Present Tenses

Present Simple (=einfache Gegenwart)

• Form
• Rules

Present Continuous or Progressive (=Verlaufsform)

• Form
• Rules

Test

Present Simple Form

1. Form:
• Affirmative: uses first form of the verb (go, went, gone; do, did, done)

I/we/you/they go    but  he/she/it goes (3rd person +s)

He/She/It s muß mit!!!

Example: I work in Solingen. She works in London.

• We use do and does and the first form of the verb to make questions and negatives sentences:
• Do I/we/you/they like music?
• Does he/she/it like music?(not: likes)
• I/We/You/They don’t like music.
• He/She/It doesn’t like music.(not: likes)
• Spelling rules: make - makes (not: make-es) but  wish - wishes The ending is -es when the word ends in -s/-sh/-ss/-sh/-ch/-x
• If a word ends in consonant + y: y changes to ies
• carry - carries, hurry - hurries, study - studies

Present Simple Rules

1. Rules The present simple is used
• to express what happens habitually or regularly
• He takes his car to work every day.
• to describe facts that are always or usually true
• Solingen is in Germany.
• to describe natural or scientific laws
• The earth goes round the sun.
• with non-progressive verbs (like, love, know, see, hear, smell, etc.)
• I don’t know the answer. (not: I’m not knowing the answer)
• in the if clause of the first conditional
• If I find your key, I’ll give it back to you.
• for explanations, instructions, descriptions, headlines
• First you push the button...
• when you promise, suggest or apologize for s.th.
• I suggest we buy a new car.
• for the future (timetables, schedules etc.)
• The train arrives at 8 o’clock.
2. Keywords: sometimes, often, never, always, usually, seldom, occasionally, every week/day/month/year..., once/twice/ three times a week

Present Continuous = Present Progressive Form

Form:

• Affirmative: uses ”to be” + present participle (infinitive +ing)
• I am working                     - I’m working
• He/She/It is working           - He’s working
• We/You/They are working  - We’re working
• Questions and negative sentences:
• Am I working?                        I am not (I’m not) working.
• Is she working?                      She is not (isn’t) working.
• Are we working?                    We are not (aren’t) working.
• Spelling rules:
• The -e is left off when the infinitive ends in e (make - making)
• If a one-syllable ends in  vowel + consonant, we double the consonant at the end: stop - stopping; plan - planning
• If the word has more than one syllable, we double the consonant at the end only when the final syllable is stressed: preFER-preferring; beGIN - beginning; forGET - forgetting     but       VISit - visiting; deVElop - developing
• If the verb ends in ie it changes to y. die - dying;  tie - tying

Present Continuous Rules

1. Rules The present continuous is used
• to say that an action is happening now
• I am reading a book at the moment.
• with adverbs like always or constantly to express criticism
• He is always coming late.
• to talk about temporary habits
• She’s eating a lot these days.
• to give a running commentary on an event
• Look, he’s coming through the door ....
• for future events which have been arranged
• As arranged, we are meeting at the airport at 2 o’clock.
2. Keywords: now, at the moment, currently

Test

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