Present Continuous 595x15

Present Continuous NEF. U-1C

By Cristina Rodríguez

USE

We use the present continuous to talk about: 1) Something that is happening now or close to the time of speaking “You are listening to me.” “A:What´s Andrew doing?” B: “He´s playing golf.”

2) A temporary situation “I am working in Huelva this year”.

: Grammar has meaning!

Different grammar tenses are used in different situations or contexts and they carry different meanings.  When do we use the present simple?  And the present continuous?

For example . . .

Use the simple present for: Routines, actions that happen repeatedly (habitual action)

“I go to the hairdresser´s twice a year.”

*Frequency adverbs and time expressions are commonly used with simple present: Always, never, usually, rarely, sometimes, often, etc. Every year, once a month….

1) Habitual Action: I usually work until 2:00 p.m.

My family visit me every year. *Frequency adverbs are commonly used with simple present: Always, never, usually, rarely, sometimes, often, etc.

Grammar Structure: Present Continuous POSITIVE SENTENCES I AM You, We, They ARE He, She, It IS What are you doing? Give real personal examples What about the negative sentences? And the questions and short answers?

SPELLING RULES Verbs ending in -e

COME- COMING

Verbs ending in -ie

LIE - LYING

Short verbs ending in vowel + consonant

RUN- RUNNING

The rest

WALK - WALKING

SPELLING RULES Verbs ending in -e Verbs ending in -ie

-e + -ing

COME- COMING

-ie + -ing

LIE - LYING

Short verbs ending in vowel + consonant

Double the consonant + -ing

The rest

+ -ing

RUN- RUNNING

WALK - WALKING

Important! Some verbs are NOT used in the present continuous. These verbs are called STATIVE (or non-action) verbs. Here are some examples:

want know believe forget

like need understand

love hate see hear have (possess) belong

Examples: I like Rome. NOT: I am liking Rome. She has a big house. NOT: She is having a big house. I prefer to have coffee. NOT: I am preferring to have coffee.

Practice!

Simple present or present continuous?? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

On Tuesdays, I ________ (go) to the gym. Karen ________ (paint) her apartment this week. This room __________ (be) very large. He _________ (have) a headache right now. It ________ (rain) really hard right now. Where is John? He _______ (work). I ________ (meet) my friend in a few minutes. My family ________ (often/come) to San Diego.

Answers! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

On Tuesdays, I go to the gym. Karen is painting her apartment this week. This room is very large. (fact) He has a headache right now. (stative) It is raining really hard right now. Where is John? He is working. (right now) I am meeting my friend in a few minutes. My family often comes to San Diego.

Practice: Present simple or present continuous? A day in the life of Simon Nixon He normally ….. (get up) at seven o´clock, but this week he …. (start) work earlier because it´s a busy period. He usually ….. (arrive) at work by nine and he ….. (check) his emails. Today he ….. (work) on a report on their websites because these tell them how many people ….. (visit) nowadays their websites. For example, they ….. (have) about six million visitors every month and this number ….. (grow). They ….. (also make) a lot of impovements to their websites at the moment. The Internet

business is very competitive and it …..(get) more difficult to stay at the top.

Practice: Present simple or present continuous? A day in the life of Simon Nixon He normally gets up at seven o´clock, but this week he is starting work earlier because it´s a busy period. He usually arrives at work by nine and he checks his emails. Today he is working on a report on their websites because these tell them how many people are visiting nowadays their websites. For example, they have about six million visitors every month and this number is growing. They are also making a lot of impovements to their websites at the moment. The Internet

business is very competitive and it is getting more difficult to stay at the top.

 Complete these questions for Simon Use the present simple or the present continuous forms



  

What time….? At seven o´clock. Why ….. earlier this year? Because it´s a busy period. When …. at work? At around nine. What ….. today? The reports on their websites

 

What time does Simon get up? At seven o´clock.

Why is he starting work earlier this year? Because it´s a busy period. 

When does he usually arrive at work? At around nine. 

What is he working ON today? The reports on their websites

Robert

Andrew

John and Matt

Bill Paul and Sarah

Julia

Liz

Anna Susan Charles