SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

Verb Form
Aim
Level
Time
Materials

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Present simple
Presentation of uses of the present tense
Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate
40 minutes (plus 30 minutes homework)
One copy of Mini Contexts and Summary Table for each student

In Class
A. Reading contexts and answering questions
1. Give each student a copy of Mini-contexts
2. Ask the class to work individually to read the contexts and complete the tasks.
3. When they have finished, they compare answers with a partner
4. Go over the answers with the class.
B. Summarizing uses and time references
(Note: By General time we mean that it refers to past, present and future, e.g. functions
1 to 5 on the Summary table on p. 14)
1. Give each student a copy of Summary table
2. Go over an example of the exercise with the class and ask them to complete it for
homework. Students may want to tick columns other than those indicated in the key.
This is acceptable if they can argue a strong case, e.g. the future could also be
ticked for example sentence 3.
Key
A. Reading contexts and answering questions: suggested answers
1. a) What do you usually do at Christmas? b) ii) Christmas holidays in general
2. a) iii) The cassette recorder. b) How do I/you use/record with this cassette
recorder?
3. leaves/departs
4. The Earth travels at about 107.000 km an hour
5. Permanent, hence the present simple. (The present continuous would suggest the
situation was temporary.)
6. a) Sports commentator b) the radio/television audience c) He/she is describing the
action on the football field for he viewers/listeners.
7. a) a newspaper b) present simple and present continuous c) It is convention in
newspaper headlines to use the present simple for current events. This is spacesaving and dramatic. d) present simple and past simple e) It is a convention in
newspaper headlines to use the present simple for recent past events. This is spacesaving and dramatic.
8. a) ii) the recent past (corresponding to the recent use of the present perfect)
b) yes, the trip is already booked.
9. a) the future b) when, after, once, the moment, the minute, the second c) future
simple/future continuous/going to d) present simple/present perfect
10 a) the joke b) No (there are no past tenses because the joke was fictional and never
happened.)
11. a) i) Legwork ii) All our yesterdays b) The review of the film uses the present
simple to describe the plot, which is fictitious. The documentary review uses the
past simple because the events actually happened.

future time clauses

Scientific facts
Habits/routines

Instructions

Sports commentary-rapid actions

Permanent situations

Newspaper headlines: past events

Fictional plots

Personal timetable/schedule

Jokes

Reporting verbs: recent past

Public timetable/schedule

Example Sentence
1. I usually go up to my parents
house
2. You press the eject button and
then
3. Theres a slow train that
leaves at 10.00.
4. The Earth travels at about
107.000 km an hour
5. Jocelyn lives in London with
her husband
6. Baker plays it up the line for
Toomey.
7. a) Australia mourns
b) Two boys die on mountain
8. a) Peter tells me
b) you start your holidays
on Saturday.

No time

Future

Past

of speakingPresent-at the time

General time

Newspaper headlines: present events of short duration

Use/Function
Habit/routine

Instructions

Public timetable/
schedule
Scientific fact

Permanent situations

Sports commentary

Headlines-present events
Headlines-past events
Reporting verbs-recent
past
Personal timetable/
schedule

9. Ill definitely send one as

soon as I arrive.
10. Theres this man in a
swimming pool and he goes to
the top of the diving board.
11. Claire becomes involved in
murder.

Future time clauses

Jokes

Fictional plots

The present simple is mainly used to talk about present action in progress at the time of
speaking : False
Source : The Anti-Grammar, Grammar Book.