Present tenses
Present simple
- to say when things happen if they take place regurarly
They eat lunch at two o´clock.
He goes to bed at midnight.
- to talk about permanent situations
Iwork in Námestovo.
We don´t have ahouse.
They live in London.
- to state general truths
The moon goes round the earth.
Water freezes at 0°C.
- to talk about habits and how often they happen / often with adverbs of frequency – always, usually, sometimes, rarely, ocasionally, twice aweek, once every two weeks/
You buy new clothes every Saturday.
She doesn´t do any work at weekends.
Inever get home before eight o´clock in the evening.
- to talk about the future as expressed in timetables, regulations, programmes
The plane leaves at 3 oćlock.
The performance doesn´t start at 6 but 7 o´clock.
- in time clauses with afuture meaning after as soon as , if, until / nesie vsebe zápor/ , when
I´ll see her when/ as soon as she is free.
Give this to Sue if you see her.
Tom can´t apply for the job until he gets the right qualifications.
- to describe plots of books and films
The story begins and ends in Spain. The year is 1973....
Present continuous
- to talk about present moment
I´m wearing apair of gold jeans.
I´m looking at that CD right now.
- to suggest that an action is temporary, often with words like now, at the moment, at present, just, this
Ithink he is watching TV.
They are eating lunch at the moment.
I´m working in London this week / = Idon´t usually work in London./
Iam staying in this hotel for two weeks.
- for an action around the time of speaking, which has begun but is not finished
I´m doing my homework.
I´m looking round the shops.
He is reading agood book. / nie vmoment hovorenia, ale má ju rozčítanú vtomto období/
- for changing or developing situations
My broken leg is getting better.
That group is becoming more well known.
The earth´s temperature is rising.
- with word like always, continually, if we want to critise or complain
You are always buying new clothes! / you buy too many/
I´m always forgetting peopleś names.
She is always losing her key.
- plans and arrangements in the future
Are you going out this evening?
He is meeting his boss this evening.
State verbs
-are used in asimple tense in basic meaning
-can be used in acontinuous tense in different meaning
the most common state verbs:
- expressing thoughts
believe, know, mean, realise, recognise, remember, suppose, understand, feel/=believe/, consider, think, agree,
- expressing feelings
adore, dislike, despise, hate, like, love, want, wish, prefer, admire, detest, doubt, envy, hope, mean, mind, regret, expect
- expressing belonging
belong, have/ have got /=possess/, own, possess
- expressing senses
smell, taste, hear, see
- other state verbs
contain, deserve, fit, see, look /=seem/, look like, matter, weigh, consist of
!
if they express activity, process, they cab be used in acontinuous tense
The manager has the biggest company car. Basic meaning – belonging
Steve is having adifficult time at college this term.
They are having dinner.
Taste – mať chuť simple
Iam tasting the sauce. – ochutnávať /aktivita/
Weigh – mať váhu simple
Mark weighs 70 kilos. /stav/
Iam weighing the cheese. – vážiť /aktivita/
Exercises
1/ In five of these sentences there is averb in the wrong tense. Correct them.
My brother lives with us until he can find aflat of his own.
These days we are alwayshaving tests in school.
Iam not having enough money for along holiday this year.
Everyone needs abreak from work sometimes.
Iam drinking agood cup of coffee after lunch.
Imust lose weigh – Iam weighing over 80 kilos.
Maria is going to the shops every Saturday morning.
What period of history are you studying this term?
2/ Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
My father ...... /know/ all about mending cars, but nothing about bicycles.
-Why ...... /you wear/ my coat?
-Oh, sorry, it ...... /look/ like mine in this light.
This pie ...... /smell/ abit odd. Whatś in it?
I ...... /like/ the jacket of this suit, but unfortunatelly the trousers ...... /not fit/ me any more.
You are very quit this evening. What ...... / /you think/ about ?
- I ...... /have/ no idea what this sentence ...... /mean/. Can you translate it?
-No, sory. I ...... /not understand/ it either.
- ...... /you see /those men near the door? They ...... /look/ at us very strangely.
- Yes. You are right...... /you recognise/ them from anywhere?
- No, but they certainly ...... / seem/ to know us. They ...... /come/ across to speak to us.
- What ...... /you do/ in the kitchen?
- I ...... /just make/ some coffee.
-Well, go away . I ...... / not want/ your help. Our guests ...... /wait/ for their dessert, and you ...... /get/ in my way!
Iplayed football at school, but now I ...... /prefer/ swimming or tennis.
3/ Use simple or continuous as required
Every day he /sleep/ till night.
He /have/ breakfast in the kitchen now.
She usaully /sit/ at the back.
Where are the chidren? – They /sleep/.
They /wash/ their hands before every meal.
Can you hear the bell ? – The lesson /begin/.
You usally /read/ detective stories ? – No, Idon´t. – But you /read/ one now.
1Doplnte slovesá vsprávnom tvare – prítomné časy
Dear Stephanie,
How are you ? We´re fine. Our trip round the States ...... 1 well and we ...... 2 ourselves very much. One good surprise is that things ...... 3 less herre than back home. For example, this weekend ...... 4 in amotel beside alake. We ...... 5 aroom with abeautiful view for only 35 dollars per night.
The only thing we ...... /not/ 6 much is food. Restaurants ...... 7 dinner rather early. We ...... /never/ 8 at six o´clock at home so we ...... /not/ 9 hungry then and Americans ...... 10 very big meals. Apart from that, we .... 11 awonderful time. We ...... 12 lots of interesting little towns and we ...13 the scenery.
People here ...... 14 in avery friendly manner towards strangers , all the shop assistants ....15 at us, and everyone .... 16 „Have anice day!“ At home , the TV ...... /always/ 17 us bad news stories about the States, but in fact, when you .....18 here, you ...19 it´s areally great place.
We ... 20 lots of photos ti show you.
Much love Mick and Mary
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