Present continuous (Iam doing) Study this example situation: Ann is in her ear. She is on her way to work. She is driving to work. This means: she is driving noe, at the time of. speaking, The action is not finished. Amlisfare -ing is the present continuous: Tam {= T'm) driving helshelit is (=he’setc.) | working welyouthey are {= we'reete.) | doing ere. Lam doing something = I'm in the middle of doing somethings I've started doing it and I haven’t finished yet. Often the action is happening, at the time of speaking: Please don't make so much noise. I'm working. (not ‘I work’) “Where's Margaret?” ‘She's having a bath.’ (rot ‘she has a bath’) Let’s go out now. It isn’t raining any more. (not ‘it doesn’t rain’) {ata party) Hello, Jane. Are you enjoying the party? (not ‘do you enjoy") Pm cred, I'm going to bed now. Goodnight! But the action is not necessarily happening at the time of speaking. For example: ‘Tom and Ann are talking in g café, Tom says: LIGIAIB RSS el Ale SS Tran reading an inersting book atthe moment. Ar i, Til tend it to you when Tve finished it. ‘Tom is not reading the book at the time of speaking. “TOM He means that he has started ic but not finished it ye. He is in the midale of reading it. ANN Some more examples: © Catherine wants to work in Italy, s0 she is learning Italian. (but perhaps she isn’t Jearning Italian exactly at the time of speaking} © Some friends of mine are building their own house. They hope it will be finished before next summer. ‘We use the present continuous when we talk abouc things happening in a period around now {for example, today / this week / this evening etc.) © “You're working hard today.’ “Yes, [have a lot to do.’ (not ‘you work hard today’) © ‘Is Susan working this week?” ‘No, she’s on holiday.” ‘We use the present continuous when we talk about changes happening around now: © The population of the world is rising very fast. (not ‘rises"} © Ts your English getting better? (not ‘does your English get better’) Present continuous and present simple > ESTEE Present continuous for the futurej unit » EXERCISES 1 Complete the sentences with one of the following verbs in the correct form: come get happen look make start stay try wore 1 ‘You reworking. hard today.’ “Yes, [have a lot to do.” ia for Christine. Do you know where she is? 3 it dark. Shall Turn om the light? 4 They haven't got anywhere to live at the moment. They nse With friends until they find somewhere. 5 ‘Are you ready, Ann? *Yes, T ss a 6 Have you got an umbrella? It to rain, 7 You ‘a lot of noise, Could you be quieter? Vasa to concentrate 8 Why areall these people here? What Use the words in brackets to complete the questions. this week?” ‘No, he’s on holiday.’ (Colin’work) at me like thac? What's the matter? (youllook) 3 ‘Jenny isa student at university.” ‘Ts she? What ww = P (shefstudy) A cso .. f0 the radio or can I turn it off? (anybodyfisten) 5 How is your English? von Better? (iget) Put the verb into the correct form. Sometimes you need the negative (I'm not doing ete.). 1 T'm tired. I 'm.g0in.. (go) to bed now. Goodnight! 2 Wecan go out now. It..len'tralnina.. (rain) any more, 3 ‘How is your new job?" ‘Not so good at the moment. sow fenjoy) i very much.” 4 Catherine phoned me last night. She’s on holiday in France. She (have) a great time and doesn’t want to come back, 5 want to lose weight, so this week I (eat) lunch, 6 Angela has just started evening classes. She (learn) German, 7 Think Paul and Ann have had an argument. They ssunoninnsne §8BEAK) £0 each, other. Read this conversation between Brian and Sarah. Put the verbs ito the correct forns. saratt Brian! Flow nice to see you! What «) (youldo} these days? BRIAN: 12} cescsnnne (train) to be a supermarket manager. sanazt: Really? What's it Hike? (5) uomnrmnnnnonen (youlenjoy) it? RIAN: It's all right, What about you? sanatt: Well, actually [cay swe (novwork) at the moment. Us) noonnnn (Q4Y) €0 find a job but it’s not easy. But Pm very busy. [6 : (decorate) my flat. BRAK: 0) (you/do) it alone? sana: No, some friends Of MiN€ 8} susninnannennnennenssannes (HELP Me. Complete the sentences using one of these verbs: get change rise fall increase You don’t have to use all the verbs and you can use a verb more than once. 4. The population of the world ..l¢tleina,. very fast. 2 Ken is still ill but he better slowly. 