Present simple; present continuous; state verbs; the verb to be
CONTEXT LISTENING
You are going to hear Millie talking on her phone to her friend Lisa. It’s Saturday morning. Before you listen, answer these questions.
Where is Lisa?
Where is Millie?
Why do you think Millie is phoning Lisa?
Listen and check if you were right.
Listen again and answer these questions. Write complete sentences.
What’s Millie doing this morning? She’s looking round the shops.
What does she do nearly every Saturday?
What’s she looking for?
What’s Lisa wearing?
What’s she doing this morning?
What does she do whenever she goes to town?
What’s Millie looking at right now?
What does Lisa want Millie to do now?
Look at your answers and answer these questions.
Look at answers 2 and 6. What tense are they?
Look at answers 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7. What tense are they?
Which sentences are about regular actions?
Which sentences are about actions at or around the time of speaking?
Look at answer 8. Does it fit the pattern?
Log into Learnclick to do the exercise and check your answers.
GRAMMAR
Present simple
We use the present simple:
to say when things happen if they take place regularly:
They eat lunch at two o’clock.
to talk about permanent situations:
I work in London.
to state general truths:
Those bags sell really fast.
The moon goes round the earth.
to talk about habits and how often they happen:
You buy new clothes every Saturday.
to describe the plots of books and films:
The story begins and ends in Spain. The year is 1937.
Present continuous
We use the present continuous:
to talk about the present moment:
I’m wearing a pair of old jeans.
I’m looking at a blue bag right now.
to suggest that an action is temporary, often with words like now, at the moment, at present or just:
They’re eating lunch at the moment.
I’m working in London this week. (= I don’t usually work in London)
for an action around the time of speaking, which has begun but is not finished:
I’m cleaning my room.
I’m looking round the shops.
(Millie isn’t looking round at this moment – she has stopped to talk to Lisa – but she plans to continue looking round later.)
for changing or developing situations:
Navy blue bags are getting really fashionable.
The Earth’s temperature is rising.
with a word like always or continually if we want to criticise or complain:
You’re always buying new clothes! (= you buy too many)
He’s always complaining about things.
with always when something unexpected happens several times:
I’m always meeting my neighbour John near the station. I guess he works somewhere near there.
State verbs
These verbs are nearly always used in a simple rather than a continuous tense. They are mostly about thoughts, feelings, belonging and the senses:
… that leather bag you want to get (not you are wanting to)
You don’t deserve to hear it. (not you aren’t deserving to)
The following are some important state verbs:
thoughts: believe, know, mean, realise, recognise, remember, suppose, understand, feel (= believe), think (= believe):
I think you’re wrong.
We feel this decision is right.
feelings: adore, dislike, despise, hate, like, love, want, wish, prefer:
They despise me because of the way I’m living.
belonging: belong, have (= possess), own, possess:
It belongs to my father.
The manager has the biggest company car.
senses: smell, taste, hear, see:
This sauce tastes great.
I hear what you’re saying to me, but I don’t agree.
Do you see anything you want to buy here?
We use can with these verbs to show we are talking about this moment:
I can see you’re tired.
I can hear someone in the next room.
other state verbs: need, contain, deserve, fit, seem, look (= seem), look like, matter, weigh:
This medicine contains aspirin.
Mark weighs 70 kilos.
! Think is not a state verb when it refers to what someone is doing, not what they believe:
I’m thinking about my holiday.
! Have can be continuous when it does not mean ‘possess’:
Steve is having a difficult time at college this term.
Can I phone you back later? We’re having lunch right now.
! Taste and smell can be continuous when they refer to what someone is doing:
I’m tasting the sauce.
! Listen to, watch and look at are not state verbs and can be continuous:
We’re listening to music and Diane is watching a DVD upstairs.
! See can be continuous when it means ‘meet with’:
Lara’s at the medical centre. She’s seeing a doctor about her sore throat.
! Weigh can be continuous when it refers to what someone is doing:
The shop assistant is weighing the cheese.
The verb to be
The verb to be is nearly always used in a simple rather than a continuous tense. When it is continuous it emphasises that a situation is temporary. It often describes a person’s behaviour:
You’re being so impatient! (Millie doesn’t believe that Lisa is normally an impatient person.)
My brother is being very nice to me this week. I wonder what he wants!
Francis is filling in a form online, so we’re all being quiet as we don’t want him to make any mistakes.
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