Present Simple and Present Continuous Tenses - 5 Levels of Difficulty

Summary

En esta lección de Oxford Online English, Liam presenta el uso de los tiempos verbales presente simple y presente continuo. Se exploran diversas formas de emplear estos tiempos, desde usos básicos hasta más avanzados. Aprende a formarlos, hacer negativas y preguntas, y a distinguir entre acciones habituales y situaciones actuales. Descubre excepciones, como el uso de verbos de percepción en el presente simple. El video desafía a los estudiantes con ejercicios que varían en dificultad, y anima a los aprendices a reflexionar sobre sus respuestas y a compartir sus desafíos en los comentarios.

Takeaways

• 😀 El presente simple y el presente continuo son tiempos verbales utilizados en inglés para expresar acciones y estados.
• 🎓 Hay cinco niveles de dificultad en la lección, desde principiante hasta avanzado, para adaptarse al nivel de cada estudiante.
• 📝 Para el presente simple, se añade 's' al verbo después de 'he', 'she' o 'it'. Para el presente continuo, se usa 'be' más el verbo en -ing.
• ❓ Es importante saber formar negativas y preguntas con estos tiempos verbales para evitar malos hábitos gramaticales.
• 🕒 El presente simple se utiliza para acciones habituales o verdades generales, mientras que el presente continuo se usa para acciones en curso o eventos inmediatos.
• 🚫 Verbos de percepción como 'smell', 'see' o 'hear' no se usan generalmente en el presente continuo.
• 🗣️ Verbos de pensamiento o habla, como 'promise', 'know', 'realise', 'remember', 'admit' y 'state', casi siempre se usan en el presente simple.
• 🏃 La distinción entre verbos de acción y verbos de estado es crucial para entender cuándo usar cada tiempo verbal.
• 🔍 En algunos contextos, como comentarios en vivo o titulares de periódicos, el uso del presente simple puede ser preferido incluso para eventos actuales.
• 💡 El presente continuo puede expresar cambios o tendencias, y es útil para describir situaciones que están evolucionando.

Q & A

¿Cuáles son las dos formas verbales que se enseñan en la lección de Oxford Online English?

Las dos formas verbales que se enseñan en la lección son el presente simple y el presente continuo.

¿Cómo se forma el presente simple en inglés?

Para formar el presente simple, se agrega 's' al verbo después de 'he', 'she' o 'it'. Por ejemplo, 'he runs', 'she works', 'it flies'.

¿Cómo se forma el presente continuo en inglés?

Para formar el presente continuo, se utiliza la estructura 'be' más el verbo en '-ing'. Por ejemplo, 'I am studying', 'They are playing'.

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre el uso del presente simple y el presente continuo para describir situaciones actuales?

El presente simple se usa para describir hábitos o acciones regulares, mientras que el presente continuo se usa para acciones que están ocurriendo en ese momento exacto.

¿Por qué no se recomienda usar verbos de percepción como 'smell' en el presente continuo?

Los verbos de percepción, como 'smell', 'see' o 'hear', no suelen usarse en el presente continuo porque generalmente expresan percepciones constantes o estados, no acciones en curso.

¿En qué contexto se puede usar tanto el presente simple como el presente continuo para expresar una idea?

Se pueden usar ambos tiempos verbales cuando se describen situaciones que pueden ser permanentes o temporales, dependiendo de si se quiere expresar una situación a largo plazo o una acción temporal.

¿Cómo se utiliza el presente continuo para describir sentimientos recién descubiertos?

El presente continuo se utiliza para expresar sentimientos que se están comenzando a percibir o a procesar, como cuando alguien está empezando a darse cuenta de algo recién descubierto.

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre el uso del presente simple y el presente continuo para hablar sobre planes futuros?

El presente continuo se usa para hablar sobre arreglos futuros, especialmente en planes sociales, mientras que el presente simple se utiliza para eventos futuros que siguen un horario establecido, como trenes, aviones, reuniones y lecciones.

