English grammar: present tenses

1. PRESENT TIMEDragana Filipović

2. What is correct?
1. I am staying / stay at the Imperial
Hotel till they get my flat ready.
2. The River Amazon flows / is
flowing into the Atlantic Ocean.

3. 3. Buying a house nowadays becomes
/ is becoming more and more
expensive all the time.
4. We haven’t decided yet, but we
think / are thinking of moving
house.
5. Whether we play on Saturday is
depending / depends on the
weather.

4. Correct answers
1. I am staying / stay at the Imperial Hotel till they
get my flat ready.
2. The River Amazon flows / is flowing into the
Atlantic Ocean.
3. Buying a house nowadays becomes / is
becoming more and more expensive all the
time.
4. We haven’t decided yet, but we think / are
thinking of moving house.
5. Whether we play on Saturday is depending /
depends on the weather.

5. The Present Simple Tense - Forms
I work …
He works …
Do I work … ?
Does he work … ?
I don’t work …
He doesn’t work …
I watch …
He watches …
Do I watch … ?
Does he watch … ?
I don’t watch …
He doesn’t watch …

6. 3rd person singular -
spelling
 -s / -es
 Infinitive + s: gets, works, lives
 ss, sh, ch, x, o + es: passes, watches, goes
 Vowel + y + s: stays, plays, pays
 Consonant + y  i + es: cry – cries, fly – flies,
terrify - terrifies

7. The Present Simple Tense
is used to describe:
1. Facts which are always true – general
truths, e.g. facts in science and
geographical descriptions
 The light from the Sun takes 8 mins
20 secs to reach the Earth.
 The River Po flows into the Adriatic
Sea.
 Matter consists of small particles.

9. The Present Simple Tense
is used to describe:
2. Habitual actions. A frequency adverb is
often used.
 I usually take bus to work.
 I use my mobile phone every day.
 always, usually, sometimes,
occasionally, rarely, seldom, never…
 every day, every week, every month,
on Saturdays…

12. The Present Simple Tense
is used to describe:
3. Permanent situations.
• I live in a flat.
• She works for an insurance
company.
• Lisa plays the piano.

13. The Present Simple Tense
is used for:
4. Plot summaries (films, books), sports
commentaries and historical tables.
• Our hero goes off to search for the
treasure, which he eventually finds after
many adventures.
• Zigic passes to Kezman… and Kezman
scores!
• 1789.The French Revolution begins.

15. The Present Simple Tense
is used for:
5. Timetables / programmes (future
meaning)
• The match finishes at 8.45.
• The plane leaves at 9.15.

17. The Present Continuous Tense
I am
‘m
standing
You
We
They
are
‘re
He
She
It
is
‘s

18. The Present Continuous Tense
I am not
‘m not
standing
You
We
They
are not
aren’t
He
She
It
is not
isn’t
Am I
standing ?
Are you
we
they
Is he
she
it


19. VERB + ing
listen + ing = listening
die (-iey) + ing = dying
write + ing = writing
hop + p + ing = hopping
travel + l + ing = travelling

20. The Present Continuous Tense
is used for:
1. Actions which are happening at or
around the moment of speaking.
• I’m doing the washing up.
• Just now I’m waiting to do my
military service.
• She is working very hard nowadays.

22. The Present Continuous Tense
is used for:
2. Temporary situations.
• At the moment we’re sending all the
mail by courier, because the Post
Office is on strike.
• I’m staying with a friend at the
moment.
• He’s studying at the Faculty of
Political Sciences.

24. The Present Continuous Tense
is used for:
3. Annoying habits. A frequency adverb
is necessary (always).
• You are always borrowing money from
me!
• He is always complaining that waiters
are rude.

25. The Present Continuous Tense
is used for:
4. A repeated temporary event. A time
expression is necessary.
• Whenever I seeTom he’s smoking.
• You’re making the same mistake again!

26. The Present Continuous Tense
is used for
5. Changing or developing situations.
• His English is getting better.
• It’s getting colder.
6. Fixed arrangements in the near
future.
• They are getting married next week.

27. Choose the most suitable tense
a) What sort of work do you do / are you
doing?
b) I can’t talk now. I cook / I’m cooking the
dinner.
c) What shall we have? Do you like / Are
you liking fish?
d) Can I borrow this tape recorder? Or do
you use / are you using it?

