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Present Tenses
Present Simple Present Continuous
A] Present Simple
1. Form:
We add -s to the third person singular! All other forms stay the same in the Present Simple:
I like we like you like you like he/she/it likes they like
Irregular forms: do/does, go/goes, have/has, can/can
For negations and questions we add do or does + infinitive:
+ I like football. + He likes football.
- I don’t like football.- She doesn’t like football.
? Do you like football?? Does she like football?
? - Don’t you like football?? - Doesn’t she like football?
Short answers are formed as follows:
Do you like football? + Yes, I do.
- No, I don’t.
Does he play tennis?
- No, he doesn’t.
+ Yes, he does.
Do they eat meat?
+ Yes, they do.- No, they don’t.
Do we have any money left?+ Yes, we do. - No, we don’t.
2. Spelling:
After sibilants (Zischlaute) we add -es for the third person singular:
watch → he watches kiss → she kisses
y after a consonant forms –ies in the third person singular:
try → she tries cry → she cries
BUT: pay → she pays
Ex.: Form the third person singular of these verbs!
to stopto carryto haveto seeto doto runto go
→ he stops→ she carries→ he has→ she sees→ he does→ she runs→ he goes
3. Use:
The Present Simple refers to…
- Facts that are always true:
→ Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
- Habits (Gewohnheiten): → British people drink a lot of tea.
- States (Zustände): → I don’t like gangster movies.
Ex.: Translate!
Ich spiele gerne Fussball.I like to play football.
Eis beginnt bei 1 Grad Celsius zu schmelzen (=
to melt).Ice starts to melt at 1 degree Celsius.
Ich gehe montags immer ins Kino.I always go to the cinema on Mondays.
B] Present Continuous
1. Form:
to be + verb in –ing form
+ I am working. - You aren’t swimming. ? Is she sleeping?
Short answers:
+ Yes, she is. - No, she isn’t.
Is she sleeping?
Are they coming?+ Yes, they are.- No, they aren’t.
Are you listening?+ Yes, I am. - No, I am not.
2. Spelling:
If the infinitive ends in a silent -e, the final -e is dropped:
hope → hopingmake → making
BUT: be → beingsee → seeing
If the infinitive ends in -ie, the ending is -ying:
die → dyinglie → lying
If the infinitive ends in a stressed consonant + vowel + consonant (CVC) combination, we double the last consonant:
stop → stoppingbegin → beginningsit → sittingswim → swimming
BUT: remember → rememberingvisit → visiting
3. Use
The Present Continuous usually refers to unfinished actions / actions which are
in progress at the moment
These can be temporary:
→ I’m staying in a hotel until I find a flat.
They can be actually in progress:
→ The dog is sleeping on our bed!
Or they can be generally in progress but not actually happening at the moment:
→ I’m learning to drive. → I’m studying English.
Some verbs can not be used in the Present Continuous because they typically express habits or states.
Ex.:
believe I believe in God.understand I just don’t understand math.hate I hate vegetables.
believe hate know like love mean need preferrealize remember suppose understand want
Ex.: Translate!
Du schreibst gerade nicht.You aren’t writing.
Sie träumt gerade.She’s dreaming.
Arbeitet er gerade?Is he working?
Esst ihr nicht gerade zu Abend?Aren’t you having dinner?
Present Simple vs. Present Continuous
refers to unfinished
actions / actions which are in
progress.
trigger words:
(right) now at the moment etc.
refers to facts, habits and
states
trigger words:
always usually (very) oftenevery dayetc.
Ex.: Translate!
Mein Bruder macht (gerade) seine Hausaufgaben.
My brother is doing his homework (now).
Mein Bruder macht (üblicherweise) seine Hausaufgaben.
My brother (usually) does his homework.
Ich nehme Französischstunden während der Ferien.
I’m taking French lessons during the holidays.