Present Simple or Present Continuous

Stative verbs

+ V1/Vs

Ex.: I like sports. He plays ice hockey.

- don’t/doesn’t V1

Ex.: We don’t speak French. She doesn’t read fluently.

?

General: Do/Does…V1…? Ex.: Do you like milk?

Does Tom miss classes?

Special: Wh- do/does….V1…? Ex.:When do you get up?

Where does he live?

Who likes carrots?

• Habits -
• How often thing happen -

My father drives to work.

It rains almost every day in the rainforest.

It never snows in the Sahara

desert.

I live in Moscow.

Water boils at 100 degrees C.

I play the piano.

Kitty likes her job.

My train leaves in an hour.

I’ll tell Carrie when I see her.

I promise I will write to you.

(or don’t happen) -

• Permanent situations -
• General truths and facts -
• General abilities -
• States (thoughts, feelings) –
• The future in timetables –
• The future in time clauses –
• In phrases like I promise, I agree,

I refuse -

+ am/is/are Ving

Ex.: Are you reading now?

- am/is/are not Ving

Ex.: He is not cooking dinner.

?

General: Is she sleeping now?

Special: Where are you going?

Who is crying?

• Actions in progress at the moment of speaking -
• Temporary series of actions -
• Temporary situations -

• Look. The bus is coming.
• I’m learning to drive.

We are staying at the Grand Hotel.

Oh! You are always loosing your keys!

We are having a test tomorrow.

The city is getting bigger every year.

• Annoying habits -
• Definite arrangements - and plans for the future –
• Changing situations -

Present simple for

• Situation that we see as temporary(for a short period of time)

• Situation that we see as permanent.

Ex: I’m working at a shop for six weeks.

At the moment they’re living in a very small flat.

Always means “very/too often”

Ex: I’m always making silly mistakes.

Ex: I work at a shop.

They live in a very nice flat.

Always means “ every time”

Ex: I always make silly mistakes in exams.

• Thinking

• Believe, imagine, understand, know
• Love, hate, like, prefer, want, satisfy
• Hear, see, smell, taste, sound
• Seem, resemble, appear, look
• Belong to, own, consist of, include, involve

• Emotions

• The human senses

• Appearance

• Relationships between things

Present continuous

• The milk smells/tastes funny.
• I think you are wrong.(it’s my opinion)
• He looks like his father.
• I see much better with my new glasses.

• I ’m smelling / tasting the milk to see if it is okay.
• I’ m thinking of a new book.
• He is looking at me in a funny way.
• I’ m seeing Debbie tomorrow about the car.