 8:00.                           I/You/We/They don’t start at 8:00.

She/He/It starts at 8:00                                    She/He/It doesn’t start at 8:00.


Question:

Do I/you/we/they start at 8:00?                       Yes, I do.  No, I don’t.

Does she/he/it start at 8:00?                                          Yes, she does. No, she
doesn’t.


Use:

1 Facts which are always true             Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

2 Habitual actions (routines, habits )   I usually go to work by car.

3 Permanent situations and states     My parents live in London. They have been there for 20 years.

4 Future facts                                      My train leaves at 7:00.


Common time adverbials with the Present Simple: always, usually, regularly, every morning, often,
sometimes, twice a week, from time to time, occasionally, rarely, seldom, once a month, hardly
ever, never.




Present continuous

Form:

Positive:                                                               Negative:

Subject + to be + verb-ing                                Subject + not to be + verb-ing

I am going outside.                                                          I am not going
outside.

You are going outside….                                               You are not going outside. …


Question:

to be + subject + verb-ing

Are you going outside?                                                  Yes, I am.  No, I am not.

Is he going outside?                                                       Yes, he is. No, he
isn’t.



Use:

1 An activity happening now                            I’m doing the washing-up just now.

2 Temporary situations and habits                I’m living with some friends until I can find a
flat.

3 An annoying habit                                         You’re always borrowing money from me!

4 Personal arrangements for the future        We are going to Prague on Saturday.


Common time adverbials: just, now, at the moment, at the present.









Exercises:


1 Choose the most suitable tense.

a I cannot talk now. I cook / I’m cooking the dinner.

b I have to finish it now because I am meeting / meet my old friend in an hour.

c The River Po flows / is flowing into the Adriatic Sea.

d Do you wait / Are you waiting for the bus to Newcastle?

e You always borrow / You are always borrowing money from me!

f  According to this timetable, the bus is arriving / arrives at 7:00.




2 Put each verb in brackets into either the present simple or the present continuous.

a  What sort of work (you do) .........……………….........?

b  What (you look) ....……………………....at? (I wear) ........………………........the wrong clothes again?

c  Excuse me, (you read)…………………………….. your newspaper? Could I borrow it?

d  What time (your plane leave) ………………………………………?

e  Which hotel (you stay) .......……………….......in whenever you (come) ..……………..........here?

f  The light from the Sun (take) ......………..........8 mins 20 secs to reach the Earth.

g  When (the concert start) ……….……………..….? – It (start) …………..…….at seven.

h  Who (Sue dance) .......……………........with? That’s not her brother, is it?

i  I cannot see you on Thursday afternoon. I (visit) ……….………..our Prague branch.





Other exercises can be found :

Murphy, Raymond. English Grammar in Use.  Unit 1 – Unit 4

or

Beaumont, D., Granger, C. The Heinemann English Grammar. An Intermediate Reference and Practice
Book. Unit 1 - Unit 3