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Unit 2: What to wear
Present Simple and Present Continuous

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  1. 1 Nice to meet you!
  2. 2 What to wear
  3. 3 Like this, like that
  4. 4 The daily grind
  5. 5 Christmas every day
  6. 6 Great achievers
  7. 7 The Titanic
  8. 8 Travel
  9. 9 The big wedding
  10. 10 Sunny's job hunt
  11. 11 The bucket list
  12. 12 Moving and migration
  13. 13 Welcome to BBC Broadcasting House
  14. 14 New Year, New Project
  15. 15 From Handel to Hendrix
  16. 16 What's the weather like?
  17. 17 The Digital Revolution
  18. 18 A detective story
  19. 19 A place to live
  20. 20 The Cult of Celebrity
  21. 21 Welcome to your new job
  22. 22 Beyond the planets
  23. 23 Great expectations!
  24. 24 Eco-tourism
  25. 25 Moving house
  26. 26 It must be love
  27. 27 Job hunting success... and failure
  28. 28 Speeding into the future
  29. 29 Lost arts
  30. 30 Tales of survival

Session 2

Do you know how to make and use the present simple and present continuous? Come with us... we'll tell you all about these two tenses!

Wayiitiwwan marii boqonnaa kana keessaa

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    Activity 1
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  1. Activity 1
  2. Activity 2
  3. Activity 3

Activity 2

Present Simple and Present Continuous: when and why?

Now you know how to make the present simple and present continuous, let’s look at when and why we use them. 

Read the text and try the activity.

Meaning and use

We use the present simple for:

  • facts & truths
  • habits & things that we do regularly
  • permanent situations

I check my email every day. (regular activity)

 

Margaret works at the bank. (permanent situation)

We use the present continuous for:

  • things that are happening at the time we are speaking
  • temporary situations
  • activities that are in progress

Just a minute. I’m checking my email. (now)

 

Julie usually works in an office, but she’s working from home this week. (temporary situation)

 

I'm studying Economics (activity in progress)

To do

Read the sentences and choose the reason for their tenses.

Present simple and present continuous - which one when?

6 Questions

Read the sentences and choose the reasons for their tenses.

Baga gammadde! Qormaata xumurteetta
Excellent! Great job! Carraa badaa! Qabxii argatte:
x / y

Next

Now you know how to make and use the present simple and present continuous. Next up is 6 Minute Grammar, where you can hear some more explanations and examples. Neil and Sophie are waiting for you on the next page...

Caasluga kutaa kanaa

  • Present Simple

    We use the present simple tense for: things that we do regularly, facts, habits, truths and permanent situations

    Example
    I check     my email every day. (regular activity)

    Present Continuous

    We use the present continuous tense for: things that are happening at the time we are speaking, temporary situations and activities that are in progress

    Example
    Just a minute. I'm checking my email. (now)

Wabii caasluga guutuu agarsiisi

Wiirtuu gadi-buufatan

Qabiyyee koorsiiwwan dhihoo kanaa