Present Simple Vs Continuous British English Student

HEAAADERLOGORIG
BUSINESS ENGLISH · BUSINESS ENGLISH GRAMMAR · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
PRESENT
SIMPLE VS.
CONTINUOUS
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Expemo code:
1B7K-57H9-M5JM
1 Simple vs. continuous
Present simple
We use the present simple to talk about repeated actions or permanent situations in
the present: I always commute by car.
I live in Madrid.
I sometimes work at weekends.
Present continuous
We use the present continuous to talk about actions happening now or around the
present time: I’m learning English at the moment.
Pamela is working on an important project this week.
Only verbs of action can be used in the continuous form, e.g. I’m working, she’s writing,
etc. Some verbs such as believe, know, love are states, not actions. State verbs can
normally only be used in the simple form (I love, not I’m loving).
State verbs: want, like, love, hate, prefer, know, realise, understand, believe, remember, seem, suppose,
mean...
Some verbs can be action or state verbs, with a change in meaning:
STATES
I think you need to take some time off work. (= I believe, in
my opinion) I see that you are very stressed these days. (=
my observation)
She is very fair with her employees. (= her general character)
ACTIONS
What are you thinking about? (think = ‘use your brain’)
‘Where is the boss?’ ‘I’m seeing her right now.’ (= ‘I’m meeting her’)
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She is being unfair. (= ‘she is behaving in this way right now’)

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INTERMEDIATE (B1-
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PRESENT SIMPLE VS. CONTINUOUS
DIALOGUE A: What do you do?
B: I’m a sales manager. I live and work in Rome.

A: Interesting. So, what are you doing here in London?
B: I’m just visiting. I love this city.
2 Practice 1
Put the verbs in brackets in the present simple or present continuous:
1. I often ( go) (go) to work by bus.

2. Where (do you living) (you/live)?
3. The boss isn’t here. She (is having lunch) (have) lunch with a client.
4. The photocopy machine is free. (Am not using) (not/use) it.
5. Tom (works is ) (work) as an architect for a large firm in London. This month, his
company
(Designing) (design) a new office building for one of its main clients.
6. I usually ( leave i am staying) (leave) the
office at 5pm, but this week I (stay) late
because of the new project.
7. Pablo is a journalist – he (writes is ) (write) articles for a well-known
newspaper. Right now, he (write) (write) about the economic situation in his
country.
8. Owen ( is talking ) (talk) on the phone at the moment. He (doesn´t usually make)
(not/usually/make) calls in his work.
3 Practice 2
Look at the pictures below. On the next page, answer the questions about each picture using the
phrases below, like in the example.
buy and sell shares buy supplies design buildings develop websites
draft agreements drink wine have lunch kick a photocopier
make a deal repair cars run a corporation go to a client
sell insurance text people work late write a note
salesman architects CEO purchasing managers
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1. What does he do? He sells insurance.

What is he doing? He’s going to a client.
2. What do they do? . . . they design buildings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

...............
What are they doing? . they are having lunch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

..............
3. What does he do? . . he run a corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
...........
What is he doing? . . . He´s kick a photocopier
.......................................................................
4. What do they do? .. . . . they. buy supplies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
........
What are they doing? . . . .they are make a deal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
..............
5. What do they do? . . they drift agreements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.............................
What are they doing? . they are texting people . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
..............
6. What do they do? . . . . they buy and sell shares. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
..............
What are they doing? . . .they are drinking wine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
..............................
7. What does he do? . . . . . . . . he develops websites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
..............
What is he doing? . . . . . .he is working late . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
...........................
8. What does he do? . .he repairing cars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
...........................
What is he doing? . . . .he write a note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.........................
Now answer the questions about you:
1. What do you do? I´m doing work

2. What are you doing? I´m doing work on the computer
4 Practice 3 - State vs. Action verbs

Put the verbs in brackets in the present simple or present continuous:
1. We NEED (need) to wait. I DON´T KNOW (not/know) how long.

2. I DON’T LIKE (not/like) this design. I I PREFER (prefer) that one.

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3. I DON, T UNDERSTANDD (not/understand) what you ARE TRYING (try) to say.