¿Por qué se prefiere el presente continuo al hablar sobre mejoras o cambios en habilidades a lo largo del tiempo?

El presente continuo se usa para describir situaciones en cambio, como mejoras graduales en habilidades, porque implica un proceso en curso y es más común para expresar tendencias o estadísticas.

¿Cómo se utiliza el tiempo verbal en titulares de periódicos para hablar sobre eventos recientes?

En los titulares de periódicos, a menudo se utiliza el presente simple para hablar sobre eventos del pasado reciente, lo que da una sensación de actualidad y relevancia.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Introducción a las formas verbales del presente

Liam da la bienvenida a la lección de Oxford Online English, enfocándose en el uso de los tiempos verbales del presente simple y presente continuo. Explica que los estudiantes pueden aprender desde usos básicos hasta más avanzados de estos tiempos verbales. A través de cinco niveles de dificultad, los estudiantes deberán completar oraciones con un verbo dado al final de la misma, aprendiendo a formar los tiempos verbales y a hacer preguntas y negativas. Se menciona que incluso estudiantes avanzados pueden cometer errores en estos tiempos verbales y se anima a practicar cuidadosamente para evitar malos hábitos.

05:02

🔍 Diferencias y usos especiales de los tiempos verbales

Este párrafo explora las diferencias entre el presente simple y el presente continuo, y cómo se utilizan en contextos específicos. Se explica que el presente simple se usa para eventos programados y hechos generalmente verdaderos, mientras que el presente continuo se emplea para situaciones cambiantes o tendencias. Se destaca la distinción entre verbos de acción y verbos de estado, y se mencionan excepciones a la regla general de que los verbos de estado no se usan en el presente continuo. Además, se abordan los usos especiales de los tiempos verbales en contextos como la narrativa en tiempo real y los titulares de periódicos.

10:04

🏆 Desafíos avanzados y conclusiones

El último párrafo presenta un desafío para los estudiantes, donde deben colocar los verbos en el tiempo verbal correcto, ya sea el presente simple o el presente continuo. Se analizan oraciones que prueban el uso avanzado y especializado de los tiempos verbales, como el uso del presente simple en comentarios en vivo y la distinción entre verbos de acción y de estado en contextos como los titulares de noticias. Se invita a los estudiantes a reflexionar sobre los puntos más difíciles o confusos de la lección y a compartir sus experiencias en los comentarios. Finalmente, Liam agradece la participación y se despide hasta la próxima lección.

Keywords

💡Present Simple

El Presente Simple se refiere a la forma verbal que se utiliza para expresar acciones habituales, eventos que ocurren con regularidad o verdades generales. En el guion, se menciona que se debe usar el Presente Simple para hablar de hábitos o cosas que se hacen regularmente, como en la oración 'I go to school every day'. También se utiliza para expresar hechos que son generalmente ciertos, como en 'The Earth revolves around the Sun'.

💡Present Continuous

El Presente Continuo se forma con el verbo 'ser' más el participio en '-ing' y se utiliza para describir acciones que están ocurriendo en el momento de hablar o eventos que están en curso. En el video, se indica que se debe usar el Presente Continuo para hablar de cosas que están sucediendo en ese momento, como en la oración 'I am reading a book right now', o para expresar situaciones que están cambiando o tendencias, como en 'Sales are falling by an average of 2% annually'.

💡Verb Forms

Las formas verbales son las diferentes estructuras que adoptan los verbos en función del tiempo y del aspecto en inglés. En el guion, se abordan dos formas verbales principales: Presente Simple y Presente Continuo. Estas formas son fundamentales para expresar tiempos y acciones en inglés y se ejemplifican a lo largo del video para ilustrar cómo se deben usar en contextos específicos.

