IELTS Grammar | Unit 1: Present Tenses | Present Simple Present Continous and State Verbs
Do you know clearly about Present Tenses?
In this lesson, we are going to learn about Present Simple Present Continous and State Verbs. This unit is in the series of Grammar for IELTS.
Before starting to learn grammar, we do small task.
A. Context Listening
1. You are going to hear a woman interviewing a student for a survey about what people do in their free time. Before you listen, look at the pictures. Which activities do you think the student does in his free time?
2. Listen and check if you were right.
3. Listen again and decide if the following statements are true or false. If a statement is false, write the correctition.
1) Peter is waiting for his friends.
2) He isn’t studying much this month.
3) His parents own a shop.
4) He practises the guitar most mornings.
5) He frequently uses the Internet.
6) His cousin is living in America at the moment.
7) Peter doesn’t support any football teams.
4. Look at your answers to Exercise 3 and answer these questions.
1) Which sentences are about a situation that is permanent or a fact?
2) Which sentences are about everyday habits?
3) Which sentence is about an action happening at the moment of speaking?
4) Which sentences are about a temporary situation?
B. Grammar
1. Present Simple
Aiffirmative
verb/verb + (e)s
He plays tennis.
Negative
do/does not + verb
She doesn’t play tennis.
Question
do/does … + verb?
Do you play tennis?
We use the present simple
+ to talk about regular habits or repeated actions:
I get up really early and practise for an hour or so most days.
I use the Internet just about every day.
Words that describe how often or when are often used (e.g. always, generally, normally, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never, every day, every evening).
+ to talk about permanent situations:
My parents own a restaurant.
+ We use the present perfect, not the present simple, to say how long something has continued:
I have worked there since I was 15. (not work there since I was 15: see Unit 3)
+ to talk about facts or generally accepted truths:
Students don’t generally have much money.
If you heat water to 100°C, it boils. (see Unit 17)
The following words are often used: generally, mainly, normally, usually, traditionally.
+ to give instructions and directions:
You go down to the traffic lights, then you turn left.
To start the programme, first you click on the icon on the desktop.
+ to tell stories and talk about films, books and plays:
In the film, the tea lady falls in love with the Prime Minister.
2. Present Continuous
Affirmative
am/is/are + verb + -ing
He’s living in Thailand.
Negative
am/is/are not + verb + -ing
I’m not living in Thailand.
Question
am/is/are … + verb + -ing?
Are they living in Thailand?
We use the present continuous
+to talk about temporary situations:
I’m studying really hard for my exams.
My cousin is living in Thailand at the moment. (= he doesn’t normally live there)
Words like at the moment, currently, now, this week/month/year are often used.
+ to talk about actions happening at the moment of speaking:
I’m waiting for my friends.
+ to talk about trends or changing situations:
The Internet is making it easier for people to stay in touch with each other.
The price of petrol is rising dramatically.
+ to talk about things that happen more often than expected, often to show envy or to criticise
with words like always, constantly, continually, forever:
My mum’s always saying I don’t help enough! (complaint)
He’s always visiting exciting places! (envy)
3. State Verbs
The present continuous is not normally used with state verbs because the meaning of the verb itself is a general truth rather than something temporary. These verbs describe thoughts, feelings, senses, possession and description.
