Simple Present - Use

1. facts (something is generally known to be true)

Although the action takes place in the
future, it takes place regularly and is set by
a time table.
The sun never sets in the east or south or
north, but always in the west.

The train leaves at 9 pm.

5. verbs expressing states, possession, senses, emotions and mental activity
The sun sets in the west. When you love someone, that's a state, a fact
2. action in the present taking place once, never or several times or emotion, but not an action (like running for
example). Whenever you want to express a
state, possession, sense or emotions, use the
simple form (not the progressive). The
Colin plays football regularly - every Tuesday. following words all belong to this group:
In English, signal words are often used, e.g.: be (state)
always, never, seldom, often, regularly, every believe (mental activity)
Monday. belong (possession)
hate (feeling and emotion)
Colin always plays soccer hear (senses)
on Tuesdays. like (feeling and emotion)
3. actions in the present taking place one after another love (feeling and emotion)
mean (mental activity)
prefer (mental activity)
remain (state)
I love her.
realize (mental activity)
First one action takes place and then the see (senses)
other. seem (feeling and emotion)
smell (senses)
think (mental activity)
understand (mental activity)
She takes her bag and leaves. want (feeling and emotion)
4. action set by a time table or schedule wish (feeling and emotion)

Exercise 1
Present Simple Verbs
Click the answer button to see the answer.
1. She ___ four languages. 11. I ___ to the cinema at least once a week.
a. speak a. go
b. speaks b. goes

2. Jane is a teacher. She ___ French. 12. They never ___ tea in the morning.
a. teach a. drink
b. teaches b. drinks

3. When the kettle ___, will you make some tea? 13. We both ___ to the radio in the morning.
a. boil a. listen
b. boils b. listens

4. I always ___ the window at night because it is cold. 14. He ___ a big wedding.
a. close a. want
b. closes b. wants

5. Those shoes ___ too much. 15. George ___ too much so he's getting fat.
a. cost a. eat
b. costs b. eats

6. The food in Japan is expensive. It ___ a lot to live there. 16. The earth ___ round the sun, doesn't it?
a. cost a. go
b. costs b. goes

7. His job is great because he ___ a lot of people. 17. The shops in England ___ at 9:00 in the morning.
a. meet a. open
b. meets b. opens

8. He always ___ his car on Sundays. 18. The post office ___ at 5:30 pm.
a. wash a. close
b. washes b. closes

9. My watch is broken and it ___ to be fixed again. 19. Jackie ___ two children now.
a. need a. has
b. needs b. have

10. I ___ to watch movies. 20. Mr. Smith ___ too much. He always has a cigarette in his mouth.
a. love a. smoke
b. loves b. smokes
 21. When the phone ___, please answer it.
a. ring The action is going on now.
b. rings Signal words like now, at the moment are
often used to emphasise that the action is
Exercises 2 taking place at the moment of speaking. Signal
Complete the sentences like in the example. Use the long form of the auxiliary. words are not really necessary, however, as
Example: Jane ___________ a book. (not/to read) this is already expressed by the tense itself.
Answer: Jane (does not read) a book. He is playing football.
1) Tom ___ stamps. (not/to collect) 2. Arrangements for the near future
2) You ___ songs in the bathroom. (not/to sing)
3) Julie ___ in the garden. (not/to work) In the example you can see that the tickets
4) I ___ at home. (not/to sit) are already bought. So we are talking about
5) Tina and Kate ___ the windows. (not/to open) an arrangement for the near future.
6) Adam ___ French. (not/to speak) To make clear that the action is not going on
7) His sister ___ lemonade. (not/to like) now, we usually use signal words like tonight,
8) We ___ to music. (not/to listen) I'm going to the theatre tomorrow, next Friday, at noon.
9) My father ___ the car every Saturday. (not/to clean) tonight.
10) Johnny and Danny ___ in the lake. (not/to swim) 3. Actions taking place only for a limited period of time

Exercise 3 Here we are talking about a time limit.

Arrange the words below to make questions. Jim does not usually work in the firm,
1. She / to collect / stickers - Does she collect stickers? he is still at school and wants to earn
2. They / to play / a game - _________________ some extra money during his holidays.
3. The cat / to sleep / in the cat's bed - _________________ To make clear that there is a time limit,
4. She / often / to dream - _________________ we usually use signal words, e.g. this
5. He / to play / streetball - _________________ week/month/year.
Jim is helping in his brother's firm
6. You / to be / from Paris - _________________ this week.
7. The pupils / to wear / school uniforms - _________________
4. Actions taking place around now (but not at the moment of speaking)
8. You / to go / to the cinema - _________________
9. She / to have / friends - _________________ This action takes place around now and only
10. He / to read / books - _________________ for a limited period of time, but not at the
moment of speaking.
We don't have to use signal words here, but
Present Progressive - Use we often find signal words in such sentences,
1. Actions taking place at the moment of speaking (now) e.g. now, at the moment.
I'm studying for my exams.
5. Development, changing situations
 3. she / to listen /to the radio - _________________
The sentence describes a 4. I / to dream - _________________
development from one situation to 5. they / to pack / their bags - _________________
another. 6. you / to do / the washing-up - _________________
Signal words are not that common 7. we / to talk / too fast - _________________
here, only sometimes the change of 8. they / to clean / the windows - _________________
situation is emphasised by using for 9. she / to watch / the news - _________________
The example more and more.
population of China is rising very fast. 10. you / to pull / my leg - _________________

Exercise 1
Use the words below to make sentences in present progressive.
1. I / to read a book - _____________
2. it / to rain - _____________
3. he / to repair his bike - _____________
4. they / to watch a film - _____________
5. the cat /to sleep on the chair - _____________
6. Jane and Emily / to do their homework - _____________
7. Bill / to wait at the bus stop - _____________
8. we / to listen to the radio - _____________
9. the children / to play a game - _____________
10. Laura / to walk the dog - _____________

Exercise 2
Transform the sentences below into negative sentences.
1. I am watching TV. - ____________
2. I am talking. - ____________
3. They are drawing. - ____________
4. He is opening the window. - ____________
5. Angela is cleaning the bathroom. - ____________
6. We are helping in the garden. - ____________
7. You are singing. - ____________
8. It is raining. - ____________
9. She is joking. - ____________
10. I am tidying up my room. - ____________

Exercise 3
Write questions with the words below.
1. Peter / to go / to the cinema - _________________
2. they / to play / a game - _________________