💡Negatives and Questions

Los negativos y las preguntas son formas de las oraciones que se construyen para expresar la negación o hacer preguntas, respectivamente. En el video, se menciona la importancia de saber formar negativos y preguntas con los tiempos verbales Presente Simple y Presente Continuo. Por ejemplo, para hacer una pregunta en Presente Simple, se puede usar 'Do you work here?', y para una negativa, 'I do not work here'.

💡Verbs of Sensing

Los verbos de percepción, como 'oler', 'ver' o 'escuchar', son verbos que se refieren a la acción de percibir algo a través de los sentidos. En el guion, se señala que estos verbos no se suelen usar en el Presente Continuo, a menos que se estén describiendo situaciones cambiantes o tendencias. Por ejemplo, en lugar de 'I am smelling the flowers', se preferiría 'I can smell the flowers'.

💡Action Verbs

Los verbos de acción son verbos que representan acciones físicas o actividades que se pueden realizar. En el video, se explica que los verbos de acción como 'correr', 'hacer' o 'cocer' pueden ser usados en ambos tiempos verbales, Presente Simple y Presente Continuo, dependiendo del contexto. Por ejemplo, 'She is cooking dinner' (Presente Continuo) o 'He cooks dinner every night' (Presente Simple).

💡State Verbs

Los verbos de estado son verbos que representan condiciones, emociones o estados mentales que no se pueden llevar a cabo de manera progresiva. En el guion, se menciona que los verbos de estado como 'ser', 'saber' o 'amar' no se pueden usar en el Presente Continuo. Sin embargo, hay excepciones, como expresar una nueva percepción o una emoción emergente.

💡Adverbs

Los adverbios son palabras que modifican o califican a los verbos, adjetivos, otros adverbios o a una oración completa. En el video, se destaca el uso de adverbios como 'siempre' o 'constantemente' con el Presente Continuo para expresar hábitos irritantes o extraños. Por ejemplo, 'He is always forgetting his keys' indica una acción que se repite continuamente y es irritante.

💡Live Commentary

El comentario en vivo es una forma de narrar eventos que están ocurriendo en tiempo real. En el video, se menciona que en el comentario en vivo se suele usar el Presente Simple incluso para describir acciones que están sucediendo en ese momento, como en una narración de un partido de fútbol: 'The ball is rolling towards the goal'.

💡News Headlines

Los titulares de noticias son los encabezados que resumen los contenidos de una noticia. En el video, se menciona que los titulares a menudo usan el Presente Simple para hablar de eventos recientes, a pesar de que estos eventos hayan ocurrido en el pasado. Esto se debe a que los titulares buscan impactar y captar la atención del lector de manera inmediata.

Highlights

In this lesson, you can learn about using the present simple and present continuous, verb forms.

You’ll see many different ways to use these verb tenses, from basic meanings to more advanced uses.

Turn on subtitles by clicking the ‘CC’ icon in the bottom right for easier comprehension.

The lesson is structured in five levels of difficulty, from beginner to advanced.

Each level provides guidance on what to focus on if you encounter difficulties.

You need to know how to form the present simple and present continuous, including rules for adding ‘s’ and using ‘be’ with -ing verbs.

Practise making negatives and questions with the present simple and present continuous tenses.

Use the present simple for habits or regular activities, and the present continuous for current or unfinished actions.

For facts and general truths, use the present simple, and for describing photos or actions in progress, use the present continuous.

Some verbs, like those of sensing, are not used in the present continuous.

The present continuous is used for future arrangements, especially in social contexts.

Verbs of thinking or speaking are generally used in the present simple, not the present continuous.

Action verbs can be in simple or continuous forms, while state verbs are typically not used in the present continuous.

The present continuous is used to describe changing situations or trends, such as statistics.

In level four, explore where both present simple and continuous can be used and their differences in meaning.

The present simple can suggest permanent situations, while the present continuous implies temporariness.

Use the present continuous with adverbs like ‘always’ to express annoyance or strangeness of habits.

The present continuous can express newly realized feelings or thoughts.

In level five, challenge yourself with more complex uses of the tenses, including live commentary and storytelling.

