6. The Continuous and Non-Continuous Uses of Certain Verbs

What are you thinking about? I think you’re right.

I’m feeling fine. I feel we shouldn’t do it.

Why are you smelling the meat? Is it bad? The meat smells bad.

‘What are you doing with my whisky?’ - ‘I’m just tasting it.’

The cake tastes wonderful.

The scales broke when I was weighing myself this morning.

I weighed 68 kilos three months ago - and look at me now!

Why is the man measuring the street?

I measure 75 centimeters round the waist.

The simple present tense

1. Form

In the affirmative the simple present has the same form as the infinitive but adds an s for the third person singular. The negative and interrogative are formed with do/does:

I work I don’t work do I work? Don’t we work?

he works he doesn’t work does he work? Doesn’t he work?

2. Spelling Notes

A. Verbs ending in ss, sh, ch, x and o add es, instead of s alone, to form the third person singular:

I kiss, he kisses I box, he boxes

I wash, he washes I do, he does

I watch, he watches I go, he goes

B. When y follows a consonant we change the y into i and add es:

I carry, he carries I try, he tries

but verbs ending in y following a vowel do not change:

I say, he says I play, he plays

3. Uses of the Simple Present Tense

A. The main use of the simple present tense is to express habitual actions. We use it to say that something happens all the time or repeatedly, or that something is true in general. It is not important whether the action is happening at the time of speaking.

The earth goes round the sun.

I work in a bank. Tom works in a shop.

Nurses look after patients in hospitals.

B. We use the present simple when we say how often we do things. So in this tense we use adverbs or adverb phrases such as: always, never, often, sometimes, usually, every week, on Mondays, twice a year etc.:

How often do you go to church? I go there on Sundays.

I get up at 7 o’clock every morning.

4. Other Uses of the Simple Present Tense

A. We use the present simple instead of future when we are talking about timetables, programmes etc. (for example, for public transport, cinemas, theatres):

What time does the film begin?

Ann is coming from France tomorrow. Her train arrives at 7.15.

B. It is used, chiefly with the verb say, when we are asking about, or quoting from books, notices or very recently received letters

What does that notice say? - It says, ‘No parking.’

What does the book say? - It says, ‘Cook very slowly.’

I see you’ve got a letter from your mother. What does she say?

- She says, she is coming next week.

C.It is common in stories told in the present, in describing the action of a play, opera etc., and is often used by radio commentators at sports events:

When the curtain rises, Juliet is writing at her desk. Suddenly

the window opens and a masked man enters.

D. It can be used for a planned future action or series of actions particularly when they refer to a journey. Travel agents use it a lot.

We leave London at 10.00 next Tuesday and arrive in Paris at 13.00.

We spend two hours in Paris and leave again at 15.00.

E. It must be used instead of the present continuous with verbs which cannot be used in the continuous form, e.g. love, see, believe etc. (see 4 – 6)

F. It is used in conditional sentences after if and unless and in time clauses after when, as soon as, before, while, until/till:

If I see Ann I’ll ask her.

When it stops raining we’ll go out.

Wait here until I come back.