Unit 2 – present simple

and present continuous

 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
What are you
brother in this shorts. He is playing
doing?
photo? football with the
dog.
No, he usually We are looking
Does he live visits regularly, but at old
here? he is travelling in photographs.
Europe at the
For how long? moment. facts, habits or scheduled future
things that are events
Until September. Then
always true
he starts university. Then he starts
He usually visits
Look at the sentences in regularly. university.
bold and match them to the
uses in the table.
something temporary something
happening right situations happening in a
now photo or picture

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 How do we

Function: When do we use them?

make present
simple
sentences?
Who is your The boy in the red What are you
brother in this shorts. He is playing doing?
photo? football with the
dog. We are looking
Does he live He usually stays at old
here? here, but he is photographs.
travelling in Europe
at the moment. facts, habits or scheduled future
For how long?
things that are events
Until September. Then
always true
he starts university. Then he starts
He usually visits
regularly. university.
This is a habit or
routine.
something temporary something
Look at the timeline for this happening right situations happening in a
action. now photo or picture
Now We are looking at He is travelling in He is playing
old photographs. Europe at the football.
moment. Here, the boy is
We are looking…
describing a
This is
photo.
temporary.
 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/
___________
(question they
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 doesn’t live in the USA. he/she/it does
____________.

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
100% how 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
Look at the
0% often example of usually
on the scale of
never frequency. Now put
the other adverbs
usually 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.
Adverbs of
I usually run in the morning. frequency are
very common in
I often run in the morning. the present
Frequency

simple.

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
I don’t usually run in the morning. must use the
auxiliary verb don’t
0% I never run in the morning. or doesn’t.

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
alway example. Where in
s the sentence
(position 1, 2, 3, or
1
Tom 2
is 3
early. 4 4) do we put the
adverb of
frequency?
Positio
n…
alway
s

1
He 2 arrives 3
early. 4

How about with

this example?
Which position
Positio
now?
n ….

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 Adverbs of frequency: word
order
1. After the verb to be.
e.g. Tom is always early. Usually and
sometimes can
Juan is never on time. also go at the
beginning of the
sentence, e.g.

2. Before any other verbs. ‘Sometimes I

arrive 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) you/we/ here?
Are
You/We/They are (’re) they
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 ______________
you/we/they are not (aren’t).
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 Form: How do we make present
continuous sentences?
present continuous: positive present continuous: questions
I am (’m) Am I
He/She/It is (’s) living here. (question Is he/she/it living
You/We/They are (’re) word) you/we/ here?
Are
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 No, he/she/it is not (isn’t).
use in continuous tenses, for
you/we/they are not (aren’t).
example:
agree, love, hate, think.
We say I love basketball, not I am Look how the verb to be
loving basketball. changes, but the
structure is always TO BE Let’s practise!
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+ VERB -ING.
 Practice activities
Complete the gaps in the present simple or the present continuous. Justify
your answers.
1. I……………………..(travel) to work by car most days, but at the moment, the mechanic………………………(fix) it and I

………………………..(catch) the train.

2. Sophie………………………(speak) three languages and now she………………………………(learn) German too!

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

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

5. A: ………………………your friends………………………(study) for exams at the moment? B. Yes, They……….. .

They…………………………(have) exams every three months at their school.

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
statement.
Paolo calls Jakob. Who is the
subject?

Remember: when Who is the

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

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

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