PRESENT SIMPLE AND PRESENT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT SIMPLE AND PRESENT CONTINUOUS
( I a m d o i n g ) ( 2 )
We often prefer to use the present simple rather than the present continuous with verbs describing
states:
• I really enjoy travelling.
• The group currently consists of five people, but we hope to get more members soon.
Г Other common state verbs include agree, assume, believe, belong to, contain, cost, disagree, feel,
hate, have, hope, know, like, look, love, own, prefer, realise, regret, resemble, smell, taste.
However, we can use the present continuous with some state verbs when we want to emphasise
that a situation is temporary, for a period of time around the present. Compare:
• I consider him to be extremely fortunate. (This is my view) and
• I'm considering taking early retirement. (This is something I'm thinking about now)
• The children love having Jean stay with us. (They love it when Jean stays) and
• The children are loving having Jean stay with us. (Jean is staying with us now)
With some verbs used to describe a temporary state (e.g. ache, feel, hurt, look (= seem)), there is
little difference in meaning when we use the present simple and present continuous:
• What's the matter with Bill? He looks / is looking awful.
When have has a non-state meaning - for example when it means 'eat', 'undergo', 'take' or
'hold' - we can use the present continuous:
• 'What's that terrible noise?' 'The neighbours are having a party.'
eWe use the present continuous when we talk about changes, developments, and trends:
• • The growing number of visitors is damaging the footpaths.
• I'm beginning to realise how difficult it is to be a teacher.
When we tell a story or joke we often describe the main events using the present (or past) simple
and longer, background events using the present (or past) continuous:
• She goes (or went) up to this man and looks (or looked) straight into his eyes. She's carrying
(or was carrying) a bag full of shopping...
We can also use the present simple and present continuous like this in
commentaries (for example, on sports events) and in giving instructions:
• King serves to the left hand court and Adams makes a wonderful
return. She's playing magnificent tennis in this match...
• You hold the can in one hand. Right, you're holding it in one hand;
now you take off the lid with the other.
When we want to emphasise that something is done repeatedly, we can use the present continuous
with words like always, constantly, continually, or forever. Often we do this when we want to
show that we are unhappy about it, including our own behaviour:
• They're constantly having parties until the early hours of the morning.
We use the past continuous (see Unit 6) in the same way:
• He was forever including me in his crazy schemes.

The present simple is used to report what we have heard or what we have read:
• This newspaper article explains why unemployment has been rising so quickly.
We also use the present simple in spoken English in phrases such as I gather, I hear, I see, and I
understand to introduce news that we have heard, read or seen (e.g. on television):
• I gather you're worried about the new job?
• The Prince is coming to visit, and I hear he's very rich.
Present simple and present continuous (1) =
Present simple for the future => BlffiXFl
Ф ^ Д | Present continuous for the future =
Present simple in reporting => IH'IHtH

Present perfect
When we talk about something that happened in the past, but we don't specify precisely when it
happened (perhaps we don't know, or it is not important to say when it happened), we use the
present perfect (but see E below):
• A French yachtsman has broken the record for sailing round the world single-handed.
• I have complained about the traffic before.
When we use the present perfect, it suggests some kind of connection between what happened in
the past, and the present time. Often we are interested in the way that something that happened in
the past affects the situation that exists now:
• I've washed my hands so that I can help you with the cooking.
• We can't go ahead with the meeting, because very few people have shown any interest.
The connection with the present may also be that something happened recently, with a
consequence for the present:
• I've found the letter you were looking for. Here it is.
• My ceiling has fallen in and the kitchen is flooded. Come quickly!
When we talk about how long an existing situation has lasted, even if we don't give a precise
length of time, we use the present perfect (but see F below):
• They've grown such a lot since we last saw them.
• Prices have fallen sharply over the past six months.
• We've recently started to walk to work instead of taking the bus.
We often use the present perfect to say that an action or event has been repeated a number of
times up to now (see also Unit 4B):
• They've been to Chile three times. • I've often wished I'd learned to read music.
Past simple
When we want to indicate that something happened at a specific time in the past, we use the past
simple. We can either say when it happened, using a time adverb, or assume that the hearer
already knows when it happened or can understand this from the context:
• She arrived at Kennedy Airport at 2 o'clock this morning.
• Jane left just a few minutes ago.
• Jim decided to continue the course, even though it was proving very difficult.
We use the past simple for situations that existed for a period of time in the past, but not now:
• When I was younger I played badminton for my local team.
• The Pharaohs ruled Egypt for thousands of years.
If we are interested in when a present situation began rather than how long it has been going on
for, we use the past simple. Compare:
• I started to get the pains three weeks ago. • I've had the pains for three weeks now.
a • When did you arrive in Britain? • How long have you been in Britain?
•However, we also use the past simple to talk about how long something went on for if the action
or event is no longer going on (see also Unit 4C):
• I stayed with my grandparents for six months. (= I am no longer staying there)
• 'He spent some time in Paris when he was younger.' 'How long did he live there?'
Present perfect and past simple (2) and (3) = Past continuous and past simple =