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Unit 1 PRESENT TENSES

Part 1

PRESENT PROGRESSIVE PRESENT SIMPLE
The main use of the Present Progressive The Present Simple is used for actions expressing
is to refer to something happening now, habits or actions regularly repeated, and to express
ie. at the time of speaking. general truths or natural phenomena.
 I’m working at the moment.  I often stay up till midnight.
 Who is Clara dancing with?  How often do you go to the dentist?
 Look out! The tree is falling!  The earth revolves round the sun.

OTHER USES AND EXCEPTIONS

We also use the Present Progressive We also use the Present Simple for:
when referring to:
1. permanent situations
1. temporary situations  He teaches ªaths in Athens.
 I'm sleeping in my brother's room this week. 2. successive actions in the present, descriptions,
2. gradual progress/change headings/titles, captions, annotations and
 The temperature of the earth is rising. narratives
 He gets into his office, switches on
3. strong feelings of surprise, annoyance, etc. his computer and reads his email.
usually used with an adverb of frequency  Young actress dies in car accident.
 He’s always playing with my things.  The joke is about a dog that talks.
4. something arranged for the future 3. timetables and programmes
 We’re spending next summer in Egypt.  The bus leaves at 6.30.

STATIVE VERBS

Some verbs which express a state are SENSES: hear, see, taste, smell
usually found only in simple tenses and EMOTIONS: love, hate, like, dislike, need, want,
are called stative verbs. prefer, care, forgive

 It’s all right. I forgive you. KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING: believe, imagine,
 My work means a lot to me. know, understand, realise, forget, remember,
 I suppose everything will be all right. guess, doubt, notice, mean, suppose
 She knows you don't like him. OTHERS: appear, look, own, possess, contain,
 This matters a lot to me. seem, matter, belong (to), sound

TG: The Present Simple can also be used: a) for the future when referring to personal plans,
eg. – What time do we leave tomorrow? – We leave at six thirty. and b) after Here and
PRESENT SIMPLE/PROGRESSIVE There, eg.  There goes the bus.  Here comes Mary. but  Here she comes.

is talking
1. The man who ................................... (talk) to Jim is very sociable. He ..................................... (know) lots of people.

knows

ends
begins
2. The concert .......................................................... (begin) at 8 and ............................................................ (end) at 10.
Am I doing
is everyone laughing
3. Why ........................................................... (everyone/laugh)? ............................................... (I/do) something funny?

marks

falls

4. Easter .................................... (fall) on April 10th which ................................... (mark) our 33rd wedding anniversary.
Do you ever eat
hate

never eat
5. “..................................... (you/ever/eat) snails?” “No, I .............................. (never/eat) snails. I .................. (hate) them.”
don't trust

am always hearing
6. I .................................... (always/hear) strange stories about Tony and I ............................. (not trust) him any more.
are you talking
want

don't understand
7. What ............................... (you/talk) about? I ................................... (not understand) what you ....................... (want).

agree
are getting

8. “Prices ................................................ (get) very high.” “I absolutely .............................................. (agree) with you.”
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