Grammar

A2+
present simple and
present continuous
Recommended for:
Gold Experience
Focus
High Note

2019 1
 We use the present simple and
present continuous in different
situations. Let’s look at the
differences.
Let’s look at:
1. When we use the present simple and continuous.
2. How we make sentences in the present simple.
3. How to use adverbs of frequency.
4. How we make sentences in the present continuous.

When do we use them?

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 Function: When do we use them?
Who is your The boy in the red
brother in this What are you doing?
shorts. He is playing
photo? football with the dog.

Does he live No, he usually visits We are looking at

here? regularly, but he is old photographs.
travelling in Europe at
the moment.
For how long? facts, habits or things scheduled future
Until September. Then that are always true events
he starts university. Then he starts
He usually visits
Look at the sentences in bold regularly. university.
and match them to the uses in
the table.
something happening temporary situations something happening
right now in a photo or picture

We are looking at old He is travelling in He is playing

photographs. Europe at the football.
moment.

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 How do we make

Function: When do we use them? present simple

sentences?
Who is your
brother in this The boy in the red What are you doing?
photo? shorts. He is playing
football with the dog.
Does he live He usually stays here, We are looking at
here? but he is travelling in old photographs.
Europe at the
moment.
For how long? facts, habits or things scheduled future
Until September. Then that are always true events
he starts university. Then he starts
He usually visits
regularly. university.

This is a habit or routine.

something happening temporary situations something happening

Look at the timeline for this right now in a photo or picture
action.
Now We are looking at old He is travelling in He is playing
photographs. Europe at the football.
moment. Here, the boy is
We are looking…
describing a
This is temporary. photo.
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 Form: How do we make present simple
sentences? Using the verb live in all the examples,
complete the gaps in the tables.

present simple: positive present simple: question

I/You/We/They live in France. Do
___________ I/you/we/they
(question
He/She/It lives
_____________ in France. live here?
word) Does
__________ he/she/it

present simple: negative present simple: short answers

I/You/We/They don’t live
__________________ in the USA. I/we/you/they do.
Yes,
he/she/it does
____________.
He/She/It doesn’t live in the USA.

I/we/you/they don’t
____________.
No,
he/she/it doesn’t
____________.

Adverbs of
frequency
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 Function: adverbs of frequency
Adverbs of frequency tell us how
100% often or frequently we do
something. For example, ‘He
usually stays here.’

Frequency
Usually is an
not often adverb of
50% frequency. It tells
always us that the boy
stays there most
not usually of the time.

sometimes

often Look at the example

0% of usually on the
scale of frequency.
never
Now put the other
usually adverbs of frequency
on the scale.
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 Function: adverbs of frequency
Adverbs of frequency tell us how often or frequently we do something.
100% I always run in the morning.

I usually run in the morning. Adverbs of

frequency are very
common in the
I often run in the morning. present simple.
Frequency

50% I sometimes run in the morning.

I don’t often run in the morning. The adverbs not often

and not usually are
negative, so we must
I don’t usually run in the morning. use the auxiliary verb
don’t or doesn’t.
0% I never run in the morning.

Adverbs of frequency:
how do we use them?
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 Adverbs of frequency: word order
Now we know when to use adverbs of frequency, but how do we use them?
Look at this
example. Where in
always the sentence
(position 1, 2, 3, or
1
Tom 2
is 3
early. 4 4) do we put the
adverb of
frequency?
Position
3
always

1
He 2 arrives 3
early. 4

How about with

this example?
Which position
Position
now?
2

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 Adverbs of frequency: word order
1. After the verb to be.
e.g. Tom is always early. Usually and

Juan is never on time. sometimes can also

go at the beginning
of the sentence, e.g.
‘Sometimes I arrive
2. Before any other verbs. late.’

e.g. He always arrives late.

Mary sometimes listens to the
radio. How do we make
present
continuous
sentences?
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 Form: How do we make present
continuous sentences?
We make the present Look at the tables and complete the gaps with these words.
continuous with the is not (isn’t) is (’s)
are not (aren’t) living are Am
verb to be + verb -ing.

present continuous: questions

present continuous: positive
_________ I
I am (’m) (question ________
Is he/she/it
He/She/It _________________ living here. word) here?
Are you/we/they
You/We/They are (’re)
present continuous: short answers
present continuous: negative I am.
I am not (’m not) Yes, he/she/it is.
He/She/It is not (isn’t) living here. you/we/they _____________ .
You/We/They _________________ I am not (’m not).
No, he/she/it ______________
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 Form: How do we make present
continuous sentences?
present continuous: positive present continuous: questions
I am (’m) Am I
(question
He/She/It is (’s) living here. Is he/she/it living here?
word)
You/We/They are (’re) Are you/we/they

present continuous: negative present continuous: short answers

I am not (’m not) I am.
He/She/It is not (isn’t) living here. Yes, he/she/it is.
You/We/They are not (aren’t) you/we/they are.
I am not (’m not).
There are some verbs we don’t use
in continuous tenses, for example: No, he/she/it is not (isn’t).
agree, love, hate, think. you/we/they are not (aren’t).
We say I love basketball, not I am
loving basketball. Look how the verb to be
changes, but the structure
is always TO BE + VERB -ING. Let’s practise!
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 Practice activities
Complete the gaps in the present simple or the present continuous. Justify your answers.
travel
1. I……………………..(travel) is/’s fixing
to work by car most days, but at the moment, the mechanic………………………(fix) it and I
am/’m catching
………………………..(catch) the train.
speaks is/’s learning
2. Sophie………………………(speak) three languages and now she………………………………(learn) German too!

is/’s doing is/’s swimming

3. A: What……….........Carl……………..(do)? B: He……………………………(swim) in the sea – look!

am/’m not dancing

4. A: Is this you in the photo? B: No, I………………………….(not am/’m sitting
dance); I……………………(sit) at the table in a red shirt.

Are
5. A: ………………………your studying
friends………………………(study) are .
for exams at the moment? B. Yes, They………..
have
They…………………………(have) exams every three months at their school.
doesn’t eat likes
6. Steffi………………………(not eat) meat. She only……………………………..(like) vegetables and fish.

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 Explore grammar: subject and object
questions
subject object
Look at this
Paolo calls Jakob. Paolo statement. Who
is the subject?

Remember: when Jakob Who is the

we ask about the object?
Who calls Jakob? object of a verb,
we use an auxiliary
verb in the Look at the
question. Paolo question. What is
Who does Paolo call? the answer?

Now look at the

auxiliary verb Jakob second question.
do infinitive
What is the
answer?

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