Present Simple or Present

Continuous?
Introduction
The simple present tense is often confused with the present continuous tense. This
page will explain when to use each one.
1. The simple present tense
The simple present tense is used for two main types of action:
Habits Actions which happen 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:
Type of
action
Examples Explanations
Habit
oung!"i goes to class
every day.
#$very day% is a ha&it.
't rains a lot in (ancouver. This means that it rains often.
Santos always talks a&out
his family.
#Always% means this is a ha&it.
)erry spends *hristmas
with his parents.
This implies that he spends *hristmas
with his parents every year.
State +ianca lives in ,lorida. This is a state, &ecause it doesn-t change.
)ean!.aul has red hair.
Someone-s hair colour doesn-t usually
change.
"artin likes chocolate. /hen we like something, usually we will
always like it.
Anna &elieves in 0od.
+eliefs and opinions are states. They don-t
often change.
2. The present continuous tense
The present continuous tense is used for two main types of action:
temporary action
happenin! no"
Something which is !oin! on ri!ht no" (&ut it will
stop in the future)
definite plan for the future Something we intend to do, usually in the near future
1ere are some examples:
Type of action Examples Explanations
Temporary action
happenin! ri!ht no"
)ohn is winning the
game.
2ight now, )ohn is winning, &ut the
game isn-t finished yet.
't-s raining outside.
't-s raining right now (&ut it may stop
soon).
Soraya-s working in
the li&rary.
She-s working there right now.
Sihol is spending
*hristmas with his
family.
1e-s spending *hristmas with his
family right now, this year. ("ay&e
next year he won-t.)
#efinite plan for the
future
'-m playing soccer
tomorrow.
This plan is already arranged and
definite.
Sarah-s leaving for
San ,rancisco on
,riday.
She has pro&a&ly already &ought her
ticket.
The 3lympics are
taking place here next
year.
This is already certain.
'-m having a party All the plans have &een made.
next week.
/hen you are sure that you understand the lesson, you can continue with the
exercises.
Present Simple or Present Continuous?
Choose the correct form for each $erb.
*lick on the &utton &eside the correct answer.
Show one at a time
4. 3nce a week, ' 55555555 to an art class at the college.
4. 6 go
7. 6 am going
7. ' 55555555 to Toronto next Thursday. 8o you want to come6
4. 6 go
7. 6 am going
9. "arie!*laude isn-t a *anadian. ' 55555555 she comes from ,rance.
4. 6 &elieve
7. 6 am &elieving
:. ;ook< )unko 55555555 into the water.
4. 6 =umps
7. 6 is =umping
>. ' 55555555 lunch in the cafeteria every day.
4. 6 have
7. 6 am having
?. Salman is rich @ he 55555555 a "ercedes.
4. 6 drives
7. 6 is driving
A. ' 55555555 you-re craBy<
4. 6 think
7. 6 am thinking
C. 8on-t give )an any cheese. She 55555555 it<
4. 6 hates
7. 6 is hating
D. ou won-t find )erry at home right now. 1e 55555555 in the li&rary.
4. 6 studies
7. 6 is studying
4E. 't 55555555 Fuite hard @ perhaps we shouldn-t go out tonight.
4. 6 snows
7. 6 is snowing
Present Simple or Present Continuous?
Put the $erb in brac%ets in the correct form &present simple or present
continuous'.
Type all of your answers and click on G*heckG.
Hext week, my friends and ' (go) camping in the woods. '
(organiBe) the food, &ecause ' (like) cooking. 8ave (have)
a &ig car with a trailer, so he (plan) the transportation. Sam
(&ring) the tent @ he (go) camping every year, so he (have) a great tent
and lots of other eFuipment. "y wife (think) we-re craBy. She (like)
holidays in comforta&le hotels, so she (take) a trip to .aris instead.
(erb Tense Exercise 1
Simple Present ) Present Continuous
Ising the words in parentheses, complete the text &elow with the appropriate tenses,
then click the G*heckG &utton to check your answers.
4. $very "onday, Sally (drive) her kids to foot&all practice.
7. Isually, ' (work) as a secretary at A+T, &ut this summer ' (study)
,rench at a language school in .aris. That is why ' am in .aris.
9. Shhhhh< +e Fuiet< )ohn (sleep) .
:. 8on-t forget to take your um&rella. 't (rain) .
>. ' hate living in Seattle &ecause it (rain, always) .
?. '-m sorry ' can-t hear what you (say) &ecause every&ody (talk)
so loudly.
A. )ustin (write, currently) a &ook a&out his adventures in Ti&et. '
hope he can find a good pu&lisher when he is finished.
C. )im: 8o you want to come over for dinner tonight6
8enise: 3h, '-m sorry, ' can-t. ' (go) to a movie tonight with some friends.
