Review of the Present Tense (Present Progressive and Present Simple)

There are different ways to talk about the present in English.

We use the present progressive (L1U2L1, L1U2L2, L1U2L3) to talk about something that’s happening right now.

We form the present progressive with the verb be (am, is, are) and add –ing to the base form of the verb. For spelling rules, see the Know More in L1U2L1.

The present progressive is also used for:

1. actions that happen over a long period of time, and are continuing now.
   For example: She’s living in France.
2. actions that are repeated or are always happening.
   For example: He’s always asking the teacher funny questions.

   You’re traveling a lot these days.
3. actions or things that change.
   For example: The baby is getting bigger every day.

   We’re learning more words all the time.

Some time expressions that go with the present progressive are now, right now, at this moment.

For example: We are learning English right now.

We use the present simple (L1U4L1-5) to talk about habits and things we do all the time.

For example: He practices piano every day after school.

We form the present simple with the base form of the verb. We add -s or -es to he,she, or it. For spelling rules, see L1U4L1.

For example: My family does different things in the evening. My father reads a book. My brother watches TV. My sister studies, and I do my homework.

The present simple is also used for:

1. facts and things that are always true.
   For example: They live in England.

   Spring comes after winter.
2. summaries (telling what happened) in stories:
   For example: In the story, the children scream and the monster follows them into the forest.
3. some time expressions that go with the present simple are: every day/Tuesday/week/month, at night, in the summer, and adverbs of frequency (always, usually, often, sometimes, never).
   For example: We eat lunch every day at 12:00.

   He usually plays ball after school.

Stative verbs, or non-action verbs, describe a state or condition, not an action. They don’t usually take the present progressive form. Instead, we use the present simple. Stative verbs often describe how we feel, how we think, how things look, things we own, and our senses.

Feelings: like, love, hate
Thoughts: remember, forget, understand, know, think, need, want, believe, hope, prefer
Description: be, look, seem
Possession: have, own
Senses: see, hear, smell, taste

Some verbs are both stative and active. If actual action is happening, use the present progressive.

Get (+ adjective)

When the verb get is followed by an adjective, it means become or change.