1. Simple present + Present Progressive
Action or non-action?

2. This implies we are expecting a “yes” answer.
Simple present - Form
This implies we are expecting a “yes” answer.
STATEMENT
NEGATIVE
QUESTION
NEGATIVE QUESTION BE
I am
She is
We are
I’m not
She isn’t
We aren’t
Am I?
Is she? Are we?
Aren’t I?
Isn’t she?
Aren’t we?
OTHERS
I eat
You walk
He runs
I don’t eat
You don’t walk
He doesn’t run
Do I eat?
Do you walk?
Does he run?
Don’t I eat?
Don’t you walk?
Doesn’t he run?

3. Simple present – Use #1 We use it for facts and opinions.
This makes it the most important tense for university students.
Cheese isn’t consumed by moose.
Cheese is disgusting!

4. Simple present – Use #2 At 9:00, the mailman comes to deliver my mail.
We use it for habits and routines.
I.e. Something that you do regularly, even if you aren’t doing it NOW
At 9:00, the mailman comes to deliver my mail.
I leave for school every morning at 9:20.
Don’t you wash your hands after using the toilet?

5. Simple present – Use #3 Do you usually stay up late?
We use it to describe how often something happens, usually with adverbs of frequency.
Do you usually stay up late?
I don’t often eat meat.
(I don’t eat meat often)
I never exercise!

6. Simple present – Use #4 The restaurant closes at 5 tomorrow.
We use it to describe a scheduled event in the future, usually with specific verbs.
Leave, arrive, start, end, depart, open, close
The restaurant closes at 5 tomorrow.
The program starts next year.
My mother arrives next week.

7. Simple present – Use #5
We use it with non-action present progressive verbs.
(We’ll talk about this in a second!)

8. Present Progressive- Form
Present of be + ing
STATEMENT
NEGATIVE
QUESTION
NEGATIVE QUESTION BE
I am being
She is being
We are being
I’m not being
She isn’t being
We aren’t being
Am I being?
Is she being? Are we being?
Aren’t I being?
Isn’t she being?
Aren’t we being?
OTHERS
I am eating
You are walking
He is running
I’m not eating
You’re not walking
He’s not running
Am I eating?
Are you walking?
Is he running?
Aren’t I eating?
Aren’t you walking?
Isn’t he running?

9. Present progressive - Use #1
We use it for an action that we can see happening right now!
You are looking at me.
Aren’t you paying attention?
We are studying English.

10. Present progressive - Use #2
We use it for an action that is not finished happening.
Student at the lake: “Yes, I’m studying English at COTR.”
Student visiting Calgary: “I’m living in Cranbrook right now.”

11. Present progressive - Use #3
We use it for a strong future plan that we have.
Who is returning home after this semester?
Who is going to bed by 11 tonight?
She is visiting France next year.

12. HOWEVER
ALL progressive tenses change to their non- progressive friends when they are used with non- action (stative) verbs.
I am walking ✓
I am having a cat. x
I have a cat. ✓
She is being sad. x
She is sad. ✓

13. GRAMMAR NOTE
THERE IS/THERE ARE

14. THERE IS/THERE HAVE I like Cranbrook. There have a lot of trees. x
NEVER write
“THERE HAVE”
I like Cranbrook. There have a lot of trees. x

15. THERE IS/THERE HAVE I like Cranbrook. There have a lot of trees. x
NEVER write
“THERE HAVE”
Instead, we write:
“there + be”
“it + have”
I like Cranbrook. There have a lot of trees. x
I like Cranbrook. There are a lot of trees. ✓
I like Cranbrook. It has a lot of trees. ✓