TEMAS SEMANA 1
The Present Simple Tense
(also called the simple present tense)
(Download this explanation in PDF)
We need to use the Present Simple a lot in English, so it's really important to understand it well. Many students have problems with the form (or how to make it).
- If you'd prefer to learn about how to USE the Present Simple jump to this page.
- Or, click here for all the practice exercises about this tense.
Simple present tense with 'be'
The verb 'be' is different from the other verbs in this tense. Let's look at 'be' first:
Here's the positive form (positive means a normal sentence, not a negative or a question. This is sometimes called 'affirmative')
Positive | Positive Short Form |
I am | I'm |
you are | you're |
he is | he's |
she is | she's |
it is | it's |
we are | we're |
they are | they're |
Next, here's the negative. It's very easy. You only add 'not'.
Negative | Negative short form |
I am not | I'm not |
you are not | you aren't |
he is not | he isn't |
she is not | she isn't |
it is not | it isn't |
we are not | we aren't |
they are not | they aren't |
And finally let's talk about the question form of the present simple with 'be'.
Firstly, here's the 'yes / no' question form:
Yes / No Questions |
am I ? |
are you ? |
is he ? |
is she ? |
is it ? |
are we ? |
are they ? |
If you'd like to make a 'wh' question, you just put the question word at the front:
Wh Questions | |
where | am I ? |
what | are you ? |
why | is he ? |
who | is she ? |
when | are we ? |
how | are they ? |
Present simple tense with other verbs
With all other verbs, we make the present simple in the same way.
The positive is really easy. It's just the verb with an extra 's' if the subject is 'he', 'she', or 'it'. Let's take the verb 'play' as an example:
Positive (of 'play') |
I play |
you play |
he plays |
she plays |
it plays |
we play |
they play |
- Don't forget the 's'! Even really advanced students do this!
- For a few verbs, there is a spelling change before the 's'. For example, 'study' becomes 'studies'. .
- There are also few verbs which are irregular in the present simple:
- 'have' becomes 'has'
- 'do' becomes 'does'
- 'go' becomes 'goes'
To make the negative form, you need to use 'do not' (don't) or ' does not' (doesn't).
Negative (of 'play') | |
I do not play | I don't play |
you do not play | you don't play |
he does not play | he doesn't play |
she does not play | she doesn't play |
it does not play | it doesn't play |
we do not play | we don't play |
they do not play | they don't play |
How about the question form of the present simple tense?
We use 'do' or 'does' before the subject to make the 'yes / no' question:
Yes / No questions |
do I play ? |
do you play ? |
does he play ? |
does she play ? |
does it play ? |
do we play ? |
do they play ? |
Just like with 'be', if you'd like to make a 'wh' question, you just put the question word at the front:
Wh Questions | |
where | do I play ? |
what | do you play ? |
why | does he play ? |
who | does she play ? |
when | do we play ? |
how | do they play ? |
semana 2:
FREQUENCY ADVERBS
- Always (siempre)
- Usually ( usualmente)
- Normally // Generally (normalmente // generalmente)
- Often // Frequently (frecuentemente // a menudo)
- Sometimes (algunas veces)
- Occasionally (ocasionalmente)
- Seldom (pocas veces)
- Hardly ever // Rarely (casi nunca // rara vez)
- Never (nunca)
¿Como se utilizan?
Adverbs of frequency go before the main verb but after verb “to be”(se colocan antes del verbo principal pero después del verbo “to be”).
- They don´ t usually watch TV.
- She never eats sweets.
- They are usually in bed by 11:30
- She´s never eaten Chinese food.
- Have you ever had a really serious illness? (= ever = alguna vez)
- Sometimes I walk to work.
- Do you see your parentes often
Frequency expressions or adverbs phrases of frequency (every evening, once a week, twice a week…) normally go at the end a clause (las “expresiones de frecuencia” se colocan al final de la oración).
- I watch TV every evening.
- I go to the cinema twice a week.
- We use “How often…?” to ask (utilizamos la fórmula “How often…” para preguntar por la frecuencia con la que alguien hace algo).
- How often do they watch TV? They watch TV every evening.
- How often do you go swimming? I go swimming once a week.
FORMACIÓN DEL PARTICIPIO DE PRESENTE O GERUNDIO (INFINITIVO + ING) Y SUS EXCEPCIONES
La forma verbo + ing se llama participio de presente (gerundio).
¿Cómo se forma el participio de presente? Basta con añadir “ing” al verbo.
- Talk = talking.
- Mix = mixing.
- Play = playing.
Si el verbo acaba en consonante + vocal acentuada + consonante, debemos duplicar la consonante final antes de añadir el sufijo “ing”.
