Present continuous and present simple (2)

   (I am doing and I do)

A. We use continuous tenses only for actions and happenings (they are eating/it is raining etc.).

    Some verbs (for example, know and like) are not action verbs. You cannot say 'I am knowing' or, they are liking'; you can only say 'I know', 'they like'.

  The following verbs are not normally used in continuous tenses:

  like  love  hate  want  need  prefer  know  realize  suppose  mean  understand  believe  remember  belong  contain  consist  depend  seem

  * I'm hungry. I want something to eat. (not 'I'm wanting')

  * Do you understand what I mean?

  * Ann doesn't seem very happy at the moment.

    When think means 'believe', do not use the continuous:

  * What do you think (= believe) will happen? (not 'what are you thinking')

    but * You look serious. What are you thinking about? (= What is going on in your mind?)

  * I'm thinking of giving up my job. (= I am considering)

 

    When have means 'possess' etc., do not use the continuous (see Unit 17):

  * We're enjoying our holiday. We have a nice room in the hotel. (not 'we're having')

    but * We're enjoying our holiday. We're having a great time.

    B. See  hear  smell  taste

  We normally use the present simple (not continuous) with these verbs:

  * Do you see that man over there? (not 'are you seeing')

  * This room smells. Let's open a window.

   We often use can + see/hear/smell/taste:

  * Listen! Can you hear something?

  But you can use the continuous with see (I'm seeing) when the meaning is 'having a meeting with' (especially in the future--see Unit 19A):

  * I'm seeing the manager tomorrow morning.

    C. He is selfish and He is being selfish

  The present continuous of be is I am being/he is being/you are being etc.

  I'm being = 'I'm behaving/I'm acting'. Compare:

  * I can't understand why he's being so selfish. He isn't usually like that. (being selfish = behaving selfishly at the moment)

  but * He never thinks about other people. He is very selfish. (not 'he is being') (= he is selfish generally, not only at the moment)

  We use am/is/are being to say how somebody is behaving. It is not usually possible in other sentences:

  * It's hot today. (not 'it is being hot')

  * Sarah is very tired. (not 'is being tired')

    D. Look and feet

  You can use the present simple or continuous when you say how somebody looks or feels now:

  * You took well today. or You're looking well today.

  * How do you feel now? or How are you feeling now?

  but * I usually feel tired in the morning. (not 'I'm usually feeling')

     

EXERCISES

  4.1 Are the underlined verbs right or wrong? Correct the ones that are wrong.

  1. I'm seeing the manager tomorrow morning.  RIGHT

  2. I'm feeling hungry. Is there anything to eat?  --- wrong, I feel hungry

  3. Are you believing in God?  --- wrong, do you believe in God? no I’m an atheist

  4. This sauce is great. It's tasting really good.  --- - wrong, it tastes really good.

  5. I'm thinking this is your key. Am I right?  --- wrong, I think

  4.2 Look at the pictures. Use the words in brackets to make sentences. (You should also study Unit 3 before you do this exercise.)

  1. (you/not/seem/very happy today)  You don't seem very happy today.

  2. (what/you/do?) ---what are you doing?

       Be quiet! (I/think)  ---I’m thinking

 

  3. (who/this umbrella/belong to?)  --- To whom does this umbrella belong ?

      I've no idea.

 

  4. (the dinner/smell/good)  ---The dinner smells good.

  5. Excuse me. (anybody/sit/here?)  ---Is anybody sitting here?

      No, it's free

  6. Can you ring me back in half an hour? (I/have/dinner)  ---I’m having dinner

  4.3 Put the verb into the correct form, present continuous or present simple.

  1. Are you hungry? Do you want  something to eat? (you/want)

  2. Jill is interested in politics but she --- to a political party. (not/belong) does not belong to 

  3. Don't put the dictionary away. I --- it. (use) I’m using it

  4. Don't put the dictionary away. I --- it. (need) I need it.

  5. Who is that man? What ---? (he/want) does he want

  6. Who is that man? Why --- at us? (he/look) is he looking

  7. George says he's 80 years old but nobody --- him. (believe) - believes

  8. She told me her name but I --- it now. (not/remember) – don’t remember

  9. I --- of selling my car. (think) Would you be interested in buying it? Am thinking

10. I --- you should sell your we car. (think) You --- it very often. (not/use) think, don’t use

11. I used to drink a lot of coffee but these days I --- tea. (prefer) prefer 

12. Air --- mainly of nitrogen and oxygen. (consist) consists 

4.4 Complete the sentences using the most suitable form of be. Sometimes you must use the simple (am/is/are) and sometimes the continuous is more suitable (am/is/are being).