3 The world . ‘Things never stay the same, 4 The cost of living Every year things are more expensive. 5 ‘The economic situation is already vecy bad and it worse.Present simple (I do) Seudy this example situation: Alex is a bus driver, but now he isin bed asleep. So: He is not driving a bus. (He is asleep.) but He drives a bus. (He is a bus driver.) Drive(syfwork(sy/dotes} etc. is the present simple: Uwelyoulthey —_ drive/work/do etc. heishefic “drivesfworksidoes ete. We use the present simple to talk about things in general. We are not thinking only about now. We use it to say that something happens all the time or repeatedly, or that something is true in general It is not importanc whether the action is happening at the time of speaking: © Nurses look after patients in hospitals. © Lusually go away at weekends, © The earth goes round the san. Remember that we say: he/she/it -s. Don’t forget the s: © L work... but He works... They teach... but My sister teaches... For spelling {-s or -es), see Appendix 6, ‘We use do/does to make questions and negative sentences do | weryouthey NOE | | uwelyouthey | don'e | ork docs | he/shefit ter hhelsherit | doesn’ | Tcome from Canada, Where do you come from? “Would you like a cigarette?” ‘No, thanks, I don’t smoke.” What does this word mean? (not “What means this word?) Rice doesn't grow in cold climates In the following examples do is also the main verb: © “What do you do?” = What's your job?}‘Lwork ina shop.’ © He's so lazy. He doesn’t do anything to help me. (not ‘He doesn’t anything’) ‘We use the present simple when we say how often we do things: © Lect up at 8 o'clock every morning, (ror ‘I'm getting”) © How often do you go to the dentist? (not ‘How often are you going?) © Ann doesn’t drink tea very often. © In summer John usually plays tennis once or twice a week. I promise /1 apologise etc. Sometimes we do things by saying something. For example, when you promtise to do something, you can say “I promise,..’; when you suggest something, you can say “I suggest..". We use the present simple (promise/suggest etc.) in sentences like th © I promise Iwon't be late. (tof ‘Pm promising”) © “What do you suggest I do?” ‘I suggest that yo In the same way we say: I apologise... /L advise... Magree... | T refuse... ete Prosent simple and present continuous +ETRRaad Present simple for the future ASE)unin EXERCISES 9 Complete the sentences using one of the following: cause{s) lose(s) drink(s) five(s) open(s) spealee} take(s) place 1 Ann peaks... German very well, 4 Bad driving many accidents. 2 [ner sn noonnnnnnnnan SFE, 5 My parents... ina very 3 The swimming pool at small flat. 9 o'clock and at 18.30 6 The Olympic Games sermsennnnn every day. every four years. Put the verb into the correct form. 1 Jane ..dogentt.drink... (novidrink} tea very often. 2 What time ..... {the banks / close) in Britain? 3 Where sannsnscnnsnnesmnmieninmnnennnnnnnnne (Mattinicome) from? “He's Scottish.” 4 ‘What (youldo)? ‘Pman electrical engineer.’ 5 Thee (take) me an hour to get to work. How long, eee ivtake) you? 61 * {play} the piano but | (not/play} very well, 7 [don't understand this sentence, What {this wordimean)? Use one of the following verbs to complete these sentences. Sometimes you need the negative: believe cat flow go grow make rise tell translate 1 ‘The earch ..g9e8.. round the sun. 7 An interpreter from one 2 Rice...deaen's-ataW... in Britain, language into another. 3 The sun... 8 Aliaris someone who... 4 Bees the truth. 5 Vegetarians... 9 The River Amaz0M on snnn - into 6 Anatheist the Atlantic Ocean, ‘Ash Liz questions about herself and her family. 1 You know that Liz plays tennis. You want to know how often. Ask her. How often ..40.you play tenmle?. 2 Pechaps Liz’s sister plays tennis too. You want to know. Ask Liz. your sister 3 You know that Liz reads a newspaper every day. You want to know which one. Ask her. 4 You know that Liz's brother works. You want to know what he does. Ask Liz. 5 You know that Liz goes to the cinema a lot. You want to know how often. Ask her. 6 You don’t know where Liz’s mother lives. Ask Liz. Complete using one of the following: Japologise insist I promise recommend — Hrggent 1 Irs a nice day. ...eugge#®... we go out for a walk. 2 Twon't tell anybody what you said, 3 (ima restaurant) You must let me pay for the meal. An for what I said about you. Ie wasn’t true and I shouldn't have said it, 5. The new