Other uses of Present Simple 1. Making declarations

Explanations

Basic contrast: Present Simple and Present Continuous 1. Present Simple generally refers to:

Facts that are always true

Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

Habits

British people drink a lot of tea.

States

I don't like gangster films.

2. Present Continuous (progressive) generally refers to actions which are in progress at the moment. These can be temporary:

I'm staying in a hotel until I find a flat.

They can be actually in progress:

The dog is sleeping on our bed!

Or they can be generally in progress but not actually happening at the moment:

I'm learning to drive.

State verbs and event (action or dynamic) verbs

1. State verbs describe a continuing state, so do not usually have a continuous form. Typical examples are: believe, belong, consist, contain, doubt, fit, have, know, like, love, matter, mean, own, prefer, understand, seem, suppose, suspect, want, wish 2. Some verbs have a stative meaning and a different active meaning.

Typical examples are: be, depend, feel, have, measure, see, taste, think, weigh

Compare these uses:

State Event

Jack is noisy. Jill is being noisy.

Deirdre has a Porsche. We are having an interesting conversation!

I think I like you! David is thinking about getting a new job.

This fish tastes awful!I am just tasting thesoup.

I feel that you are wrong. I am feeling terrible.

This bag weighs a ton! We are weighing the baby.

It depends what you mean. I am depending on you. The differences in 2 apply to all tenses, not just to present tenses.

Other uses of Present Continuous

1. Temporary or repeated actions

This use emphasises a temporary action.

My car has broken down, so I am walking to work these days.

Are you enjoying your stay here?

2. Complaints about bad habits

You are always complaining about my cooking!

Other possible adverbs are: constantly, continually, forever 3. With verbs describing change and development Things are getting worse! More and more people are giving up smoking.

Other uses of Present Simple 1. Making declarations

Verbs describing opinions and feelings tend to be state verbs.

I hope you’ll come to my party.

I bet you don't know the answer! 2. Headlines

These are written in a 'telegram' style, and referencesto the past are usuallysimplified to present simple.

Ship sinks in midnight collision. 3. Instructions and itineraries

Instructions and recipes can be written in present simple instead of in imperative forms. This style is more personal.

First you roll out the pastry.

Itineraries are descriptions of travel arrangements.

On day three we visit Stratford-upon-Avon. 4. Summaries of events, plots of stories, films etc, and summaries of historical events use present (and present perfect) tenses.

May 1945: The war in Europe comes to an end.

... At the end of the play both families realise that their hatred had caused the deaths of the lovers... 5. Historic present in narrative and ‘funny stories’

In informal speech, it is possible to use the 'historic present' to describe past events, especially to make the narration seem more immediate and dramatic.

... So then the second man asks the first one why he has a banana in his ear and the first one says...

Activities

1. Choose the most appropriate words underlined.

a) I haven't decided yet about whether to buy a new car or a second-hand one. But I think about it / I’m thinking about it.

b) All right, you try to fix the television! But I hope/I'm hoping you know what you're doing!

c) Every year I visit/I'm visiting Britain to improve my English.

d) It's time we turned on the central heating. It gets/It is getting colder every day.

e) Of course, you're Mary, aren't you! I recognise/I am recognising you now.

f) What's the matter? Why do you look/are you looking at me like that?

g) The film of War and Peace is very long. It lasts/It is lasting over four hours.

h) I can see from what you say that your mornings are very busy! But what do you do/are you doing in the afternoons?

i) I'm going to buy a new swimming costume. My old one doesn't fit/isn't fitting any more.

j) That must be the end of the first part of the performance. What happens now/is happening now?

2. Choose the most suitable word or phrase to complete each sentence. a) What exactly.....B....?

A) is this job involving B) does this job involve

b) Who exactly............?

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