Tag: simple present

Simple Present vs. Present Continuous

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Present simple:

The simple present tense is used to describe actions that are habitual or routine, as well as facts that are always true. We use the simple present tense to talk about things that happen regularly, frequently or all the time.

Habits and routines

  • I wake up early every morning.
  • She always drinks coffee in the morning.
  • They never eat fast food.

Facts

  • The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
  • The Earth revolves around the sun.
  • The moon has a gravitational pull.

Stative verbs

Stative verbs are a specific type of verb that describe states or conditions rather than actions. These verbs express how someone feels, what they think, or what something is like. Unlike action verbs that show physical movement or activity, stative verbs describe a person’s state of being or the qualities of something.

Here are some common stative verbs:

  • Aree: I agree with you
  • Want: She wants to travel to India next year.
  • Believe: They believe in ghosts.
  • Have: I have a headache.
  • Like: He likes playing soccer.
  • Know: Do you know the answer?
  • Understand: Do you understand what I mean?

Present Continuous:

The present continuous tense is used to describe actions that are currently happening or in progress at the time of speaking. We use the present continuous tense to talk about actions that are temporary or incomplete, as well as trends that are currently happening.

Actions in progress

  • She is currently studying for her exams.
  • They are building a new house in my neighbourhood.
  • He is watching TV right now.

Things started but not finished at the time of speaking

We use the present continuous tense to talk about actions that were started in the past but have not yet been completed.

Example:

  • I am currently working on my homework, but I haven’t finished it yet.
  • My neighbour is renovating his house. The house will be fully renovated in 2 months.

Trends

  • The temperature is increasing every year due to global warming.
  • More and more people are using social media for communication.
  • The number of people who are working from home has increased during the pandemic.

Grammar Practice

Choose the correct sentence.

Speaking practice

  1. Complete the questions
  2. Ask and answer the questions

Board Game

🎲 Students take turns rolling the dice and moving their piece on the board.

🛑 When a student lands on a square, they answer the question using the correct tense.

🗣️ Example: “I go to the cinema once every month.”

👂 The other players listen and decide if the answer is right or wrong.

✅ If the answer is right, the student stays on that square.

❌ If the answer is wrong, they go back to their previous square.

🏆 The first student to reach the finish square wins the game!

been to vs. gone to

teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Let’s talk about verb be and verb go

You already know that:

Base formsimple pastpast participle
bewas/ werebeen
gowentgone

Now, let’s say that you want to talk about your trips. If you want to talk about your trips and the places that you have visited in the past you can’t use verb go in the present perfect form.

simple present1. I usually go to Paris in the summer. ✔️
simple past2. I went to Paris last year. ✔️
present perfect3. I have gone to Paris many times. ❌
I have been to Paris many times ✔️

Why?

Because…

been tocompleted visits (round trip)
gone toone-way trip

In the video below I explain how to use been to and gone to correctly

Practice time

Now it’s your turn.

Complete the following sentences with been or gone:

  1. My mom has ________ to the supermarket. She’ll be back in an hour.
  2. I’ve ________ to that place before. I know how to get there.
  3. You’re late. Where have you ________?
  4. Where has the teacher _________? She was here 5 minutes ago.
  5. She’s ________ to New York for a job interview.
  6. Has he ________ home? The party hasn’t finished yet.
  7. Have you ever _______ to Australia?
  8. The children have ________ to school.
  9. The fridge is full of fresh food. I’ve _______ to the supermarket?
  10. My dad has ________ to the dentist.
Check your answers HERE