D. The &usiness cards (&e, normally ) printed &y a company in Hew ork.
Their prices (&e) inexpensive, yet the Fuality of their work is Fuite good.
4E. This delicious chocolate (&e) made &y a small chocolatier in Jurich,
SwitBerland.
PRESENT SIMPLE
1. Write the HE/SHE/IT forms
catch read come run
cook smoke drink stand
fetch start fix touch
live watch miss wish
rush write buy carry
copy enjoy fry marry
play study try
2. Write the verb in the right form
1. Children ................................ (ask) a lot of questions.
2. he .................................. (!o) to colle!e on her bike.
". # lot of birds .............................. (fly) south in the winter.
$. he ..................................... (study) very hard at the weekends.
%. &y father .............................. (watch) television most evenin!s.
'. (e ................................... (understand) #rabic.
). (e ........................................ (fi!ht) with his brother.
*. +i! do!s............................ (like) a lot of exercise.
,. (e-s very nau!hty . he ............................ (push) other children.
1/. 0essons ................................. (start) at *."% every mornin!.
3. Choose one verb to m!e e"h senten"e negtive
e.!. 1t doesn-t snow very often in an 2rancisco (snow3 sin!3 play)
1. 1 like football3 but 1 ............................................ cricket at all. (think3 like3
remember)
2. he lives in 4apan3 but she ...................................... a word of 4apanese (sin!3
work3 speak)
". 1-m sorry . 1 ................................. your name. (eat3 remember3 work)
$. (e works in 5ew 6ork3 but 1 .................................... what he does. (know3 use3
come)
%. &ary-s really tired3 but she ...................................... to !o to bed. (help3 want3
walk)
'. 7e .......................................... a bi! flat . just one bedroom. (work3 play3 want)
). 8hil ..................................... very hard3 but he makes a lot of money. (work3 stand3
stop)
*. #nn-s parents ................................... 1-m the ri!ht man for their dau!hter.
(write3 read3 think)
#. $ M!e %&estions
1. (ow 9 you pronounce 9 this word:
2. (ow 9 you spell 9 that:
". 7hat 9 this word 9 mean:
$. (ow much 9 they cost:
%. 7here 9 you live:
'. 7hat 9 you do:
). (ow 9 you do:
*. 7hat time 9 the plane 9 leave:
,. 7hat time9 the class 9 start:
1/. 7hat time 9 the train 9 arrive:
b$ M!e %&estions. Write the short ns'er ( ) n* +$
1. he 9 live 9 with her parents:
2. 6ou 9 like 9 your new job:
". 1 9speak 9 !ood 1talian:
$. ;hey 9work 9 hard 9 at university:
%. 7e 9usually !ive9 her a birthday present:
'. 6our sister 9 help 9 you 9 very much:
). #lan 9smoke:
PRESENT C,NTIN-,-S
1. Write the .IN/ 0,RM of these verbs.
+reak clean wash live
Come die enjoy !o
&ake play sin! jump
7rite start !et feel
+e!in put hit rain
<ob shop dream sleep
hout sit stand talk
;urn open visit for!et
2. 0i11 in the b1n!s 'ith the verbs in the 2resent "ontin&o&s tense
1. 4ohn and 1 ...................................... (stay) in a beautiful hotel.
2. =evin .......................................... (work) at home today.
". 1 ...................................... (wait) for a very important letter.
$. 6ou ...................................... (walk) too fast.
%. 7e ........................................... (plan) our next holiday.
'. ;he !irls ............................................ (visit) their !randmother today.
). he ....................................... (read) in her bedroom at the moment.
*. ;he baby ...................................... (learn) how to walk.
3. Re'rite the senten"es in the negtive. -se the 2resent "ontin&o&s
1. ;hey .......................................... (buy) a new car.
2. (e ............................................... (learn) to read.
". 1 .................................................. ( look) for your keys.
$. 7e ............................................... (sell) the house.
%. ;hey ........................................ (drink) tea.
'. 6ou ....................................... (work) very hard.
). 4ack and 4ill ....................................... (run) downhill.
*. 1 ....................................... (!o) home now.
#. 3$ Write the %&estions. -se the 2resent "ontin&o&s
1. 7hat 94essica 9 do:
2. 7hy 9 4ohn and 8atrick 9 lau!h:
". 7hat book 9 you 9 read:
$. 7hat 9 we 9 watch:
%. 7here 9 they 9 stay:
'. 7hy 9 we 9 sit in the dark:
). 7here 9 they 9 wait:
*. 7hat 9 you 9 sell:
b$ M!e %&estions. Write the short ns'er ( ) n* +$
1. 1t 9 rain:
2. 6ou 9 learn 9 2rench 9 at school:
". 1 9speak 9 clearly:
$. #n!ela and 2red 9 dance 9 to!ether:
%. ;he plane 9 land9 now:
'. ;he miths 9 plan 9 a party:
). ;he children 9 study 9 in their bedroon:
*. Chris 9 wave9 at us:
14 PRESENT SIMPLE
M!e P,SITI5E4 INTERR,/3TI5E n* NE/3TI5E senten"es. 3** SH,RT
3NSWERS ( ) 3N6 . 3NSWERS$
1. ;hey (smoke)
2. #nn (teach) chemistry.