- Stop = stopping.
- Run = runnig.
- Begin = beginning.
Los verbos que acaban en vocal + consonante + “e” muda pierden la “e” final antes de añadir el sufijo “ing”.
- Dance = dancing.
- Bake = baking.
- Close = closing.
Pero, los verbos que acaban en doble “e” la mantienen antes de añadir el sufijo “ing”.
- Agree = agreeing.
Finalmente, hay algunos verbos en inglés que acaban en ie. Estos verbos cambian la ie por y antes de añadir el sufijo ing:
- Lie = lying.
- Tie = tying.
- Die = dying.
VERBOS QUE NO SE UTILIZAN EN PRESENTE CONTINUO
Existen una serie de verbos que normalmente no pueden emplearse en Presente Continuo, excepto en ocasiones excepcionales:
- Verbos que expresan sensaciones, como feel (sentir), hear (oír), see (ver) o smell (oler).
- Verbos que expresan posesión, como belong (pertenecer), own (ser propietario de) o possess (poseer).
- Verbos que expresan sentimientos o emociones, como desire (anhelar), detest (detestar), dislike (disgustar), fear (temer), hate (odiar), like(gustar), love (amar), respect (respetar), want (querer) o wish (desear).
- Verbos que expresan actividades mentales, como agree (estar de acuerdo), believe (creer), forget (olvidar), know (saber), realice (darse cuenta), recognize (reconocer), remember (recordar), suppose (suponer), think (pensar) o understand (entender).
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE OR PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Present continuous, también llamado present progressive o -ing form, es la forma continua del presente en inglés. Se asemeja al uso del gerundio (ando, endo, iendo) en español.
Se utiliza principalmente para expresar acciones que están teniendo lugar en el momento
del habla o que tienen un futuro proximo:
del habla o que tienen un futuro proximo:
James is travelling around Australia. He is staying at a youth hostel in a little Australian town.
The town is becoming more and more popular because of its beautiful beaches.
Use of the Present Progressive
Actions happening at the moment of speaking
Peter is reading a book now.
Fixed plans in the near future
We are going to Basel on Saturday.
Temporary actions: I am working in Rome this month.
Actions happening around the moment of speaking (longer actions): My friend is preparing for his exams.
Trends: More and more people are using their computers to listen to music.
Repeated actions which are irritating to the speaker (with always, constantly, forever)
Andrew is always coming late.
2. Signal words
- now
- at the moment
- Look!
- Listen!
3. Form
to be (am, are, is) + Infinitiv + -ing
Form
Simple Present | Present Progressive |
---|---|
infinitive
(3rd person singular: infinitive + 's')
I speak
you speak he / she / it speaks we speak they speak |
form of 'be' and verb + ing
I am speaking
you are speaking he / she / it is speaking we are speaking they are speaking |
Exceptions | |
Exceptions when adding 's' :
| Exceptions when adding 'ing' :
|
Use
In general or right now?
Do you want to express that something happens in general or that something is happening right now?
Simple Present | Present Progressive |
---|---|
in general (regularly, often, never)
Colin plays football every Tuesday.
present actions happening one after another
First Colin plays football, then he watches TV.
|
right now
Look! Colin is playing football now.
also for several actions happening at the same time
Colin is playing football and Anne is watching.
|
Signal words | |
|
|
Note: The following verbs are usually only used in Simple Present:
be, have, hear, know, like, love, see, smell, think, want |
Timetable / Schedule or arrangement?
Do you want to express that something is arranged for the near future? Or do you refer to a time set by a timetable or schedule?
Simple Present | Present Progressive |
---|---|
action set by a timetable or schedule
The film starts at 8 pm.
| arrangement for the near future
I am going to the cinema tonight.
|
Daily routine or just for a limited period of time?
Do you want to talk about a daily routine? Or do you want to emphasis that something is only going on for a limited (rather short) period of time?
Simple Present | Present Progressive |
---|---|
daily routine
Bob works in a restaurant.
| only for a limited period of time (does not have to happen directly at the moment of speaking)
Jenny is working in a restaurant this week.
|
Certain Verbs
The following verbs are usually only used in Simple Present (not in the progressive form).
- state: be, cost, fit, mean, suitExample: We are on holiday.
- possession: belong, haveExample: Sam has a cat.
- senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, touchExample: He feels the cold.
- feelings: hate, hope, like, love, prefer, regret, want, wishExample: Jane loves pizza.
- brain work: believe, know, think, understandExample: I believe you.
- Introductory clauses for direct speech: answer, ask, reply, sayExample: “I am watching TV,“ he says.