PRESENT SIMPLE & PRESENT CONTINUOUS UNIT 4

STATE VERBS (verbos que describen un estado)

Hay verbos que no describen una acción sino un estado, por lo cual estos verbos no se utilizan en presente
continuo sino en presente simple.

- I want a coffee now. → NOT: I am wanting a coffee now.

Verbos de pensar y opiniones

Believe Think Understand Suppose Expect Agree Doubt Know
Forget Mean Imagine Realize Deserve Admit Remember Feel
Verbos de emociones
Like Love Hate Hope Wish Want Prefer
Verbos de los sentidos
Look Hear Taste Smell
Verbos de tener y ser
Belong Own Have Possess Seem
Need Weigh Contain Cost Appear

ALGUNOS de estos verbos se pueden usar con el presente continuo pero entonces tienen otro
significado y expresan una actividad y no un estado. Ejemplos:

PRESENTE SIMPLE PRESENTE CONTINUO

HAVE I have (got) two sisters (=posesión)
THINK I think that English is difficult. (= creer,
tener una opinión) → (= believe)
FEEL I feel that English is difficult. (=an opinion)
Mary is having a shower at the moment. (=no
expresa posesión)
I’m thinking of working in England. (= pensar)
→ (= consider)
I’m feeling good (=a feeling)

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© Álvaro Vidal González
 PRESENTE SIMPLE PRESENTE CONTINUO
Para hábitos o cosas que ocurren con regularidad: Para hablar de acciones que están ocurriendo en el momento de hablar o en la
- I leave work at 5.30 most days. actualidad: (la acción ha empezado pero no ha terminado)
- Mary goes to the cinema once a month. - The phone is ringing.
- I’m studying at the moment. - now, right now
- at the moment - at present
Adverbios de frecuencia y otras expresiones de tiempo.
still - currently

Para situaciones permanentes: Para situaciones temporales:

- I live in London. - I usually go on holiday in summer, but this summer I’m working.
- Liz plays the violin very well. - Sally studies English every day. Today, she is studying French.

today, tonight, this (week/month…), these days,…

Para verdades generales: Para hablar de cambios, desarrollos o tendencias: (con los verbos: get, change,
- Water boils at 100 degrees. become, increase, rise, fall, grow, improve, begin, start)
- The sun is a star. - I’m beginning to realise how difficult is to be a teacher.
- Sales are dropping because of the rise of prices.
Para enfatizar que algo ocurre repetidamente con expresiones como: always,
constantly, continually,…
- They’re constantly having parties until the early hours in the morning.
- My parents are always complaining about my behavior.

ADVERBIOS DE FRECUENCIA:
always (siempre), usually (habitualmente), frequently (frecuentemente), OTRAS EXPRESIONES DE TIEMPO: (al final de la frase)
often (a menudo), sometimes (algunas veces), occasionally (ocasionalmente), ▪ Every day/week/month/year/morning/summer…
▪ On Monday(s)/ Tuesday(s)…
seldom (rara vez), rarely / hardly ever (casi nunca), never (nunca).
▪ At weekends/ at the weekend
▪ In the morning(s)/afternoon(s)/evening(s)
Se colocan delante del verbo, excepto del verbo to be que van detrás: ▪ At night
- I often go to the cinema on Saturdays. I don’t usually go to the theatre. ▪ Once/twice/ three times… a week/month/year…
- I am always at home on Sundays.
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© Álvaro Vidal González
 PRESENT SIMPLE & PRESENT CONTINUOUS UNIT 4

Complete the sentences using Present Simple or Present Continuous.

1. You can’t see Jimmy now. He ____________________ a bath. (HAVE)

2. He ____________________ to the theatre. (NEVER GO)

3. Anne ____________________ all her clothes herself. At the moment she _________________ a
dress for a fancy dress party (MAKE, MAKE).

4. He usually ________________ coffee for breakfast, but today he ____________________ tea

(HAVE, HAVE).

5. I can’t go home now because it ____________________ , and I ____________________ an

umbrella. (RAIN, NOT HAVE).

6. In Britain women normally ____________________ hats. (NOT WEAR)

7. The sun __________________ in the east and __________________ in the west (RISE, SET)

8. Who ____________________ that terrible noise outside? – It’s Dad. He

____________________ the lawn. (MAKE, MOW)
9. I ____________________ this weekend near the coast. I ____________________ there nearly
every weekend. (SPEND, GO)

10. She ____________________ thirty cigarettes a day but at the moment she
____________________ to stop. (SMOKE, TRY)
11. We ____________________ breakfast together every Sunday morning. (HAVE)

12. What’s that smell. – It’s in the kitchen. Something ____________________ . (BURN)

13. Who ____________________ to on the phone? – It’s my friend Carry. (YOU SPEAK)

14. I ____________________ overtime this month because I ____________________ up some money

to buy a new car . (WORK, SAVE)

15. The moon ____________________ around the earth (GO)

16. She usually ____________________ languages very quickly, but she ____________________
problems with Chinese (LEARN, HAVE).

17. ____________________ TV every evening ? (YOU WATCH)

18. He always ____________________ his bills on time. (PAY)

19. How long ____________________ you to get to the office? – It ____________________ me about
half an hour (IT TAKE, TAKE)

20. The plane that ____________________ Heathrow at 9.15 is on schedule. (LEAVE)

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© Álvaro Vidal González