Can you explain it another way?
4. Jenny IS (be) on maternity leave. She IS NOT WORKING (not/work) at the moment.
5. The managers ARE THINKING (think) of relocating the company headquarters.
6. Right now, I DO NOT SEE (not/see) a problem. I THINK (think) everything is fine.
7. DO YOU HAVE (have/you) a minute? I WANT (want) to talk to you about
something.
8. I SEE (see) that you ARE NOT DOING (not/do) anything at the moment.
9. The internet SEEMS (seem) to be down at the moment. DO YOU UNDERSTAND
(you/understand)?
10. I DO NO HAVE (not/have) time to talk right now. I AM SEEING (see) the manager.

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5 Practice 5
Complete the questions below using the present simple or present continuous. Then give true answers.
1. You / often / wear / jeans at work? R/ Do you often wear jeans at work
2. You / wear / jeans / right now? R/ Are you wearing jeans right now
3. It / often / rain / in your country? R/ Does it often rain in your country
4. It / rain / at the moment? R/ is it raining at the moment
5. You / ever / work late? R/ Do you ever work late
6. You / work late / today? R/ Are you working late today
7. You / sometimes / think / about changing your career? R/ Do you sometimes think
about changing your career
8. You / think / about changing your career / at the moment? R/ Are you thinking
about changing you career at the moments
9. You / work on / an important project / this week? R/ Are you working on an
important project this week
10. You / often / work on / important projects? R/ Do you often work on
important projects
11. You / commute / by train? R/ Do you commute by traing
12. You / commute / right now? R/ Are you commuting right now
6 Present continuous with ‘always’
We often use the present continuous with always to talk about something that happens again and
She’s always talking about people behind their backs. He’s always arriving late.
I’m always losing my keys!
We can also use the present continuous with always to emphasise other repeated actions and beh
We’re always looking for new employees. (= We often look for new employees) I’m always reading
Joe is a very generous person. He’s always lending his friends money. (= he lends money to his fr

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7 Practice 6
Complete the sentences below with a suitable verb and ‘always’, like in the example.
arrive chat criticise drink eat

make misunderstand rain reply forget
1. Peter is always a forge ting t o do important tasks. It’s a real problem.

2. Anna is always chatting to her friends on Skype. When does she have time for
work?
3. Jeff is a very mean boss. He is always criticizing his employees.
4. You’ll need an umbrella. It is always raining in London.
5. Simon is always replaying to the wrong emails.
6. You are always misunderstanding what I say. Try to listen more carefully.
7. The marketing manager is always drinking strong black coffee. By the end of the
day, he becomes very irritable.
8. Joe is always eating too much at lunchtime. It’s not surprising that he feels
sleepy in the afternoon.
9. You are always arriving late! Try to be on time.
10. The secretary is always making the same mistakes! It’s so irritating.
Do you have any bad or irritating habits?

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HEAAADERLOGORIG

BUSINESS ENGLISH · BUSINESS ENGLISH GRAMMAR · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

1 Simple vs. continuous

FOOOOTERRIG H Learn without forgetting! 1/5

FOOOOTERRIG H Learn without forgetting! 2/5

DIALOGUE A: What do you do?

B: I’m a sales manager. I live and work in Rome.

B: I’m just visiting. I love this city.

1. I often ( go) (go) to work by bus.

salesman architects CEO purchasing managers

FOOOOTERLEF T Learn without forgetting! 3/5

business lawyers stock brokers IT programmer mechanic

FOOOOTERLEF T Learn without forgetting! 4/5

1. What does he do? He sells insurance.

2. What do they do? . . . they design buildings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

What are they doing? . they are having lunch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Now answer the questions about you:

1. What do you do? I´m doing work

4 Practice 3 - State vs. Action verbs

1. We NEED (need) to wait. I DON´T KNOW (not/know) how long.

FOOOOTERRIG H Learn without forgetting! 3/5

3. I DON, T UNDERSTANDD (not/understand) what you ARE TRYING (try) to say.

FOOOOTERRIG H Learn without forgetting! 4/5

6 Present continuous with ‘always’

FOOOOTERLEF T Learn without forgetting! 5/5

arrive chat criticise drink eat

1. Peter is always a forge ting t o do important tasks. It’s a real problem.

Do you have any bad or irritating habits?

FOOOOTERRIG H Learn without forgetting! 6/5

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