28. Answers
a) What sort of work do you do ?
b) I can’t talk now. I’m cooking the
dinner.
c) What shall we have? Do you like fish?
d) Can I borrow this tape recorder? Or
are you using it?

29. -e) What do the people here do / are the
people here doing in the evenings?
f) Follow that bus.Then you turn / you are
turning left.
g) A lot of people think that the Sun goes
/ is going around the Earth.
h) Excuse me, do you read / are you
reading your newspaper? Can I borrow
it?

30. Answers
e) What do the people here do in the
evenings?
f) Follow that bus.Then you turn left.
g) A lot of people think that the Sun goes
around the Earth.
h) Excuse me, are you reading your
newspaper? Can I borrow it?

31. i) Do you wait / Are you waiting for the
bus to Newcastle?
j) Andy builds / is building his own house
in the country.
k) I’m sleeping / sleep on Nigel’s sofa until
I find a place of my own.
l) I’m only working / only work there for a
couple of months because I’m going
abroad in the summer.
m) You make / are making goulash using
meat, vegetables and paprika.

32. Answers
i) Are you waiting for the bus to
Newcastle?
j) Andy is building his own house in the
country.
k) I’m sleeping on Nigel’s sofa until I find a
place of my own.
l) I’m only working there for a couple of
months because I’m going abroad in
the summer.
m) You make goulash using meat,
vegetables and paprika.

33. Stative or ‘State’ Verbs
Verbs describing a permanent state do
not normally have continuous forms.
1. Verbs of the senses: see, hear, smell,
feel, taste …
2. Verbs of opinion: agree, believe,
consider…

34. 3. Verbs of emotion: feel, forgive, hate,
like, love…
4. Other verbs: appear (=seem), be,
belong, consist (of), contain, fit (=be
the right shape and size for sth), have
(=possess), know, look (=appear),
need,prefer, require, want, weigh,
wish…

35. We can use some stative verbs
in the Present Continuous when
they have different meanings.

36. • She has a pet
dog. (=she owns)
•They think it’s too
expensive.
(=opinion)
• I feel what we
did was wrong.
(=opinion)
• She is having a
good time.
(=actively involved
in)
• They are thinking
of buying a cheaper
car. (=considering)
• I am feeling / feel
sick. (= physical
reaction)

37. •This juice tastes
good. (=senses)
• She appears to
be very upset.
(=appearance)
• He’s tasting the
milk to see if it’s
OK. (=checking the
quality)
• Julia is appearing
at the Odeon on
Friday.
(=performing)

38. •I Iove holidays. (in
general)
•I see what you
mean.
(=understand)
•I’m loving this
holiday. (=I’m
enjoying)
•You’re seeing
things – there’s
nobody outside.
(=imagining)

39. •He comes from
Spain. (=was
born in)
• Your hair looks
great. (=it
appears)
•He’s coming from
Spain. (=He’s
travelling from)
• She’s looking at
his photos.
(=examining)

41. Complete the sentences using
the Present Simple or the
Present Continuous of the
verbs in brackets.

42. 1. My sister ___ (wait) patiently
for her exam results.
2. We __ (not travel) by train
very often.

43. 1. My sister is waiting patiently
for her exam results.
2. We don’t travel by train very
often.

44. 3. I __ (consider) accepting that
job in Crete.
4. The film __ (end) with a
dramatic car chase.

45. 3. I’m considering accepting
that job in Crete.
4. The film ends with a
dramatic car chase.

46. 5. I’m sorry, I __ (feel) too tired
to go out this evening.
6. I can’t answer the phone. I __
(have) a bath.

47. 5. I’m sorry, I’m feeling / feel too
tired to go out this evening.
6. I can’t answer the phone. I’m
having a bath.

48. 7. __ you __ (see) much of your
brother these days?
8. We __ (rely) on you to bring
the keys with you.

49. 7. Do you see much of your
brother these days?
8. We are relying / rely on you
to bring the keys with you.

50. 9. I __ (wish) people didn’t
smoke in restaurants.
10.Who __ you __ (think) you
are, speaking to me like that!

51. 9. I wish people didn’t smoke in
restaurants.
10.Who do you think you are,
speaking to me like that!

52. The End