Present Time

Dragana Filipovic

What is correct?
I am staying / stay at the Imperial Hotel till they get my flat ready. 2. The River Amazon flows / is flowing into the Atlantic Ocean.
1.

Buying a house nowadays becomes / is becoming more and more expensive all the time. 4. We havent decided yet, but we think / are thinking of moving house. 5. Whether we play on Saturday is depending / depends on the weather.
3.

Correct answers
1.

2.
3.

4. 5.

I am staying / stay at the Imperial Hotel till they get my flat ready. The River Amazon flows / is flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. Buying a house nowadays becomes / is becoming more and more expensive all the time. We havent decided yet, but we think / are thinking of moving house. Whether we play on Saturday is depending / depends on the weather.

The Present Simple Tense - Forms

I work He works Do I work ? Does he work ? I dont work He doesnt work I watch He watches Do I watch ? Does he watch ? I dont watch He doesnt watch

3rd person singular - spelling

-s

/ -es
Infinitive + s: gets, works, lives ss, sh, ch, x, o + es: passes, watches, goes Vowel + y + s: stays, plays, pays Consonant + y i + es: cry cries, fly flies, terrify - terrifies

Whats the 3rd person singular?

1.

2.
3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

weigh push sneeze glorify annoy kiss deny marry

1.

2.
3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

weighs pushes sneezes glorifies annoys kisses denies marries

The Present Simple Tense is used to describe:

1.

Facts which are always true general truths, e.g. facts in science and geographical descriptions The light from the Sun takes 8 mins 20 secs to reach the Earth. The River Po flows into the Adriatic Sea. Matter consists of small particles.

The Present Simple Tense is used to describe:

2.

Habitual actions. A frequency adverb is often used. I usually take bus to work. I use my mobile phone every day. Permanent situations. I live in a flat. She works for an insurance company.

3.

The Present Simple Tense is used for:

4. Plot summaries (films, books), sports commentaries and historical tables.

Our hero goes off to search for the treasure, which he eventually finds after many adventures. Zigic passes to Kezman and Kezman scores! 1789. The French Revolution begins.

The Present Simple Tense is used for:

5.

Timetables / programmes (future meaning) The match finishes at 8.45. The plane leaves at 9.15.

Write 8 sentences in Present Simple using the following verbs:

weigh 2. push 3. sneeze 4. glorify
1.

annoy 6. kiss 7. deny 8. marry

5.

Mini-contexts
a) Complete the dialogue. John: _________ usually ___ at Christmas? Dave: I normally go to my parents house.
1.

Is Dave talking about i) one specific Christmas? ii) Christmas holiday in general?

2.

a) Which machine are they talking about?

b) Complete the dialogue. Alan: _______________________ Jill: Well, you press the eject button and then you put the tape in. Then you press the start and record button at the same time.

3.

What is the missing word?

A: Excuse me, I wonder if you can help

me. I want to go to Brighton on Saturday and I want to arrive about midday.

B: About midday? Theres a slow train

that _____ at 10.00. It gets in at 11.45.

4.

Put the words in the correct order.

travels about 107,000 at an Earth km The hour

5. Does this suggest a temporary or a permanent address?

THE AUTHOR: Josceline lives in London with her husband, journalist and broadcaster David Dimbleby, and their three children.

6.

Manchester City once more.

Baker plays it up the line for Tolmey. Tolmey fires a shot but its deflected. Keagan tries to pass it out to Beardsley but doesnt succeed a) Who is speaking? b) Who is he/she speaking to? c) Why is he/she speaking?

7.

Australia mourns

The Guardian

Australia is holding a weekend of national mourning for the 70 victims of the bush fires. An appeal has been launched for 8,000 others left homeless. Page 6. a) What is The Guardian? b) What are the underlined tenses? c) They refer to the same event; why are two tenses used?

Two boys die on mountain

By a Staff Reporter

Two boys believed to be from London died and seven others were injured in the Snowdonia mountain range yesterday. The boys were roped together when one fell d) What are the underlined tenses? e) They refer to the same event; why are two tenses used?

8. a) Dave: Peter tells me you start your holidays on Saturday. John: Thats right. Were going to Venice for a week. Does the verb tells refer to i) the time Dave is speaking? ii) the recent past? iii) the distant past? b) Is the trip already booked?

9.

Rose: Dont forget to send me a postcard when you get there. Andy: No, of course not. Ill send you a card of the Eiffel Tower as soon as I arrive.
Do the underlined parts refer to the present or the future?

a)

b) Complete the missing letters of other conjunctions which we can use here. c) What tenses can we use here?
Ill send you a postcard as soon as I arrive. wh_ _ af _ _ _ onc _ the mom _ _ _ _ _ _ minute the sec _ _ _

10.

a)
b)

Amy: John, have you heard the one about the swimming pool? John: No. Amy: Well, theres this man in a swimming pool and he goes to the top of the diving board and hes just about to dive off when an attendant comes rushing along and says, Theres no water in the pool. Thats alright, says the man. I cant swim anyway! What does the one refer to? Are there any past tenses in the story? If so, what are they? If not, why not?

