Programa de Acceso Inclusivo, Equidad y Permanencia

PAIEP U. de Santiago

SIMPLE PRESENT VS PRESENT CONTINUOUS

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

Objetivos

Conocer las diferencias entre presente simple y continuo.

Operar las diversas formas verbales del presente simple y continuo.

Contenidos

1. Verb to be
2. Present Continuous / Presente Continuo
3. Simple Present / Presente Simple

Materiales

A paperback or online dictionary.

Simple present vs Present Continuous

In order to understand the difference of use between simple present and present
continuous we will study the columns below:

Present Continuous (I am doing) Present Simple (I do)

Use the present continuous to talk about Use the present simple to talk about
something which is happening at or things in general or things which happen
around the time of speaking. repeatedly:

The kettle is boiling. Can you turn it off, Water Boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
please?
Listen to those people. What language Excuse me, do you speak English?
are they speaking?

1
Material elaborado por el Comit Editorial PAIEP rea ingls
Primera Edicin - 2016
En caso de encontrar algn error, contctate con PAIEP-USACH al correo: joaquin.eguren@usach.cl
 Programa de Acceso Inclusivo, Equidad y Permanencia
PAIEP U. de Santiago

Use the present continuous for a Use the present simple for a permanent
temporary situations: situation:

Im living with some friends until I can My parents live in London. They have
find a flat. been there for 20 years.
That machine isnt working. It broke That machine doesnt work. It hasnt
down this morning. worked for years.

Some verbs are used only in simple tenses. For example, you cannot say I am
knowing. You can only say I know. Here is a list of verbs which are not normally used
in continuous tenses (but there are exceptions):

Want Like Belong Know Suppose Remember Need Love See Realise
Mean Forget Prefer Hate Hear Believe Understand Seem

- Do you like London?

- He doesnt understand.
- These shoes belong to me.
- What do you think Tom will do?

Exercises

1. In this exercise you have to decide whether the verbs in these sentences are right or
wrong. Correct those which are wrong. The verb is underlined.
Examples: I dont know your telephone number. Right
Please dont make so much noise. I study. Wrong am studying.

1. Look! Somebody is climbing up that tree over there. ___________

2. Can you hear those people? What do they talk about? ___________
3. Are you believing in God? ___________
4. Look! That man tries to open the door of your car. ___________
5. The moon goes round the earth. ___________
6. Im thinking it would be a good idea to leave early. ___________
7. The government is worried because the number of people without jobs is
increasing. ___________
8. Im usually going to work by car. ___________
2
Material elaborado por el Comit Editorial PAIEP rea ingls
Primera Edicin - 2016
En caso de encontrar algn error, contctate con PAIEP-USACH al correo: joaquin.eguren@usach.cl
 Programa de Acceso Inclusivo, Equidad y Permanencia
PAIEP U. de Santiago

2. Now you have to put the verb into the correct form, present continuous (I am doing)
or present simple (I do).
Examples: Please dont make so much noise. I am studying_ (study).
How many languages does Tom speak? (Tom / speak)?
This machine doesnt work (not/work). It hasnt worked for years.

1. I _________________ (not belong) to a political party.

2. Hurry! The bus ____________ (come). I _____________ (not / want) to miss it.
3. The River Nile ______________ (flow) into the Mediterranean.
4. The river _________________ (flow) very fast today much faster than usual.
5. _______________________ (it/ever/snow) in India?
6. We usually ______________________ (grow) vegetables in our garden but this year
we _________________________ (not / grow) any.
7. A: Can you drive?
B: No, but I ____________________ (learn). My father _______________ (teach) me.
8. You can borrow my umbrella. I ___________________ (not/need) it at the moment.
9. (at a party) I usually ________________ (enjoy) parties but I __________ (not/enjoy)
this one very much.
10. George says hes 80 years old but I ____________________ (not/believe) him.
11. Ron is in London at the moment. He _________________ (stay) at the Hilton Hotel.
He usually _________________ (stay) at the Hilton Hotel when hes in London.

3
Material elaborado por el Comit Editorial PAIEP rea ingls
Primera Edicin - 2016
En caso de encontrar algn error, contctate con PAIEP-USACH al correo: joaquin.eguren@usach.cl
 Programa de Acceso Inclusivo, Equidad y Permanencia
PAIEP U. de Santiago

Answer Key
1. In this exercise you have to decide whether the verbs in these sentences are right or
wrong. Correct those which are wrong. The verb is underlined.

1. Right
2. Wrong are they talking
3. Wrong Do you believe
4. Wrong is trying
5. Right
6. Wrong I think
7. Wrong I usually go

2. Now you have to put the verb into the correct form, present continuous (I am doing)
or present simple (I do).

1. I dont belong
2. Is coming dont want
3. Flows
4. Is flowing
5. Does it ever snow
6. Grow arent growing
7. Am learning is teaching
8. Dont need
9. Enjoy am not enjoying
10. Dont believe him
11. Is staying stays
12. Live do your parents live
13. Is staying
14. Does your father do isnt working

4
Material elaborado por el Comit Editorial PAIEP rea ingls
Primera Edicin - 2016
En caso de encontrar algn error, contctate con PAIEP-USACH al correo: joaquin.eguren@usach.cl