The document summarizes information from the Longman Advanced Learners Grammar book about present tenses in English, including the present simple and present continuous tenses. It provides examples of how each tense is used to describe general truths, repeated actions, events happening now or as part of a narrative. It also discusses exceptions and other uses such as with adverbs. Practice exercises with answers are included to help readers understand when to use each present tense form.

1. Longman Advanced Learners
Grammar
by Mark Foley and Diane Hall

2. Grammar Guide: Introduction
The grammar information and exercises in this
section of the Exams Coach CD-ROM are taken
from the Longman Advanced Learners Grammar
by Mark Foley and Diane Hall, published by
Pearson Education*.
You can find more grammar
information and practice exercises
in this book.
__________________________
* - Longman Advanced Learners' Grammar: A self-study reference & practice book with answers
Год выпуска: 2003
Автор: Mark Foley & Diane Hall
Жанр: Учебное пособие
Количество страниц: 384

3. Present tenses
The present simple and the present continuous tenses are the most common ways of expressing
present time in English. The present simple describes things that are generally true, while the present
continuous describes things that are true at the time of speaking, but which may change. This unit
looks at the present time uses of these two tenses. They can also express future time and past time.
1.1 PRESENT SIMPLE
1.1A Form
1.1B General truths and facts
1.1C Repeated events/actions
1.1D Series of events/actions
1.1E Other uses
Questions
1.2 PRESENT CONTINUOUS
1.2A Form
1.2B Things which are true now
1.2C Repeated events
1.2D Series of events
1.2E Other uses
Questions
Questions for all theme
Practice
Answers
Control work
Links

4. 1.1 PRESENT SIMPLE
1.1A Form
The form of the present simple verb only changes after he, she or it,
when we add -s to the base form (-es after o, s, sh, ch and x; -ies
when the base form ends in -y):
I readà he reads; we watchà she watches; they carryà it carries
x Carina enjoy hospital dramas so she watch ‘ER’ every week.
Carina enjoys hospital dramas so she watches ‘ER’ every week.
We form the negative and questions with the auxiliary do. In the
negative we usually use the contracted forms don’t and doesn’t in
speech and informal writing:
Japanese cooking doesn’t use a lot of dairy food.
Do interest rates usually go up in order to reduce inflation?
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5. 1.1 PRESENT SIMPLE
1.1B General truths and facts
We often use the present simple to state truths and to describe
things which we feel are facts or permanent situations:
• Things which are generally true:
British people drink a lot of tea, while Americans drink more coffee.
• Facts:
Broken bones in adults don’t heal as fast as they do in children.
• Permanent situations:
A colony of Antarctic penguins lives in Marwell Zoo.
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6. 1.1 PRESENT SIMPLE
1.1C Repeated events/actions
We use the present simple to describe things that happen on
a regular basis:
As temperatures fall with the approach of winter, the soil
freezes and contracts …
The Blairs take their summer holiday in a quiet part of
Tuscany.
We often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency
(always, usually, often, sometimes, never) and expressions
of frequency (every …, once a …):
Share prices usually change on a daily basis – but often by
very little.
Our two chefs provide an excellent choice of hot meals
every day.
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7. 1.1 PRESENT SIMPLE
1.1D Series of events/actions
We use the present simple to describe a series of events or actions
(e.g. to give directions or instructions) often with impersonal you:
From here you cross the road, go through an iron gate and follow
the path west …
This is similar to the imperative, but the imperative can sound more
abrupt:
Cross the road, go through an iron gate and follow the path west …
We use the present simple when we want to express the
immediacy of an event, e.g. in sports commentaries, particularly
when the action being described is a quick one and is therefore
over before the description finishes:
France kicks off, Zidane passes to Henry, Henry cuts inside …
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8. 1.1 PRESENT SIMPLE
1.1E Other uses
1.1E Other uses
If we wish to give the events of a past narrative or an anecdote more immediacy, we
can use the present simple, especially in speech (compare 1.2E):
There’s an old woman with thick glasses and a name tag. I go up to her and ask …
Newspaper headlines often use the present simple to express a past event, which
again gives more immediacy to the event:
Addicted Chaplin star gets three years for new drugs lapse.
We use the present simple in formal speech or writing for certain actions:
I note that you referred to the National Curriculum in your speech …
I look forward to receiving a prompt reply to my enquiry.
We can use the present simple to talk about fixed events in the future (4.4A) or to
express the future after conjunctions of time, e.g. when, after, as soon as (4.4D).
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9. Questions 1.1 PRESENT SIMPLE
1. When the form of the present
simple verb only changes?
2. If we wish to give the events of a
past narrative or an anecdote more
immediacy, can we use the present
simple, especially in speech?
3. When do we use the present
simple?
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10. 1.2 PRESENT CONTINUOUS
1.2A Form
We form the present continuous with the present of the verb be and the present
participle of the main verb:
'What are the children doing?’
We usually contract is or are to ’s or ’re in speech and informal writing:
‘Well, Alan’s drawing in his room and Sophie’s watching TV with me.’
Note the following spelling rules for forming the present participle:
Base form + -ing: draw àdrawing, watch àwatching, speak àspeaking
Base form ending in -e + -ing: take àtaking, receive àreceiving, create àcreating
Base form + consonant + -ing: swim àswimming, run àrunning
(For past, future and perfect continuous forms 2.2, 2.4, 3.3, 4.1C, 4.3B, 4.4C.)
! We often omit the pronoun and auxiliary (is or are) when we repeat the present
continuous in the same sentence:
James and Sally are spending the evening together, watching a new video.
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11. 1.2 PRESENT CONTINUOUS
1.2B Things which are true now
The present continuous describes an action in progress at the moment of speaking or around the time of speaking. The action is likely to continue after
the time of speaking, but is likely to stop at some point, i.e. it is temporary:
I’ll be with you in a minute. I’m just finishing something in the kitchen.
We are staying with John to try and find out if his place really is haunted.
Common adverbs with this form are now, just, still and at the moment:
We’re studying the writings of Günter Grass on the German course now.
We use live, work, study and stay in the continuous if the action is temporary:
x She stays in the Waldorf Astoria on this visit to New York, doesn’t she?
She’s staying in the Waldorf Astoria on this visit to New York, isn’t she?
Compare: She always stays in the Waldorf Astoria on visits to New York. (1.1C)
! An exception to the use of the present continuous to describe actions in progress is Here comes and There goes, which are always in the present
simple:
x Here is coming the postman. There is going the last bus.
Here comes the postman. There goes the last bus.
Note the inversion of the verb and subject in these phrases.
We also use the present continuous to describe things which are changing:
British summers are getting hotter and winters are getting wetter.
We do not use the present simple to express this:
x British summers get hotter and winters get wetter.
The present simple describes a regular event which we see as unchanging:
We get a lot of rain during the winter in this part of the world.
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12. 1.2 PRESENT CONTINUOUS
1.2C Repeated events
It is possible to use the present continuous to talk about repeated events or actions,
usually if they happen within a temporary period:
I’m feeding the neighbour’s cat this week while she’s in hospital.
Compare this with the use of the present simple for repeated actions (1.1C):
Graham’s a confirmed smoker. He smokes about fifty cigarettes a day.
(repeated action over a long period of time, possibly most of Graham’s life)
Graham’s having a tough time at the office at the moment and he’s smoking about fifty
cigarettes a day!
(repeated action in a temporary period)
We can use the present continuous with an adverb such as always, forever or
continually to talk about repeated actions that happen very often, perhaps too often as
far as the speaker is concerned:
The baby’s always making cute little gurgling noises.
The neighbours are forever slamming doors and shouting during the night.
I’m always forgetting people’s birthdays. It’s so annoying.
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13. 1.2 PRESENT CONTINUOUS
1.2D Series of events
You may hear the present continuous used
in sports commentaries, when the action is
in progress throughout the time of
speaking:
They’re now entering the back straight and
El Garrouj is starting to pull away…
(… and he crosses the line two seconds
ahead of his closest rival …1.1D)
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14. 1.2 PRESENT CONTINUOUS
1.2E Other uses
We can use the present continuous with the
present simple to give more immediacy to a past
narrative. We use the continuous for actions which
form a background, i.e. they started before the
actions within the narrative:
There’s an old woman with thick glasses who’s
serving the hot drinks, so I go up to her and ask …
(She started serving before the action of the
narrative.)
The present continuous can also express
arrangements in the future (4.3A).
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15. Questions 1.2 PRESENT
CONTINUOUS
1. When do we use the present
continuous?
2. Is it possible to use the present
continuous to talk about repeated
events or actions, usually if they
happen within a temporary period?
3.How do we make PRESENT
CONTINUOUS?
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16. Questions Present tenses
1. When do we use the present
simple and continuous?
2.Have they any special cases
among the rules? Which?
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17. Present tenses 1
Click on the correct verb form.
1. The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao ____
Spain's largest collection of modern art.
A. Is housing
B. houses
2. We ____ a new paper supplier at the moment.
The old one was too expensive.
A. are trying out
B. try out
3. The children ____ sweets and chocolate before
they go to bed at night. It's bad for their teeth.
A. don’t eat
B. aren’t eating
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18. Answers
1. houses
2. are trying out
3. don’t eat
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19. Check Urself!
1. These animals ____ a great deal of aggression
if disturbed.
A.Are displaying
B.display
2. We ____ the film 'Star Wars' at all Odeon
cinemas in the region.
A.Currently show
B.Are currently showing
3. Quick! Get rid of all the mess! Here ____ Mum
and Dad!
A.Are coming
B.Come
If you have problems go to menu and read the theory
again.

20. Links.
If you are looking for mo grammar
information, click here!
http://www.homeenglish.ru/Grammar.htm
http://www.native-english.ru/grammar
http://www.lovelylanguage.ru/grammar
http://www.yanglish.ru/english_grammar.htm
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