Present Simple vs Progressive

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THE PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE
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1st case - am/ is/ are!
2nd case - play/plays ; watch, watches!
3rd case - do / does for questions!
4th case - don’t / doesn’t for negation!
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USAGE:!
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1 to talk about daily routine activities, repeated actions (= habits)!
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! I work six days a week, mostly on night shifts.
I travel around the country quite a lot in my job.!
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2 to talk about things that are always true because they are general truths about the world
around us!
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! Paris is in France.
Water changes into steam at around 100 C.
There are variuos deadly species in Australia.
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3 to talk about the weather!
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! It’s sunny today.
It’s sometimes gloomy in this part of the country.
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4 to talk about timetable (transport) / itinerary (travelling) / schedule (work, school, uni)!
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! My train to London leaves at 5:15 pm.
We are in Cairo at exactly 2:45 and then we leave our bags at a hotel.
I have important business meetings in Poznantwice a month.!
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5 with adverbs of frequency!
usually, sometimes, often, generally, always, never, ever, rarely, hardly ever, occasionaly!
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! I always stay up late.
I usually work on my PC in the evenings.!
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6 with other time expressions implying repetition!
every day/month/week/year, every second week, once in a while, from time to time, over
and over again, on Mondays (=every Monday)!
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THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS / PROGRESSIVE
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am/is/are + Ving
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USAGE:!
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1 to talk about actions taking place at the moment of speaking!
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! I’m writing emails to our customers right now.
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2 to talk about things that are in progress (= in the middle of action)!
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! I’m having a coffee break now.!
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3 to talk about actions that are in progress but not necessarily at the moment of
speaking ... around the time of speaking!
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! I’m reading an interesting book by Umberto Eco. !
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4 to talk about exceptional situations (usually it’s different)!
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! I generally go to work by bus but this week Sarah is giving me a lift.!
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5 to talk about one thing, one characteristic that drives us crazy!
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! Tom is generally very sociable but this month he is being so rude to everyone.
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6 to talk about future when future actions have already been arranged!
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! I’m flying to Mexico City next month. !
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7 with the following expressions!
now, right now, at the moment, currently, nowadays, this week/month/year, these days!
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! Currently I’m working for a big company producing animal products.
This month I’m working on a new system.
People are living faster these days.
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