Present Simple

We use the present simple tense to express the following ideas:

1. To state facts or general truths

2. To express habits or customs
3. To relate future plans (often regarding programs and timetables)
4. To tell jokes and stories or to report sporting events in real time.

The most common time expressions in the present simple are: sometimes, often, usually, always,
never, on Wednesdays, every Wednesday, twice a week, once a month, in general, every other
day….

In the present simple 3rd person singular (he, she, it), add s, es, or ies to the base form of the verb.

 To regular verbs just add an s – Ex: travel >travels, give > gives, play >plays
 To verbs that end in s, ss, sh, ch, x, and o, add an es – Ex: wash > washes, mix > mixes, go
>goes
 To verbs end in y after a consonant (any letter that isn’t a vowel), change the y to i and add es.
Ex: study > studies, fly > flies

I/ you/ we/ they go…. I don’t go…. Do you go…? Yes, I do. No, I don’t
She/ he/ it goes…. She doesn’t go.. Does she go…? Yes, she does. No, she doesn’t
1. Mark and Sara ____________ squash twice a week. (play)
2. Sheila ________________ the family accounts. (not do) Her husband does them.
3. _______ Gillian usually__________ clients so late at night? (meet)

1. Every year his family ____________ to Europe for two weeks. (go)
2. Tammy and Jen ______________ a Pilates class on Wednesday mornings.(take)
3. __________ that airline __________ to Paris? (fly)
4. The semester _____________ until the end of June. (not finish)
5. Tony usually _________ to call his mother in the mornings. (try)
6. _______________ for your car expenses? (Who/pay)
7. The shops ___________ until 21:00. (not close)
8. Gerard _________ the ball and __________ it into the net. (receive/kick)
9. _________times a day _____ you _____ your dogs for a walk? (take)
10. ________ he always ________ his cell phone for long distance calls? (use)

The Present Progressive/Continuous/ Tense

To describe an incomplete action which is in progress at the moment of speaking; usually with time
expressions such as: now, at the moment, right now.

1. (During a phone call or in an e-mail) We are discussing the project at the moment.

To describe a plan or arrangement in the near future; usually with time expressions such as: tonight,
tomorrow, this week, this Monday.

1. Jim‘s leaving for Brussels this evening.

To express actions that are repeated regularly; usually with a negative meaning and with the time
expressions: always or forever.

1. Her husband is always complaining about his health.

The present progressive (continuous) is formed using am, is or are together with the ing
(present participle) form of the verb.

I am going … I am not going …. Am I going….? Yes, I am. No, I am not.

You are running You aren’t running.. Are you running ?

She is studying. She isn’t studying Is she studying?

1. The runners ___________________ the finish line. (approach)

2. ______ you ______________ the contract for the client? (prepare)
3. Joyce ______________ in today’s tournament. (not play)

1. The team members ______________ late to finish the bid. (stay)

2. What _______Arnie ____________ over there? (do)
3. _______ you __________ a big wedding? (plan)
4. Tim is helping you put the lights up, ___________?
5. The computers _____ finally ____________ like they’re supposed to. (run)
6. _________ Ann _________ in from New York tonight? (fly)
7. The customers aren’t getting the price quote this week, ____________?
8. I________________ Peter for a drink later. (meet)
9. How much money ________ they _________ in the company?(invest)
10. He ___________ to you. (not lie) He ____________ the truth. (tell)

Present simple or continuous

11. My mother works very hard. She is always very tired when she ....... home in the evening.
[ get ]
12. Eveline ....... English now, but she usually speaks Dutch at home. [ speak ]
13. My friend is very clever. She ....... four languages! [ speak ]
14. Excuse me, but you ....... in my seat. [ sit ]
15. The sun ....... in the east. [ rise ]
16. My brother usually ....... his bike to school, but today he came by car. [ ride ]
17. My father is very conservative. He ....... a black suit to the office every day. [ wear ]
18. Look! It ....... again. Why does it always snow so much in Germany? [ snow ]
19. Listen! Someone ....... on the window. [ knock ]
20. No, you can't have the newspaper. I ....... it! [ read ]
21. My parents always ....... green tea for breakfast, but I don't like it. [ drink ]
22. Chama ....... her teeth every morning after breakfast. [ clean ]
23. Please don't talk to me. I ....... TV! [ watch ]
24. He is very lazy. He never ....... his homework. [ do ]
25. We ....... in a hotel at the moment, but we will soon move into our new house. [ live ]
26. Please be quiet! I ....... to study for my math test. [ try ]
27. I hate it when I ....... a lot of homework. [ get ]
28. People ....... longer than dogs. [ live ]
29. Where's Matthias? He ....... tennis in the sports hall. [ play ]
30. Sorry, Emiko can't come to the phone right now. She ....... a bath. [ have ]

What Tom usually _________/have/ for breakfast?