  1. I can't understand why he's being so selfish. He isn't usually like that. 

  2. Jack --- very nice to me at the moment. I wonder why. – was being 

  3. You'll like Jill when you meet her. She --- very nice. - is

  4. Normally you are very sensible, so why --- so silly about this matter? Are you being

  5. Why isn't Sarah at work today? --- ill? – Is she being 

Present continuous and present simple

(I am doing and I do)

A. Study the explanations and compare the examples:

      Present continuous (I am doing)

                      Use the continuous for something that is happening at or around the time of      
       speaking.

  The action is not finished.

  I am doing (now)

  * The water is boiling. Can you turn it off?

  * Listen to those people. What language are they speaking?

  * Let's go out. It isn't raining now.

  * 'Don't disturb me. I'm busy.' 'Why? What are you doing?'

  * I'm going to bed now. Goodnight!

  * Maria is in Britain at the moment. She's learning English.

Use the continuous for a temporary situation:

  * I'm living with some friends until I find a flat.

  * 'You're working hard today.' 'Yes, I've got a lot to do.'
  See Unit I for more information.

Present simple (I do)

  Use the simple for things in general or things that happen repeatedly.
  I do

  * Water boils at 100 degrees celsius.

  * Excuse me, do you speak English?

  * It doesn't rain very much in summer.

  * What do you usually do at weekends?

  * What do you do? (= What's your job?)

  * I always go to bed before midnight.

  * Most people learn to swim when they are children.

Use the simple for a permanent situation:

  * My parents live in London. They have lived there all their lives.

  * John isn't lazy. He works very hard most of the time.

  See Unit 2 for more information.

B. I always do and I'm always doing

  Usually we say 'I always do something' (= I do it every time):

  * I always go to work by car. (not 'I'm always going')

  You can also say 'I'm always doing something', but this has a different meaning. For example:

  I've lost my key again. I'm always losing things.

  'I'm always losing things' does not mean that I lose things every time. It means that I lose things too often, more often than normal.

  'You're always ~ing' means that you do something 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.

    EXERCISES

3.1 Are the underlined verbs right or wrong? Correct the verbs that are wrong.

1. Water boils at 100 degrees celsius.  RIGHT

2. The water boils. Can you turn it off?  WRONG: is boilling

3. Look! That man tries to open the door of your car.  --- wrong, is trying

4. Can you hear those people? What do they talk about?  --- wrong, are they talking

5. The moon goes round the earth.  ---right

6.  I must go now. It gets late.  --- wrong, is getting

7.  I usually go to work by car.  --- right

8. 'Hurry up! It's time to leave.' 'OK, I come.'  --- wrong, am coming

9. I hear you've got a new job. How do you get on?  --- wrong, are you getting on

3.2 Put the verb in the correct form, present continuous or present simple.

1. Let's go out. It isn't raining (not/rain) now.

2. Julia is very good at languages. She speaks (speak) four languages very well. 

3. Hurry up! Everybody --- (wait) for you. – is waiting 

4. '--- (you/listen) to the radio?' 'No, you can turn it off.' – Are you listening 

5. '--- (you/listen) to the radio every day?' 'No, just occasionally.' – Do you listen

6. The River Nile --- (flow) into the Mediterranean. - flows

7. Look at the river. It --- (flow) very fast today - much faster than usual. – is flowing

8. We usually --- (grow) vegetables in our garden but this year we --- (not/grow) any. 
     –grow, are not growing

 9. 'How is your English?' 'Not bad. It --- (improve) slowly.' Is improving

10. Ron is in London at the moment. He --- (stay) at the Park Hotel. He --- (always/stay)
         there when he's in London. – is staying, always stays
 
11. Can we stop walking soon? I --- (start) to feel tired. – am starting

12. 'Can you drive?' 'I --- (learn). My father --- (teach) me.' – am learning, is teaching

13. Normally I --- (finish) work at 5.00, but this week I --- (work) until 6.00 to earn a bit
        more money. – finish, am working

14. My parents --- (live) in Bristol. They were born there and have never lived
        anywhere else. Where --- (your parents/live)? Live, do your parents live


15. Sonia --- (look) for a place to live. She --- (stay) with her sister until she finds  some 

    where.

    - is looking , is staying

16. 'What --- (your father/do)?' 'He's an architect but he --- (not/work) at the moment.'