Newspaper headlines often use the present simple to talk about recent past events.

Some verbs have multiple meanings, with some being action verbs and others state verbs, affecting their use in tenses.

Share your challenges and difficulties in the comments for further discussion and learning.

Transcripts

Hi, I’m Liam.

Welcome to Oxford Online English!

In this lesson, you can learn about using the present simple and present continuous

verb forms.

You’ll see many different ways to use these verb tenses, from basic meanings to more advanced

uses.

A question for you: do you want to watch this video with subtitles?

You can – it’s easy!

Turn them on now by clicking the ‘CC’ icon in the bottom right.

Or, on your phone, use the settings icon at the top of the video player.

Here’s how this lesson works.

There are five levels.

Each level is more difficult than the previous one.

Level one is beginner.

Levels two to four are intermediate.

Level five is high intermediate to advanced.

If you’re not a beginner, start at level two!

At each level, you can see what you need to focus on if you have difficulties.

Ready?

Let’s start!

You’ll see five sentences which use the present simple or present continuous.

You need to complete each sentence with one word.

The verb you need to use is given at the end of the sentence.

Here are your sentences.

Pause the video and think about your answers.

Ready?

Let’s look.

What do you need to know here?

You need to know how to form the present simple and present continuous.

For example, you need to know rules like: add ‘s’ to the verb in the present simple

after ‘he’, ‘she’ or ‘it’.

You need to know that you make the present continuous with the verb ‘be’ plus an

-ing verb.

You should also know how to make negatives and questions with these two tenses.

Easy?

Maybe, but even advanced English learners sometimes make mistakes with these points.

Practise them carefully so you don’t form bad habits!

In this section, you need to choose the correct form in each sentence.

Look at your questions.

Pause the video and find your answers.

Did you do it?

Let’s check.

Here, you need to think about the meaning of these two verb forms.

Use the present simple for habits or things you do regularly, like in sentence one.

Use the present continuous for things which are happening right now, like in sentence

two.

You also use the present continuous for things which are unfinished, like in sentence three.

For facts and things which are generally true, use the present simple, like in sentence four.

If you’re describing a photo or a picture, and want to say what’s happening, use the

present continuous, like in sentence five.

If you understand these ideas, you’ll be able to use the present simple and the present

continuous in many everyday sentences.

However, there are many more things you need to know to use these verb forms well.

Here, we have a different challenge for you.

Some of these sentences are correct; some are incorrect.

Your job is to find the correct sentences, and correct the mistakes in the others.

Pause the video and do it now.

What do you think?

How many correct sentences do you think there are?

Could you correct the mistakes in the others?

Let’s look together.

Sentences two and five are correct; the others all have mistakes.

Now, you can see the mistakes, and the corrections.

Can you explain the problems with sentences one, three and four?

Why are they wrong?

Verbs of sensing, like ‘smell’, ‘see’ or ‘hear’ are not generally used in the

present continuous.

In sentence one, even though you’re talking about something which is just true now, you

use the present simple because you’re using a verb of sensing – ‘smell’.

Sentence two is correct.

Use the present continuous to talk about arrangements in the future.

This is common for talking about social plans.

You can also use the present simple to talk about the future, like in sentence three.

Do you know why you use the present simple here?

Use the present simple to talk about future events which follow a timetable.

This includes things like trains, planes, meetings, appointments and lessons.

Verbs of thinking or speaking, like ‘promise’, aren’t generally used in the present continuous.

Can you think of other verbs like this?

There are many, but ‘know’, ‘realise’, ‘remember’, ‘admit’ and ‘state’

are almost always used in the present simple, even if you’re talking about something which

is happening now.

In general, you can divide verbs into two types: *action* verbs and *state* verbs.

Action verbs, like ‘run’, ‘do’ or ‘cook’, can be either simple or continuous.

State verbs, like ‘be’, ‘know’ or ‘love’, cannot normally be used in the

present continuous.

