Study the explanations and compare the examples:
Present continuous (I am doing). Use the continuous for something that is happening at or around the time of speaking. The action is not finished. I am doing (now)
* The water is boiling. Can you turn it off?
* Listen to those people. What language are they speaking?
* Let's go out. It isn't raining now.
* 'Don't disturb me. I'm busy.' 'Why? What are you doing?'
* I'm going to bed now. Goodnight!
* Maria is in Britain at the moment. She's learning English.
Use the continuous for a temporary situation:
* I'm living with some friends until I find a flat.
* 'You're working hard today.' 'Yes, I've got a lot to do.'
Present simple (I do) Use the simple for things in general or things that happen repeatedly. I do
* Water boils at 100 degrees celsius.
* Excuse me, do you speak English?
* It doesn't rain very much in summer.
* What do you usually do at weekends?
* What do you do? (= What's your job?)
* I always go to bed before midnight.
* Most people learn to swim when they are children.
Use the simple for a permanent situation:
* My parents live in London. They have lived there all their lives.
* John isn't lazy. He works very hard most of the time.
I always do and I'm always doing. Usually we say 'I always do something' (= I do it every time) * I always go to work by car. (not 'I'm always going'). You can also say 'I'm always doing something', but this has a different meaning. For example:
I've lost my key again. I'm always losing things. 'I'm always losing things' does not mean that I lose things every time. It means that I lose things too often, more often than normal. 'You're always ~ing' means that you do something very often, more often than the speaker thinks is normal or reasonable.
* You're always watching television. You should do something more active.
* John is never satisfied. He's always complaining.
EXERCISES
3.1 Are the underlined verbs right or wrong? Correct the verbs that are wrong.
1. Water boils at 100 degrees celsius. RIGHT
2. The water boils. Can you turn it off? WRONG: is boilling
3. Look! That man tries to open the door of your car. ---
4. Can you hear those people? What do they talk about? ---
5. The moon goes round the earth. ---
6. I must go now. It gets late. ---
7. I usually go to work by car. ---
8. 'Hurry up! It's time to leave.' 'OK, I come.' ---
9. I hear you've got a new job. How do you get on? ---
3.2 Put the verb in the correct form, present continuous or present simple.
1. Let's go out. It isn't raining (not/rain) now.
2. Julia is very good at languages. She speaks (speak) four languages very well.
3. Hurry up! Everybody --- (wait) for you.
4. '--- (you/listen) to the radio?' 'No, you can turn it off.'
5. '--- (you/listen) to the radio every day?' 'No, just occasionally.'
6. The River Nile --- (flow) into the Mediterranean.
7. Look at the river. It --- (flow) very fast today - much faster than usual.
8. We usually --- (grow) vegetables in our garden but this year we --- (not/grow) any.
9. 'How is your English?' 'Not bad. It --- (improve) slowly.'
10. Ron is in London at the moment. He --- (stay) at the Park Hotel. He --- (always/stay) there when he's in London.
11. Can we stop walking soon? I --- (start) to feel tired.
12. 'Can you drive?' 'I --- (learn). My father --- (teach) me.'
13. Normally I --- (finish) work at 5.00, but this week I --- (work) until 6.00 to earn a bit more money.
14. My parents --- (live) in Bristol. They were born there and have never lived anywhere else. Where --- (your parents/live)?
15. Sonia --- (look) for a place to live. She --- (stay) with her sister until she finds somewhere.
16. 'What --- (your father/do)?' 'He's an architect but he --- (not/work) at the moment.'
17. (at a party) Usually I --- (enjoy) parties but I --- (not/enjoy) this one very much.
18. The train is never late. It --- (always/leave) on time.
19. Jim is very untidy. He --- (always/leave) his things all over the place.
3.3 Finish B's sentences. Use always ~ing (see Section B).
1. A: I'm afraid I've lost my key again.
B: Not again! You're always losing your key.
2. A: The car has broken down again.
B: That car is useless! It ---
3. A: Look! You've made the same mistake again.
B: Oh no, not again! I ---
4. A: Oh, I've left the lights on again.
B: Typical! You ---
Answers
3 wrong--is trying
4 wrong--are they talking
5 right
6 wrong--'s getting/is getting
7 right
8 wrong--'m coming/am coming
9 wrong--are you getting
3.2
3 's waiting/is waiting
4 Are you listening
5 Do you listen
6 flows
7 's flowing/is flowing
8 grow ... aren't growing/'re not growing/are not growing
9 's improving/is improving
10 's staying/is staying ... always stays
11 'm starting/am starting
12 'm learning am learning ... is teaching
13 finish ... 'm working/am working
14 live ... do your parents live
15 is looking ... 's staying/is staying
16 does your father do ... isn't working/'s not working/is not working
17 enjoy ... 'm not enjoying/am not enjoying
18 always leaves
19 's always leaving/is always leaving (always leaves is also possible)
3.3
2 It's always breaking down.
3 I'm always making the same mistake./... that mistake.
4 You're always leaving the lights