    - does your father do, is not working

17. (at a party) Usually I --- (enjoy) parties but I --- (not/enjoy) this one very much.

    - enjoy, am not enjoying

18. The train is never late. It --- (always/leave) on time.

     Always leaves

19. Jim is very untidy. He --- (always/leave) his things all over the place.

     - is always leaving

  3.3 Finish B's sentences. Use always ~ing (see Section B).

  1.  A: I'm afraid I've lost my key again.
       B: Not again! You're always losing your key.

  2.  A: The car has broken down again.

    B: That car is useless! It ---

             Is always breaking down

  3. A: Look! You've made the same mistake again.

   B: Oh no, not again! I ---

             Am always making the same mistake

  4. A: Oh, I've left the lights on again.
      B: Typical! You --- 

               are always leaving the lights on

Present simple (I do)

 A. Study this example situation:

  Alex is a bus driver, but now he is in bed asleep. So: He is not driving a bus. (He is asleep.) but He drives a bus. (He is a bus driver.)

  Drive(s)/work(s)/do(es) etc. is the present simple:

  I/we/you/they  drive/work/do etc.

  he/she/it  drives/works/does etc.

    B. 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 important whether the action is happening at the time of speaking:

  * Nurses took after patients in hospitals.

  * I usually go away at weekends.

  * The earth goes round the sun.

  Remember that we say: he/she/it -s. Don't forget the s:

  I work ... but He works ... They teach ... but My sister teaches ...

  For spelling (-s or -es), see Appendix 6.

    C. We use do/does to make questions and negative sentences:

  do I/we/you/they work?/come?/do?

  does he/she/it work?/come?/do?

  I/we/you/they don't work/come/do

  he/she/it doesn't work/come/do

  * I come 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?) 'I work in a shop.'

  * He's so lazy. He doesn't do anything to help me. (not 'He doesn't anything')

    D. We use the present simple when we say how often we do things:

  * I get up at 8 o'clock every morning. (not '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.

    E. I promise/I apologise etc.

  Sometimes we do things by saying something. For example, when you promise to do something, you can say 'I promise ...'; when you suggest something, you can say J suggest ...'. We use the present simple (promise/suggest etc.) in sentences like this:

  * I promise I won't be late. (not 'I'm promising')

  * 'What do you suggest I do?' 'I suggest that you ...'

  In the same way we say: I apologize .../I advise .../I insist .../I agree ... /I refuse ... etc.

EXERCISES

  2.1 Complete the sentences using one of the following:

  cause(s)  close(s)  drink(s)  live(s)  open(s)  speak(s)  take(s)  place

  1. Ann speaks German very well.

  2. I never --- coffee. drink

  3. The swimming pool --- at 9 o'clock and --- at 18.30 every day. Opens, closes

  4. Bad driving --- many accidents. causes

  5. My parents --- in a very at small flat. live

  6. The Olympic Games --- every four years. Take place

  2.2 Put the verb into the correct form.

  1. Jane doesn't drink (not/drink) tea very often.

  2. What time --- (the banks/close) in Britain? Do the banks close

  3. 'Where --- (Martin/come) from?' 'He's Scottish.' Does Martin come

  4. 'What --- (you/do)?' 'I'm an electrical engineer.' – do you do

  5. It --- (take) me an hour to get to work. How long --- (it/take) you? – take, does it take

  6. I --- (play) the piano but I --- (not/play) very well. Play , don’t play

  7. I don't understand this sentence. What --- (this word/mean)? Does this word mean

  2.3 Use one of the following verbs to complete these sentences. Sometimes you need the negative:

  believe  eat  flow  go  grow  make  rise  tell  translate

  1. The earth goes round the sun.

  2. Rice doesn't grow in Britain. 

  3. The sun --- in the east. rises

  4. Bees --- honey. - make

  5. Vegetarians --- meat. – don’t eat

  6. An atheist --- in God. doesn’t believe

  7. An interpreter --- from one language into another. translates

  8. A liar is someone who --- the truth. Does not tell

  9. The River Amazon --- into the Atlantic Ocean. flows

  2.4 Ask Liz questions about herself and her family.

  1. You know that Liz plays tennis. You want to know how often. Ask her.

  How often do you play tennis?

  2. Perhaps Liz's sister plays tennis too. You want to know. Ask Liz.

  --- your sister --- - does your sister play tennis?

  3. You know that Liz reads a newspaper every day. You want to know which one. Ask her.

  --- Which newspaper do you read everyday?

  4. You know that Liz's brother works. You want to know what he does. Ask Liz.

  --- - what does your brother do?

