Can you spot the difference?
“He plays football every day.”
“He is playing football now.”
Present Simple
How to build?
Here’s how we build the Present Simple:
| Positive | |
|---|---|
I, you | like |
He, she, it | likes |
We, you, they | like |
| Negative | |
|---|---|
I, you | don’t like |
He, she, it | doesn’t like |
We, you, they | don’t like |
| Interrogative |
|---|
Do you like…? |
Does she like…? |
Do they like…? |
When to use?
We use the Present Simple to talk about:
Habits and routines
I start work at 8 o’clock. I don’t start work at 9 o’clock.
She gets home at 6 pm. She doesn’t get home at 5 pm.
Facts
Monkeys like bananas. They don’t like fish.
My brother lives in Boston. My brother doesn’t live in London.
Present Continuous
How to build?
Here’s how we build the Present Continuous:
| Positive | |
|---|---|
I | am playing |
You | are playing |
He, she, it | is playing |
We, you, they | are playing |
| Positive | |
|---|---|
I | am not playing |
You | aren’t playing |
He, she, it | isn’t playing |
We, you, they | aren’t playing |
| Interrogative |
|---|
Am I playing? |
Are you playing? |
Is she playing? |
Are they playing? |
When to use?
We use the Present Continuous to talk about:
Things that are happening now
I am reading a book. I am not reading a magazine.
He is cooking dinner in the kitchen. He isn’t cooking dinner outside.
They are watching TV in the living room. They aren’t watching TV in their bedroom.
Temporary things
I am living with my grandmother at the moment. I am not living with my parents.
She is taking an English course. She isn’t taking a German course.
They are working on a project together until May. They aren’t working on any project together after that one.
Downloadable educational resources
Downloadable educational resources for teachers and students, available at up2dateskills online stores: up2 and TPT.
Content:
- help box explaining when to use the verb to be with example sentences
- tables to conjugate the verb
- multiple exercises to practice positive, negative and interrogative sentences
Included resources:
- Worksheet (PDF + Word)
- Answer key (PowerPoint)
Your turn
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