SIMPLE PRESENT
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Differences
SIMPLE PRESENT
USES
Things which are always true. Example: water BOILS at 100 degrees.
Permanent situations, facts. Example: Carol LIVES in London. / I WORK in an
office.
To express habits, routines. Example: I VISIT my grandma twice a week. / He
STUDIES everyday
To give directions or instructions. Example: MIX the eggs with sugar.
Future events which are part of a timetable. Examples: The train LEAVES at
seven p.m.
The simple present is used with ADVERBS like...
➔ Always ➔ Once a week ...
➔ Often ➔ In the morning...
➔ Usually
➔ Sometimes
➔ Rarely
➔ Never
➔ Every day / week / monday ..
➔ On wednesday…. / At night
Grammar rules
❖ To form the Simple Present we use the verb in its infinitive form, and we add
-s or -es to the infinitive of the verb in the 3rd person singular (he, she, it).
E.g. They live in London / She lives in London.
Cats like milk. / Mark likes sports
❖ To make a negative sentence, we normally use the auxiliaries Don't (1st person)
or Doesn't (3rd person) between the subject and the verb without -s or -es.
E.g. I don't watch tv. / He doesn't watch tv.
❖ To form yes/no questions, use the following structure:
Do/ Does + subject + verb (inf. form) + rest of the sentence ?
E.g: Do you study French? / Does she study french?
Structure
❖ Affirmative: Subject + Verb (add -s, -es to
the 3rd person singular)+ complement.
❖ Negative: Subject + Aux. do/does + not +
verb + complement
❖ Interrogative: Aux. do/does + subject +
verb + complement + ?
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
USES
Things which are happening at the moment of speaking. E.g: The water IS BOILING now, so you
can put in the pasta.
Temporary situations. E.g: I am living in London for a few months.
Situations which are slowly changing. E.g: I’m getting better and better at speaking English.
Temporary or new habits. E.g: She is drinking too much coffee these days.
Annoying habits. E.g: My boyfriend is always leaving the house in a mess!
Definite future plans. E.g: They are meeting John after class today!
The present continuous is used with ADVERBS
of FREQUENCY like...
➔ Right now - Now
➔ Today - Nowadays
➔ At this moment - at the present
➔ This week / monday ...
➔ These days
➔ Tonight
Grammar rules
❖ The present Su continuous
M Tu fromW
is made Th tense of
the present F the verbSabe (is - am -
are) and the -ING form of a verb. (present participle)
E.g: I’m working right now / She is dancing for a big company / They are watching Netflix
now.
❖ We make negative sentences with the negative form of the verb be (isn’t - am not -
aren’t) and the -ING form of the verb.
E.g: I am not doing that / He isn’t eating today/ We aren’t sleeping well these days.
❖ To form yes/no questions, use the following structure:
Verb to be (is-am-are) + subject + verb (ing. form) + rest of the sentence ?
E.g Are you coming to my party? / Is she drinking water?
Structure
❖ Affirmative: Subject + Verb to be
(is-am-are)+ verb(-ing) + complement.
❖ Negative: Subject + Negative verb to be
(isn’t-am not-aren’t)+ verb(-ing) +
complement
❖ Interrogative: verb to be + subject + verb
-ing + complement + ?
I teach English I am teaching English
This is what I am doing at the
This is my job. moment, I am teaching you
English