  5. You know that Liz goes to the cinema a lot. You want to know how often. Ask her.

   --- How often do you go to the cinema?

  6. You don't know where Liz's mother lives. Ask Liz.

  --- Where does your mother live ?

  2.5 Complete using one of the following.

  I apologize  I insist  I promise  I recommend  I suggest

  1. It's a nice day. I suggest we go out for a walk.

  2. I won't tell anybody what you said. ---. I promise

  3. (in a restaurant) You must let me pay for the meal. ---. – I insist

  4. --- for what I said about you. It wasn't true and I shouldn't have said it. – I apologize

  5. The new restaurant in Hill Street is very good --- it. I recommend

Present continuous (I am doing)

A. Study this example situation:

  Ann is in her car. She is on her way to work.

  She is driving to work.

  This means: she is driving now, at the time of speaking. The action is not finished.

  Am/is/are ~ing is the present continuous:

  I am(= I'm) driving

  he/she/it is(he's etc.) working

  we/you/they are(we're etc.) doing etc.

B. I am doing something = I'm in the middle of doing something; 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.' (not 'she has a bath')

  * Let's go out now. It isn't raining any more. (not 'it doesn't rain')

  * (at a party) Hello, Jane. Are you enjoying the party? (not 'do you enjoy')

  * I'm tired. 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 a cafe. Tom says:

  TOM: I'm reading an interesting book at the moment. IT lend it to you when I've finished it.

  Tom is not reading the book at the time of speaking. He means that he has started it but not finished it yet. He is in the middle of reading it.

  Some more examples:

  * Catherine wants to work in Italy, so she is learning Italian. (but perhaps she isn't learning 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.

    C. We use the present continuous when we talk about things happening in a period around now (for example, today/this week/this evening etc.):

  * 'You're working hard today.'  'Yes, I 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')

  * Is your English getting better? (not 'does your English get better')

    EXERCISES

  1.1 Complete the sentences with one of the following verbs in the correct form:

  come  get  happen  look  make  start  stay  try  work

  1. 'You're working hard today.' 'Yes, I have a lot to do.'

  2. I --- for Christine. Do you know where she is? Am looking

  3. It --- dark. Shall I turn on the light? is getting

  4. They haven't got anywhere to I've at the moment. They --- with friends until they find somewhere.

 Are staying

  5. 'Are you ready, Ann?' 'Yes, I ---.' am coming 

  6. Have you got an umbrella? It --- to rain. Is starting

  7. You --- a lot of noise. Could you be quieter? I --- to concentrate. Are making, am trying

8. Why are all these people here? What ---? Is happening

  1.2 Use the words in brackets to complete the questions.

  1. 'Is Colin working this week?' 'No, he's on holiday.' (Colin/work)

  2. Why --- at me like that? What's the matter? (you/look) are you looking

  3. 'Jenny is a student at university.' 'Is she? What --- ?' (she/study) is she studying

  4. --- to the radio or can I turn it off? (anybody/listen) Is anybody listening 

5. How is your English? --- better? (it/get) Is it getting

  1.3 Put the verb into the correct form. Sometimes you need the negative (I'm not doing etc.).

  1. I'm tired. I'm going (go) to bed now. Goodnight!

  2. We can go out now. it isn't raining (rain) any more.

  3. 'How is your new job?' 'Not so good at the moment. I --- (enjoy) it very much.' ‘m not enjoying

  4. Catherine phoned me last night. She's on holiday in France. She --- (have) a great time and doesn't want to come back. ‘s having

  5. I want to lose weight, so this week I --- (eat) lunch. ‘m not eating

  6. Angela has just started evening classes. She --- (learn) German. ‘s learning

7. I think Paul and Ann have had an argument. They --- (speak) to each other. Aren’t speaking

  1.4 Read this conversation between Brian and Sarah. Put the verbs into the correct form.

  SARAH: Brian! How nice to see you! What (1) --- (you/do) these days?

  BRIAN: I (2) --- (train) to be a supermarket manager.

  SARAH: Really? What's it like? (3) --- (you/enjoy) it?

  BRIAN: It's all right. What about you?

  SARAH: Well, actually I (4) --- (not/work) at the moment.

  I (5) --- (try) to find a job but it's not easy.

  But I'm very busy. I (6) --- (decorate) my flat.

  BRIAN: (7) --- (you/do) it alone?

SARAH: No, some friends of mine (8) --- (help) me.

  1.5 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.

  1. The population of the world is rising 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 very bad and it --- worse.