1. PRESENT TIME Simple Present & Present Continuous
Level 104 Unit 1

2. Simple Present (the bigger, longer present)
USE:
Things that are always true: I am a student; Fatima is a woman; the sky is blue; summertime is hot…
Things that happen all the time and habits: I usually wake up at 5:30am; I take a nap when I get home after school; I sleep in the car on the way to university; We visit my aunt on Fridays; Class starts at 8:00 on Mondays…
Feelings & senses (things in your head and your heart): think, feel, hear, see, taste, smell, understand, know, love, like, hate, want…..etc.
Commonly used with these words and expressions (with present time): at weekends; on Fridays; on Sundays; every… every day / week / month / year;
Rarely / seldom / sometimes / often / frequently / usually / always / never / the first time / after… after school, after work, after I get home, after a big meal….

3. Simple Present – Form
Have/have got and Be are irregular in Simple Present
Subject
Positive
Negative
Question I
I have dinner at 8:00.
I don’t have dinner at 8:00
Do I have dinner at 8:00? When do I have dinner?
You
You have dinner at 8:00.
You don’t have dinner at 8:00.
Do you have dinner at 8:00? Why do you have… We
We have dinner at 8:00.
We don’t have dinner at 8:00.
Do we have dinner at 8:00? Where do we have…
They
They have dinner at 8:00
They don’t have dinner at 8:00.
Do they have dinner at 8:00? Who has dinner at…
He/She/It
She has dinner at 8:00.
She has got long hair. She’s got long hair.
She doesn’t have dinner at 8:00.
She hasn’t got long hair.
Does she have dinner at 8:00?
Has she got long hair? Why has she got long hair? Who has got long hair?

4. Simple Present – Form Be is irregular in Simple Present Subject
Positive
Negative
Yes/No Question I
I am a student.
I am not a student.
I’m not a student.
Am I a student?
You
You are a student.
You’re a student.
You are not a student.
You’re not a student.
Are you a student? We
We are students.
We’re students.
We are not students.
We aren’t students.
Are we students?
They
They are students.
They’re students.
They are not students.
They aren’t students.
Are they students?
He/She/It
She is a student.
She’s a student.
She is not a student.
She isn’t a student.
Is she a student?

5. Simple Present – Questions
Use Do/does for all verbs except Be and Has got
Positive
YES/NO Question
“WH” Question
I am strong. / I’m strong.
Am I strong?
When am I strong?
You are strong. / You’re strong.
Are you strong?
Why are you strong?
We are strong. /We’re strong.
Are we strong?
How are we strong?
They are strong./They’re strong.
Are they strong?
Who is strong?
She is strong. / She’s strong.
Is she strong?
When is she strong?
She has got a car./She’s got a car.
Has she got a car?
Who has got a car?
I’ve got / You’ve got / They’ve got / We’ve got a car.
Have I got a car? Have you/they/we got a car?
Why have you got a car?
Why have I/they/we got a car?
You like pizza.
Do you like pizza?
Why do you like pizza? Who likes pizza?
She studies at 8pm.
Does she study at 8pm?
Why does she study at 8pm? Who studies at 8pm?

6. Simple Present – Short answers
YES/NO Question
Short answer
Am I strong?
Yes, you are. No, you’re not.
Are you strong?
Yes, you are. No, you aren’t.
Are we strong?
Yes, we are. No, we aren’t.
Are they strong?
Yes, they are. No, they aren’t.
Is she strong?
Yes, she is. No, she isn’t.
Has she got a car?
Yes, she has. No, she hasn’t.
Have I got a car? Have you/they/we got a car?
Yes, I have. No, I haven’t.
Do you like pizza?
Yes, I do. No, I don’t.
Does she study at 8pm?
Yes, she does. No, she doesn’t.

7. Simple Present – Forms with “es”
Verbs ending with “o,” “x,” “y” or the sounds: s, z, sh, ch, and j
Subject
Positive
Negative
Question I
I often watch TV.
I don’t often watch TV.
Do I often watch TV?
You
You often watch TV.
You don’t often watch TV.
Do you often watch TV? We
We often watch TV.
We don’t often watch TV.
Do we often watch TV?
They
They often watch TV.
They don’t often watch TV.
Do they often watch TV?
He/She/It
She often watches TV.
She often rushes home.
She often kisses me.
She often fixes her hair.
She often mixes styles.
She often goes home.
She often worries.
She doesn’t often watch TV.
She doesn’t often rush home.
She doesn’t often kiss me.
She doesn’t often fix her hair.
She doesn’t often mix styles.
She doesn’t often go home.
She doesn’t often worry.
Does she often watch TV?Who often watches TV?
Does she often rush home?
Who often rushes home?
Does she often kiss me?
How often does she kiss me?
Does she often fix her hair?
Does she often mix styles?
Does she often go home?
Does she often worry?