". ;he >xford bus (stop) here.
$. ;he teachers (know) her.
%. 6ou (play) the piano.
'. 4ohn (work) in a restaurant.
). 7e (need) more e!!s.
*. &ary (like) parties.
,. 8eter (speak) ?n!lish well.
1/. ;he ticket (cost) @%.
11. 6ou (speak) #rabic.
12. 7e (a!ree) about most thin!s.
1". #lan and 4ohn (live) near me.
1$. &y father (write) novels.
1%. 4ohn (fly) to 56 every &onday.
1'. ;hat child (never 9say) ;hank you.
1). #ndy (always9wash) his clothes at the weekend.
1*. &y father (teach) ?n!lish.
1,. &y boss (think) you-re wonderful.
2/. he (try) to !o skiin! every winter.
2. PRESENT C,NTIN-,-S
M!e P,SITI5E4 INTERR,/3TI5E n* NE/3TI5E senten"es. 3** SH,RT
3NSWERS ( ) 3N6 . 3NSWERS$
1. #nn (read) the newspaper.
2. ;he baby (cry).
". 1t (snow).
$. 6ou (look) very beautiful today.
%. 1 (play) a lot of football this year.
'. 7e (wait) for a phone call.
). (e (listen) to me.
*. he (wear) a coat.
,. ;hey (learn) very much.
1/. 6ou (eat) bread these days.
11. 6our boyfriend (enjoy) the concert.
12. 7e (!o) too fast.
1". ;he children (make) somethin!.
1$. +ill (write) somethin! on the wall.
1%. 1 (cook) rice toni!ht.
3. M!e %&estions for the ns'ers 2rovi*e*
1. ;he 8resident and his wife live in &adrid.
2. 8eter and #nn-s children play football on aturdays.
". ;he film about skiin! in 5ew Aealand starts at *.//.
$. ;he second word in the first sentence means Bkind-.
%. ;he man in the flat downstairs wants to chan!e his job.
'. # ticket for aturday-s concert costs C 1%.
#. Com21ete the "onverstion 2&tting the verbs into the 2resent "ontin&o&s n*
"om21eting the short ns'ers 'ith 3M4 IS 4 3RE (N,T$
#D o what ........................................ (happen): ........................................... (they9have) a
party:
+D 6es3 they ......................
#D #nd what ................................................................ (they9do):
+D 7ell3 a few of them .............................................. (dance)
#D ........................................................................ (&um and Ead) dance:
+D 6es3 &um ............................ but Ead ........................ (e .......................................(talk) to
Fncle 4ack and they ..............................................(lau!h) a lot.
#D 1s #unty 0inda there:
+D 6es3 she ...................... he ......................................(dance) with +rian from next door.
>h3 and Ead ......................................(!ive) everyone a drink.
#D ...............................................(they9eat):
+D >nly crisps and nuts and some cheese.
#D and we..................................................(not9eat) anythin!. 1t-s not fair.
7. W,R6 ,R6ER.
$ Re'rite these senten"es in"1&*ing the 'or* in br"!ets
1. &y brother speaks to me (never)
2. usan is polite. (always)
". Eo you finish work at % o-clock: (usually)
$. 1 !o to bed before midni!ht. (rarely)
%. ;he bus isn-t late. (usually)
'. 1 don-t eat fish. (often)
). 7hat do you have for breakfast: (usually)
*. 1s ;ina here: (already)
,. ;hey stay in the same hotel. (always)
1/. Eoes 4anet work in the same place: (still)
b$ Write the fo11o'ing senten"es in the "orre"t or*er
1. (to work 9 every day9 walks 9 0iG)
2. (!oes 9 every year 9 to 1taly 9 4ulia)
". (#nn 9 very well 9 2rench 9 doesn-t speak)
$. (every day9 do 9 the same thin! 9 we)
%. ( football 9 don-t like 9 very much 9 1)
'. (watch9 when 9 you 9 ;H9 do):
). ( hun!ry91 9 the 9in 9 am 9 mornin! 9 always)
*. ( Eave 9 in 9 4ane 9 that 9 never 9 restaurant 9 and 9 eat)
,. ( weekend 9 tennis 9 do 9 play 9 the 9 you 9 at 9 ever):
1/. (sometimes 9 park 9 unday 9 the 9 we 9 on 9 to 9 !o)
11. (usually 9 the 9 Claire 9 bus 9 !ets 9 to 9 school)