Unit Present continuous and present simple 1

3 (I am doing and I do)

Compare:

Present continuous (1 am doing) Present simple (I do)

We use the continuous for things happening at We use the simple for things in general or
or around the time of speaking. things that happen repeatedly.
The action is not complete.

1am doing I do

past now future past now future

The water is boiling. Can you turn it o Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
off?
Listen to those people. What language Excuse me, do you speak English?
are they speaking?
Let's go out. It isn't raining now. It doesn’t rain very much in summer.
O Tm busy.' ‘What are you doing?' o What do you usually do at weekends?
I'm getting hungry. Let's go and eat. o 1always get hungry in the afternoon.
Kate wants to work in Italy, so she's Most peopLe learn to swim when they
learning Italian. are children.
The population of the world is o Every day the population of the world
increasing very fast. increases by about 200,000 people.

We use the continuous for temporary situations: We use the simple for permanent situations:
I'm living with some friends until 1find a O My parents live in London. They have
place of my own. liv e d t h e r e a ll t h e ir live s .
a : You're working h a rd t o d a y . o Joe isn't lazy. He works hard most of
b : Yes, 1have a lot to do. the time.

See Unit 1 for more information. See Unit Z for more information.

I always do and I'm always doing

I always do (something) = I do it every time:

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

‘I'm always doing something' has a different meaning. For example:

ve lost my phone again. I'm always losing things. ^

I'm always losing things = I lose things very often,

perhaps too often, or more often than normal.

More examples:
O You're always playing computer games. You should do something more active.
(= You play computer games too often)
Tim is never satisfied. He's always complaining. (= He complains too much)

Present continuous and simple 2 Unit 4 Present tenses for the future Unit 19
Exercises
Are the underlined verbs right or wrong? Correct them where necessary.
1 Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. OK
2 The water boils. Can you turn it off? i&.boiling ............
3 Look! That man tries to open the door of your car. ..... .....................
4 Can you hear those people? What do they talk about? ......... .......................
5 The moon goes round the earth in about 27 days. ................................ .... ........
6 I must go now. It gets late. ........... .....................
7 I usually go to work by car.
8 'Hurry up! It's time to leave/ ‘OK, I come.'
9 I hear you've got a new job. How do you get on?
10 Paulis never late. He's always getting to work on time.
11 They don't get on well. They're always arguing.

Put the verb into the correct form, present continuous or present simple.
1 Let’s go out. It Isn't ramwg (it / not / rain) now.
2 Julia is very good at languages. She- spe&Jcs (she / speak) four languages very well.
3 Hurry up! (everybody / wait) for you.
4 ' (you / listen) to the radio?’ ’No, you can turn it off.'
5 1 (you / listen) to the radio every day?' 'No, just occasionally.'
6 The River Nile (flow)into the Mediterranean.
7 The river . (flow) very fast today - much faster than usual.
8 (we / usually / grow) vegetables in our garden, but this year
................ (we / not / grow) any.
9 a : How's your English?
b: Not bad. I think (it / improve) slowly.
10 Rachel is in New York right now. (she / stay) at the Park Hotel.
(she / always / stay) there when she's in New York.
11 Can we stop walking soon? ....... .... (I / start) to feel tired.
12 a : Can you drive?
b; ....................................... (I / learn). My father................................. (teach)me.
13 NormaLly (I / finish) work at five, but this week
. ( ! / work) until six to earn a little more money.
14 My parents (live) in Manchester. They were born there and have never
lived anywhere else. Where (your parents / live)?
15 Sonia (look) for a place to live. (she / stay)
with her sister until she finds somewhere.
16 a : What (yourbrother/do)?
b : He's an architect, but .................................... (he/not/work)atthemoment.
17 (at a party) (I/usuallyenjoy)parties,but
(I/not / enjoy) this one very much.

Finish B's sentences. Use always -ing.

1 a: I've lost my phone again.
b : Not again! You Ye olwcujs Losing your phone .
2 a: The car has broken down again.
b: That car is useless. It .................... ............................... ........ .............
3 a: Look! You've made the same mistake again,
b: Oh no, not again! I ..............................................................................................................
4 a: Oh, I've forgotten my glasses again.
b: Typical! .................... .
Unit Present continuous and present simple 2
4 (I am doing and I do)
We use continuous forms for actions and happenings that have started but not finished (they are
eating / it is raining etc.). Some verbs (for example, know and like) are not normally used in this
way. We don't say 'I am knowing' or ‘they are liking'; we say ‘I know', 'they like'.

The following verbs are not normally used in the present continuous:

like want need prefer

know realise suppose mean understand believe remember

belong fit contain consist seem

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

Q Do you understand what I mean?
Anna doesn't seem very happy at the moment.

Think

When think means ‘believe' or ‘have an opinion', we do not use the continuous:
I think Mary is Canadian, but I'm not sure, (not I'm thinking)
What do you think of my plan? (= What is your opinion?)

When think means ‘consider', the continuous is possible:

O I'm thinking about what happened. I often think about it.
C Nicky is thinking of giving up her job. (= she is considering it)

See hear smell taste

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

I can hear a strange noise. Can you hear it?

Look feel

You can use the present simple or continuous to say how somebody looks or feels now:
CJ You look well today, or You're looking well today.
How do you feel now? or How are you feeling now?
but
j I usually feel tired in the morning. (not I'm usually feeling)

He is selfish and He is being selfish

He's being = He's behaving / He's 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)
Q 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:
J It's hot today, (not It is being hot)
Sarah is very tired, (not is being tired)

8 Present continuous and simple 1 -> Unit 3 Have -► Unit 17 Present tenses for the future -*■ Unit 19
Exercises
Put the verb into the correct form, present continuous or present simple.
1 Are you hungry? . Do you want (you / want) something to eat?
2 Don't put the dictionary away. (I / use) it.
3 Don't put the dictionary away. (I / need) it.
4 Who is that man? What (he/want)?
5 Who is that man? Why (he/look) at us?
6 ALan says he's 80 years old, but nobody .. .. (believe) him.
7 She told me her name, but (I / not / remember) it now.
8 (I / think) of selling my car. Would you be interested in buying it?
9 (I / think) you should sell your car.
(you / not / use) it very often.
10 Air (consist) mainly of nitrogen and oxygen.

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

©
(these gloves / not / fit / me)
S-----------------
Excuse me. (anybody /

They're too small.

V ______________________ ___

Are the underlined verbs right or wrong? Correct them where necessary.
1 Nickv is thinking of giving up her job. OK .............. ...............
2 Are you believing in God? .... .........
3 I'm feeling hungry. Is there anything to eat?
4 This sauce is great. It's tasting really good. ....... ........ .....
5 I'm thinking this is your key. Am I right? ...... ........

Complete the sentences using the most suitable form of be. Use am/is/are being (continuous)
where possible; otherwise use am/is/are (simple).
1 I can't understand why kie-’s being so selfish. He isn't usually like that.
2 Sarah very nice to me at the moment. I wonder why.
3 You'll like Sophie when you meet her. She ....... . very nice.
4 You're usually very patient, so why so unreasonable about waiting
ten more minutes?
5 Why isn't Steve at work today? ill?