restaurant in Fill Street is very g00d. ssonsmnmnnsns iecg #3) Present continuous and present simple (1) (Lam doing and I do) EN) Study the explanations and compare the examples: Present continuous (Lam doing) Present simple (I do) Use the continuous for something that is] Use the simple for things in general or things happening at or around the time of speaking. | that happen repeatedly. The action is not finished. --1do -- past 01 Future | past ow © The water is boiling. Can you turn it off? | © Water boils at 100 degrees celsins. © Listen to those people. What language ate | ® Excuse me, do you speak English? they speaking? © Let’s go ont. It isn't raining now. © Ic doesn’t rain very much in summer. © ‘Don't disturb me. Pm busy.” “Why? | © What do you usually do at weekends? ‘What are you doing” © What do you do? {= What's your job?) © I'm going to bed now. Goodnight! © Lalways go to bed before midnight. © Maria is in Britain at the moment. She's | ® Most people learn to swim when they are learning English. children. Use the continuous for a femporary Use the simple for a permanent situation: situation: © Tm living with some friends until Tfind a | ® My parents live in London, They have flat. lived there all their lives, © “You're working hard today.’ ‘Yes, Pve | © John isn’t lazy. He works very hard most gota lor to do.” of the time, See Unit 1 for more information. See Unit 2 for more information, 1) Talways do and I'm always doing Usually we say ‘always do something’ (=I do it every time}: © always go to work by car. (not ‘I'm always going’) ‘You can also say ‘T'm always doing something’, but this has a different meaning. For example: ‘Tim always losing things’ does not mean that [lose things every time. Ir means that [lose things too offer, ‘more often than normal. =O “You're always -ing’ means that you do somet very often, more often than the speaker thinks is normal or reasonable, | © You're always watching television. You should do something more active. © John is never satisfied, He’s always complaining, Present continuous and simple (2)--FITEY Present tenses forthe tutueo ~ RTEREDvar EXERCISES 3 Are the underlined verbs right or wrong? Correct the verbs that are wrong. Water boils at 100 degrees celsius. RIGHT. The water boils. Can you eurn it off? WRONG: ia boiling Look! That man ities to open the door of your car. Can you hear those people? What de they talk about? ‘The moon goes round the eat. I must go now. lt gets late. usually go to work by car ‘Hurry up! Irs time to leave.’ ‘OK, I gome.” Thear you've got a new job. How do you ect on? Put the verb in the correct form, present continuous or present simple. 1 Let's go out. f..tenerainina...{not/rain) now. 2 Jolia is very good at languages. She ..2peake.. (speak) four languages very well. 3 Hurry up! Everybody wait) for you. 4 - sonneon f¥Ouslisten} to the radio?” ‘No, you can turn it off.” Ss (youllisten) to the radio every day?” ‘No, just occasionally.” 6 The River Nile {flow} into the Mediterranean, 7 Look at the river. It... {flow} very fast today ~ much faster than sual. 8 We usually (grow) vegetables in our garden but this year we (not/gcow) any. 9 ‘How is your English?” ‘Not bad. It (improve) slowly.” 10 Ron is in London at the moment. He (stay) at the Park Hotel. He {always/stay) there when he's in London, 11 Can we stop walking soon? I (start) to feel tired, 12 ‘Can you drive? Tac wnone vv (learn}. My father... (teach) me.” 13 Normally Toscononn (finish) work at 5.00, bur this week I scnnnvnis {WOEK) Until 6.00 to earn a bit more money. 14 My parents (live} in Bristol. They were born there and have never lived gee ee. Wher nn (your parentslive)? 415 Sonia ook} for a place to live. She .. (stay} with her sister until she finds somewhere. 16 What .nenencnsinanmnnnnnen (Fur fatherido}? ‘He's an architect but he (morAvork} at the moment? 17 (@ta party) Usually 1 (enjoy) parties bur I {notfenjoy) this one very much 18 The train is never late. It {alwaysfleave) on time. 19 Jims very untidy. He... «nnn (always/leave} his things all over the place. Finish B's sentences. Use always -ing (see Section B). 1 a: Pm afraid Pve lost my key again. Not againt . You're always losing your key, : The car has broken down again. : That car is useless! Ie Look! You've made the same mistake again. : Oh no, not again! T. ‘Oh, Pve left the lights on again. ‘Typicalt You