Mary __________________/go/ to a sports centre once a week.
My aunt __________________/have/ a new hat.
My cousin and I __________________/go/ to the beach right now.
Listen! The phone __________________/ring/ in the living room.
Snow never __________________/fall/ in August,
I __________________/not read/ now.
John __________________/work/ eight hours a day.
Tom ________________/do/ his homework in his room now. He always__________________/do/ it there.
What she_________/do/? – she is reading.
What she _________/do/? – she is a teacher.
The sun always __________________/shine/ in Australia.
What she usually _________/have/ for lunch?
I__________________/sit/ on the chair and __________________/eat/ a banana.
My sister usually __________________/wear/ jeans, but today she __________________/wear/ a skirt
because the sun _________/shine/.
The girls __________________/cry/ now.
He __________________/kiss/ his mum every day.
She usually ______________/sit/ in her room, but today she ________________/sit/ in the living room.
I can't go out because it __________________/rain/.
My sister __________________/not do/ her homework after school.
She __________________/study/ now. She is smart, she always _________________/study/.
How you_________/go/ to school?
My parents __________________ /go/ to the cinema now.
My uncle __________________/try/ to speak English every day.
We __________________ /not watch/ TV every day, but my sister always __________________ /watch/.
She __________________/not like/ to go skating.
In this picture my parents __________________/sit/ on the grass and my brother and I
__________________/play/.
They __________________/not tidy/ their rooms at the moment.
Mary always __________________/have/ breakfast at school, but today she __________________ /have/ at
home.
She can't talk to you because she __________________/sleep/.
Where you_________/go/?
Look! She __________________/jump/ a rope.
My aunts _________________________ /not like/ shopping.

Stative verbs
He _____________ (have) a party at the weekend.
6. This coffee _____________ (not / taste) right.
7. We _____________ (see) John and Susie next weekend.
8. What _____________ (you / think) about the war in Iraq?
9. She _____________ (have) a headache.
10. It _____________ (be) cold today.
11. They _____________ (not / have) a car now.
12. I _____________ (not / see) anything, I can’t work the telescope.
13. The waiter _____________ (taste) the wine now.
14. She _____________ (not / be) a doctor.
15. A: What _____________ (that child / do)? B: He _____________ (be) silly.
16. _____________ (you / be) hungry? _____________ (you / want) a sandwich?
17. A: What _____________ (you / do)?
B: I _____________ (think) about my ex-boyfriend.
18. I _____________ (have) fun today!
19. I _____________ (see) Julie every Tuesday.
20. I _____________ (have) an idea!
21. A: Achoo! B: Bless you! _____________ (you / have) a cold?
22. They often _____________ (see) a film on Fridays.
23. A: How’s the cake? B: It _____________ (taste) funny.
24. _____________ (you / have) a good time at the moment?
25. The chef always _____________ (taste) the food before he serves it.
26. A: Julie has been offered a new job. B: Is she going to take it? A: She _____________ (not / know). She __________
that we are studying now.
2. These flowers (smell) _______________ terrific.
3. Henry is at school now and he (understand) _______________ everything.
4. this milk (taste) _______________ funny. I won’t drink it.
5. Diana (want) _______________ to come over now. Is that all right?
6. There’s a spider in the corner. I (hate) _______________ them.
7. I (hear) _______________ you, but I can’t understand what you are saying.
8. Please give me that book. It (belong) _______________ to me.
9. Moshe (believe) _______________ you, but I know that you are lying.
10. I (think) ___________ that we will get a discount because Talia (know) __________ the manager
1. Although Tom is very ill, he (know) _____________ what (happen) _______________ around him.
2. Of course I (understand) _______________ you, I (listen) _______________, aren’t I?
3. Why don’t you comb your hair? It (look) _______________ awful.
4. I (tell) _______________ the truth. Why (you/not believe) _______________ me?
5. I (enjoy) _______________ myself a lot at the moment. I (like) _______________ Eilat.
6. Why are you so angry? You (look) _____________ awful when you (be) _______________ angry.
7. Can we go somewhere else? I (hate) _______________it here.
8. I (wait) _______________ for David. We (want) _______________ to go swimming.
9. The girl you talked about (sit) _______________ over there. She (seem) _______________ nice
1. Actually, that __________________ (sound) wonderful.
2. We __________________ (cook) right now.
3. I __________________ (promise) to be back soon.
4. Frank and his wife __________________ (disagree) on this matter.
5. He __________________ (own) several large companies.
6. you __________________ (hear) Richard's voice now?
7. you __________________ (study) at the moment?
8. I __________________ (mean) to hurt you.
9. you __________________ (mind) taking out the garbage?
10. I seriously __________________ (doubt) it.

1. you __________________ (recognize) this painting now?

2. He __________________ (appear) a bit snobbish.
3. She __________________ (not wash) the dishes now.
4. it really __________________ (matter) now?
5. Right now it __________________ (seem) cold outside.
6. I __________________ (suppose) we could do that, too.
7. Janet __________________ (not realize) how much he loves her.
8. this dog __________________ (belong) to you?
9. It __________________ (rain) right now.
10. I __________________/not know) the right answer right now.

1. Jessica __________________ (believe) every word.

2. He __________________ (understand) Italian.
3. I __________________ (wish) we could go home now.
4. Right now you __________________ (not listen) to music.
5. Maggie __________________ (hate) bugs.
6. We __________________ (not agree) on this one.
7. I __________________ (dislike) eating fish.
8. Monkeys __________________ (like) bananas.
9. These monkeys __________________ (eat) bananas now.
10. This diet __________________ (consist) of mainly fruit and vegetables.

1. We __________________ (be) at the office right now.

2. I __________________ (see) that you are busy at the moment.
3. We __________________ (have) a coffee.
4. I __________________ (think) that's not true.
5. Joe __________________ (be) silly again.
6. I __________________ (see) Ben. We have a lot of fun together.
7. Your cooking __________________ (taste) great.
8. We __________________ (have) three kids.
9. We __________________ (taste) the cakes now.
10. I __________________ (think) about it at the moment.

She _____________ (have) a bath every evening.

2. My husband _____________ (always / taste) the food while I’m cooking! It’s very annoying.
3. A: Where’s Luke? B: He _____________ (see) the doctor now.

4. I _____________ (not / think) that’s a good idea