LEVEL 3 ENGLISH: CHAPTER 1: SIMPLE PRESENT VS PRESENT CONTINUOUS

CHAPTER 1

REVIEW

We use the Present Continuous Tense to talk about activities happening now.

Examples:
The kids are watching TV.
I am sitting down, because I am tired.
I am not learning German, because that is an English class.
Who are you writing to?

We can also use the Present Continous Tense to talk about activities happening around now, and not necessarily this very moment.

Examples:
Sally is studying really hard for her exams this week.
I am reading a really interesting book now.
How are you brushing up on your English for the trip?

The Present Continuous Tense is also used to talk about activities happening in the near future, especially for planned future events.

Examples:
I am seeing my dentist on Wednesday.
Polly is coming for the dinner tomorrow.
Are you doing anything tonight?
We aren't going on holiday next week.

How do we make the Present Simple Tense?

subject + auxiliary verb + main verb

DO/DOES BASE

There are three important exceptions:

1. For positive sentences, we do not normally use the auxilliary.

2. For the 3rd person singular (he, she , it), we add "s" to the main verb to the auxiliary.

3. For the verb to be, we do not use an auxiliary, even for questions and negatives.

Look at these examples with the main verb like:

Remeber this:

subject form	object form	possessive adjective	possessive pronoun
I	me	my	mine
you	you	your	yours
he	him	his	his
she	her	her	hers
it	it	its	its
we	us	our	ours
you	you	your	yours
they	them	their	theirs

1. The simple present tense
The simple present tense is used for two main types of action:

Habits: Actions which appen regularly (For example, every day or every week)
States: Things which do not often change (For example, opinions and conditions)

Some examples will help to make this clearer: