Present Simple and Present Continuous

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• Leerjaar 2

Present Simple and Present Continuous

These are two major present tenses in English. 

I go to work every day./ I am going to work now.
The bus comes every 20 minutes./Get ready! The bus is coming.

Present Simple. Formation.

+ I (we/you/they) live here./He (she/it) lives here.
- I (we/you/they) don't live here./He (she/it) doesn't live here.
?1. + Do I (we/you/they) live here?/Does he (she/it) live here?
?1. - Don't I (we/you/they) live here?/Doesn't he (she/it) live here?

?2. + Why do I (we/you/they) live here?/Why does he (she/it) live here?
?2. - Why don't I (we/you/they) live here?/Why doesn't he (she/it) live here?

?3. + You live here, don't you?/She lives here, doesn't she?

?3. - You don't live here, do you?/She doesn't live here, does she?

Cases of use

Present meaning:
# Facts (The Earth goes round the sun.)

#Regular actions with adverbs of frequency (My mother always cooks us breakfast.)

# Life habits/customs/traditions (She brushes her teeth very thorouly . He bakes an apple pie for his wife's birthday.)

With non-continuous verbs (some stative verbs connected with thoughts, ideas, emotions etc.)

Cases of use. Present meaning:

# Facts (The Earth goes round the sun.)

# Regular actions with adverbs of frequency (My mother always cooks us breakfast.)

# Life habits/customs/traditions (She brushes her teeth very thoroughly. He bakes an apple pie for his wife's birthday.) 

# With non-continuous verbs (some stative verbs connected with thoughts, ideas, emotions etc.) (I know where she it. I promise you this. He advises me to buy a new car.)

Cases of use

Future meaning:

# With timetables and schedules (especially with transport) (The train leaves at 11.30)

Present Continuous. Formation.

+ I am drinking./He (she/it) is drinking./We (you/ they) are drinking.

- I am not drinking./He (she/it) is not drinking./We (you/ they) are not drinking.

?1. + Am I drinking?/Is he (she/it) drinking?/Are we (you/ they) drinking?

?1. - Am I not drinking?/Isn't he (she/it) drinking?/Aren't we (you/ they) drinking?

?2. + Why am I drinking?/ Why is he (she/it) drinking?/Why are we (you/ they) drinking?

?2. - Why am I not drinking?/ Why isn't he (she/it) drinking?/Why aren't we (you/ they) drinking?

?3 + I am drinking, aren't I?/He (she/it) is drinking, isn't he?/We (you/ they) are drinking, aren't we?

?3 - I am not drinking, am I?/He (she/it) is not drinking, is he?/We (you/ they) are not drinking, are we?

Cases of use:

Present meaning

# Actions that are happenning at the moment of speaking (now/at the moment) (Don't bother her. She is sleeping.)

# Actions that are happening around the present moment and are temporary. Can be at a pause at the moment of speaking (How are you? What's new in your life? - Oh, I am playing the guitar.)

# Actions that are unpleasant or irritating for someone (very often with words constantly/always) (You are constantly complaning about your mother. She is always praising only her own kids.)

Cases of use:

Future meaning

# For actions planned beforehand to happen in future (I am going to the dentist this Saturday. We are getting married next month).

... to the cinema with me?

1. Do you come
2. Does you come
3. Are you coming
4. Are you come

She ... suspicious of the man.

1. seems
2. is seeming
3. is seem
4. seem

What time ... ?

1. does the bus leave
2. do the bus leaves
3. is the bus leave
4. do the bus leave

Why ... him?

1. do you always critisize
2. does you critisize always
3. are you always critisizing

What ... at the moment?

1. do she do
2. does she do
3. does she doing
4. is she doing