8. Simple Present – Spelling
Verbs ending with “o,” “x,” “y” or the sounds: s, z, sh, ch, and j
Subject
Positive
Negative
Question
I worry/fly/…, She worries…, She flies…, She cries…,
BUT – I play….., She plays…. (no change after a vowel)
“o” ending: add “es”
I go/do/solo…., She goes…, She does…, She soloes…
“x” ending: add “es”
I relax/fix/mix…, She relaxes…, She fixes…, She mixes…
Ending sound of s, z, sh, ch, j: add “es”
I change/watch/wash/buzz…, She changes…, She watches…, She washes…, She buzzes…

9. Simple Present – Pronunciation of endings
After vowel, voiced consonant and unvoiced consonant sounds
/z/
After voiced sounds
(m/n/l/b/v/d/w/r/ng/zh and vowels)
/s/
After unvoiced sounds
(p/t/k/f/h)
/iz/ or /ez/
After /sh/, /ch/,/z/, /j/
She plays…
She receives…
She calls…
She learns…
She travels…
She comes…
She sees…
She grows…
She laughs…
She talks…
She stops…
She thinks…
She writes…
She bakes…
She gets…
She wants…
She pushes…
She washes…
She watches…
It buzzes…
She judges…
It damages…
She memorizes…
She exercises…
She rises…

10. Present Continuous – Be +“ing” The little present, temporary
USE:
Actions in progress – I’m reading a PowerPoint right now.
Temporary actions – My dad usually works in Jeddah, but this month, he’s working in Riyadh.
“Never” used with feelings and senses (things in your head and heart). Use simple present for that. Example: I love chocolate.
Commonly used with these words and expressions (with present time):
At the moment, right now, at present, just, just now, now, still, today, tonight Look! Listen!

11. Present Continuous – Be +“ing” Examples
Commonly used with these words and expressions (with present time):
At the moment, right now, at present, just, just now, now, still, today, tonight Look! Listen!
Examples:
I can’t come to meet you because:
I’m doing homework at the moment. I’m doing homework right now. I’m eating dinner at present. I’m still working on a project. I’m studying now.
I can meet you soon because:
I’m just now finishing my homework. I’m just finishing my homework.
I’m working in Riyadh today/tonight. I’ll return to Jeddah tomorrow.
Look! That car is running the red light!
Listen! Two cats are fighting!

12. Present Continuous– Form
Am / is / are + verb + ing
Subject
Positive
Negative
Question I
I am listening now. I’m listening now.
I am not listening.
I’m not listening.
Am I listening?
Why am I listening?
You
You are listening.
You’re listening.
You are not listening.
You’re not listening.
Are you listening?
Why are you listening? We
We are listening.
We’re listening.
We are not listening.
We’re not listening.
Are we listening?
Why are we listening?
They
They are listening.
They’re listening.
They are not listening.
They aren’t listening.
Are they listening?
Why are they listening?
He/She/It
She is listening.
She’s listening.
She is not listening.
She isn’t listening.
Is she listening?
Who is listening?
Why is she listening?

13. Present Continuous– Spelling
Examples
Rule
Sample sentence
Put/putting
Sit/sitting
Benefit/benefiting
Double the final consonant – after a short, stressed vowel at the end of the word
(“fit” in “benefit” is not stressed)
We’re sitting in class right now.
Travel / travelling
(British English only)
Double the final, single “L”
My mother is traveling in England this month.
Write / writing
See / seeing
Drop the final, single “e”
But not if there are 2
What are you writing?
The doctor is seeing a patient now.
Lie / lying
Die / dying
Change “ie” to “y”
He is in the hospital dying.
Are you lying to me?
Picnic / picnicking
Change final “c” to “ck”
We’re picnicking near the Corniche at the moment.

14. Links to Practice Simple Present vs. Present Continuous