The Present Continuous Tense

I You We They He She It am m are re is s

standing

The Present Continuous Tense

am not m not are not standing arent is not isnt

Am

You We They He She It

Are

Is

you standing ? we they he she it

VERB + ing
listen + ing = listening die (-iey) + ing = dying write + ing = writing hop + p + ing = hopping travel + l + ing = travelling

Make ing forms of each verb given. begin rub listen lie swim study happen get use admit try decide come put

ing forms
beginning rubbing listening lying swimming studying happening getting using admitting trying deciding coming putting

The Present Continuous Tense is used for

1.

Actions which are happening at or around the moment of speaking. Im doing the washing up. Just now Im waiting to do my military service. She is working very hard nowadays.

The Present Continuous Tense is used for

2.

Temporary situations. At the moment were sending all the mail by courier, because the Post Office is on strike. Im staying with a friend at the moment.

The Present Continuous Tense is used for

3.

Annoying habits. A frequency adverb is necessary (always). You are always borrowing money from me! He is always complaining that waiters are rude.

The Present Continuous Tense is used for

4.

A repeated temporary event. A time expression is necessary. Whenever I see Tom hes smoking. Youre making the same mistake again!

The Present Continuous Tense is used for

Changing or developing situations. His English is getting better. Its getting colder. 6. Fixed arrangements in the near future. They are getting married next week.
5.

Choose the most suitable tense What sort of work do you do / are you doing? b) I cant talk now. I cook / Im cooking the dinner. c) What shall we have? Do you like / Are you liking fish? d) Can I borrow this tape recorder? Or do you use / are you using it?
a)

Answers
What sort of work do you do ? b) I cant talk now. I Im cooking the dinner. c) What shall we have? Do you like fish? d) Can I borrow this tape recorder? Or are you using it?
a)

What do the people here do / are the people here doing in the evenings? f) Follow that bus. Then you turn / you are turning left. g) A lot of people think that the Sun goes / is going around the Earth. h) Excuse me, do you read / are you reading your newspaper? Can I borrow it?
e)

Answers What do the people here do in the evenings? f) Follow that bus. Then you turn left. g) A lot of people think that the Sun goes around the Earth. h) Excuse me, are you reading your newspaper? Can I borrow it?
e)

i) j) k) l)

m)

Do you wait / Are you waiting for the bus to Newcastle? Andy builds / is building his own house in the country. Im sleeping / sleep on Nigels sofa until I find a place of my own. Im only working / only work there for a couple of months because Im going abroad in the summer. You make / are making goulash using meat, vegetables and paprika.

Answers

i)
j) k) l)

m)

Are you waiting for the bus to Newcastle? Andy building his own house in the country. Im sleeping on Nigels sofa until I find a place of my own. Im only working there for a couple of months because Im going abroad in the summer. You make goulash using meat, vegetables and paprika.

Stative or State Verbs

Verbs describing a permanent state do not normally have continuous forms. 1. Verbs of the senses: see, hear, smell, feel, taste 2. Verbs of opinion: agree, believe, consider

Verbs of emotion: feel, forgive, hate, like, love 4. Other verbs: appear (=seem), be, belong, consist (of), contain, fit (=be the right shape and size for sth), have (=possess), know, look (=appear), need,prefer, require, want, weigh, wish
3.

We can use some stative verbs in the Present Continuous when they have different meanings.

She has a pet She is having a dog. (=she owns) good time. (=actively involved in) They think its too They are thinking expensive. of buying a cheaper (=opinion) car. (=considering) I feel what we I am feeling / feel did was wrong. sick. (= physical (=opinion) reaction)

juice tastes Hes tasting the good. (=senses) milk to see if its OK. (=checking the quality)
This

Julia is appearing She appears to at the Odeon on be very upset. Friday. (=appearance) (=performing)

Iove holidays. (in Im loving this general) holiday. (=Im enjoying) Youre seeing I see what you things theres mean. nobody outside. (=understand) (=imagining)
I

He

comes from Spain. (=was born in)

Hes

coming from Spain. (=Hes travelling from) Shes looking at his photos. (=examining)

Your hair looks great. (=it appears)

Complete the sentences using the Present Simple or the Present Continuous of the verbs in brackets.

1.

2.

My sister ___ (wait) patiently for her exam results. We __ (not travel) by train very often.

My sister is waiting patiently for her exam results. 2. We dont travel by train very often.
1.

3.

I __ (consider) accepting that job in Crete.

4.

The film __ (end) with a dramatic car chase.

3.

Im considering accepting that job in Crete.

The film ends with a dramatic car chase.

4.

5.

Im sorry, I __ (feel) too tired to go out this evening.

6.

I cant answer the phone. I __ (have) a bath.

5.

Im sorry, Im feeling / feel too tired to go out this evening. I cant answer the phone. Im having a bath.

6.

7.

__ you __ (see) much of your brother these days?

8.

We __ (rely) on you to bring the keys with you.

7.

Do you see much of your brother these days?

8.

We are relying / rely on you to bring the keys with you.

9.

I __ (wish) people didnt smoke in restaurants.

10.Who

__ you __ (think) you are, speaking to me like that!

9.

I wish people didnt smoke in restaurants.

10.Who

do you think you are, speaking to me like that!

Naughts and crosses Tic-tac-toe

PLAN SMELL HATE

HOPE

THINK

GROW

BE

LOOK

SEE