Using the verb to be in Present Simple and Present Continious

2024 Author: Angel Austin | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:14

It's no secret that when learning English, the most difficult thing is to understand tenses. In Russian, everything is simple. There is present, past and future. In English, there are 4 present tenses, 4 past tenses and 4 future tenses. And that's just the active voice! In order to understand the use of these tenses, it takes months, and sometimes even years, of careful study of this issue. The best way is to make a summary table of all times so that you can see them all at the same time while doing the exercises. This article discusses two present tenses, from the study of which the knowledge of the entire cycle of tenses of the active voice begins.

Using the Present Simple in English

The study of English tenses always begins with Present Simple (Indefinite) - this is the present simple tense. The action at a given time occurs usually, regularly (for example,every day, every year, every hour, etc.). It also includes well-known facts and the permanent state of a person.

For example:

1. Moscow is the capital of Russia. Moscow is the capital of Russia.
2. My father lives in Italy. My father lives in Italy.

To form an affirmative sentence in Present Simple, use the verb in the first form or add the ending -s to it (only in the 3rd person singular).

1. I walk in the park every day. I walk in the park every day.
2. My brother goes to gym three times a week. My brother goes to the gym three times a week (3rd person singular).

Auxiliary verbs are used to form negative and interrogative sentences. In the present simple tense, these are the verbs Do and Does. The auxiliary verb Does is used only with the pronouns he (he), she (she), it (inanimate objects, animals, small children), that is, only in the 3rd person, singular. When forming interrogative sentences, the auxiliary word is put in the first place, followed by the subject, then the predicate (the verb in the first form, regardless of person and number).

1. Does she play the guitar? Does she play the guitar?
2. Do you live in London? Do you live in London?

To form a negative sentence, the particle not is added to the auxiliary verb. Word order in a negative sentence: subject - auxiliary verb - particle not - verb in the first form (regardless of person and number).

1. I don't live inthe USA. I don't live in America.
2. He does not play the piano. She doesn't play the piano.

Using verbs

Formation of verbs in the present simple tense (Present Simple verbs) occurs by adding the ending -s, but remember that in some cases, instead of -s, you need to use -es. The ending -es is attached if the word ends with x, sh, ch, ss, se.

For example:

• do - does - do;
• watch - watches - watch;
• wash - washes - wash.

Using the verb to be in Present Simple

The verb to be in present simple tense has 3 forms: am, is, are. Each form is used depending on the person and number. Verb conjugation for persons and numbers is presented in the table below:

I	am
you	are
he	is
she	is
it	is
we	are
you	are
they	are

Examples:

1. My sister is a teacher. My sister is a teacher.
2. Emily is from Washington D. C. Emily from Washington.
3. I am a student. I am a student.

Practical task

The following are exercises for using the verb to be in Present Simple.

Put the verb to be in the correct form and translate into Russian:

1. I (to be) from Russia.
2. He (to be) Italian.
3. My mother works in a hospital. She (to be) a doctor.
4. You (to be) an engineer?
5. My father speaks French fluently. His grandfather (to be) from Paris.

Translate into English using to be in Present Simple:

1. My brother is in school. He is a student.
2. My sister speaks English very well. Her fiancé is from America.
3. My brother is 15 years old. He is still in school.

Using Present Continious Tense

The present continuous tense is used when an action is taking place at a given moment in time, now. Words indicating this time: now (right now), at that moment (at the moment).

Present Continuous Tense is formed using the verb to be in Present Simple and the main verb with the addition of the ending -ing. For clarity, take a look at the table.

I	am	looking for my book.	I'm looking for my book (now).
You	are	looking for my book.	You are looking for my book (now).
He	is	looking for my book.	He is looking for my book (now).
She	is	looking for my book.	She is looking for my book (now).
It	is	looking for my book.	It's looking for my book (now).
We	are	looking for mybook.	We are looking for my book (now).
You	are	looking for my book.	You are looking for my book(now).
They	are	looking for my book.	They are looking for my book (now).

A negative sentence of time is formed by adding the particle not to the verb to be. The order of the words in the sentence does not change.

1. I am not playing football now. I don't play football now.
2. He is not watching TV at that moment. He is not watching TV at the moment.

To form an interrogative sentence, you need to put the verb to be in the correct form in the first place.

1. Am I playing football now? Am I playing football now?
2. Is she playing the piano at that moment? Is she playing the piano now?

Exercise

These tenses are best worked out in pairs for a better understanding of the situation of use. Below are exercises on the present simple and present continuous that will help you better understand the topic.

1. Open the brackets using Present Continuous or Present Simple Tenses: My mother (to work) in a school. She (to be) a teacher. She (teach) English language for children. She (to love) her job very much. At that moment she (plan) a visit to English-speaking countries to improve her skills.
2. Translate into English using Present Continious or Present Simple Tenses: My day starts at 6 o'clock. I wake up, take a shower and go to breakfast. Then I go to school. My classes start at 8 o'clock and I usually walk to school. But the weather is terrible today, and that's why I'm on the bus now. Every day I have 6 lessons. My favorite subject is the history of Russia. Now I am reading a very fascinating book about Catherine the Great. Classes end at 2 o'clock and I go to the gym. I love sports and can do it all day long. In the evenings I watch TV or read a book. What does your typical day look like?

Below is a translation for beginners to test knowledge.

My day starts at 6 o'clock. I wake up, take a shower and go to breakfast. Then I go to school. My classes start at 8 o'clock, and usually I walk to school. But today the weather is terrible and therefore I am going by bus now. Every day I have 6 lessons. My favorite subject is the history of Russia. Now I am reading a very exciting book about Catherine the Great. Classes end at 2 o'clock and go to the gym. I love sports and can do it all day long. In the evenings I watch TV or read a book. What does your usual day look like?