There are exceptions to this, but it’s a useful general rule to remember.

Finally, in sentence five, can you explain why you need to use the present continuous?

Use the present continuous to describe changing situations, or to talk about trends.

This is useful if you need to talk about statistics; for example ‘sales are falling by an average

of 2% annually.’

There’s a lot of information in this video.

Remember that you can always review a section if you need to!

Or, take a break and come back later.

Now, let’s move on to level four.

Level four is a little different again.

Look at your sentences.

This time, you have two jobs.

First, are both forms possible?

In some sentences, you can use either the present simple or the continuous.

In at least one sentence, you can’t use both.

Where can you – or can’t you – use both forms?

Secondly, where you *can* use both forms, is there a difference in meaning?

If so, can you explain it?

Pause the video and think about these questions now.

Take your time!

Ready?

Let’s check.

In sentence one, both forms are possible.

Using the present simple suggests that this is a permanent situation.

She works there because this is her long-term job, and she’ll probably continue to work

there.

Using the present continuous suggests that this is something temporary.

She’s working there for a short time, and she’ll probably be working somewhere else

soon.

In sentence two, both forms are also possible.

Using the present continuous expresses that you find this habit annoying or strange.

You can do this with adverbs like ‘always’ or ‘constantly’.

The adverb is necessary!

You can *only* use the present continuous to talk about a habit if you use an adverb,

like ‘always’.

Using the present simple here is neutral.

It doesn’t add any extra meaning.

It just expresses that he has this habit.

In sentence three, using the continuous expresses that you’re just starting to understand

this idea.

In level three, you saw that verbs of thinking, like ‘realise’, aren’t generally used

in the present continuous.

That’s true, but there’s an important exception.

Use the present continuous to express feelings which you are just starting to be aware of.

When a feeling is coming to you, and you’re still processing your thoughts, you can use

the present continuous to talk about it.

Here, it means that you’ve just started to understand that he’s been lying to you,

or you’ve recently found out that he’s dishonest.

You’re still processing those thoughts.

Using the present simple suggests that this is not a new feeling.

It suggests that you understood that you were wrong to trust him some time ago.

Sentence four is similar to sentence one.

Both forms are possible; using the present simple suggests that this is a more permanent

situation, while using the present continuous suggests something more temporary.

For example, if they’ve only just started playing tennis, and they’re both really

lazy and you’re sure they’ll give up soon, then you’d probably use the continuous here.

But, if they’ve been playing tennis on Fridays for years, and you know they’re both really

enthusiastic about it and are likely to continue for a long time, then you’d use the present

simple.

Sentence five is different.

Why?

Because there isn’t a difference in meaning.

There’s another point: while it’s possible to say ‘My English gets better year after

year,’ using the continuous sounds better.

You’re talking about a changing situation – like you saw in level three – and it’s

more common to use the continuous in this case.

Up to now, you’ve seen many different ways to use the present simple and continuous.

Are you ready for the hardest challenge?

Here are your sentences.

Your task is simple: put the verbs into either the present simple or the present continuous.

You know what to do!

Pause the video and find your answers.

Ready?

Let’s see how you did.

Did you get them all right?

If so, great job!

If not, don’t worry.

These sentences test some more difficult and specialised uses of the present simple and

continuous.

In sentence one, do you know why you use the present simple?

A question: what is this sentence?

Who’s saying it?

This sentence sounds like live commentary on a football match.

When commenting on live events, it’s common to use the present simple, even for things

which are happening right now, when you would usually expect to hear the continuous.

In sentence two, did you think it might be correct to use the continuous?

The first part of the sentence – ‘he never listens’ – sounds like an annoying habit.

You saw in level four that you can use the continuous to talk about strange or annoying

habits.

But, you can’t use it here.

Why not?

It’s because you can only use the present continuous in this way with specific adverbs

– ‘always’ is the most common – and you can’t do this with ‘never’.

In sentence three, you can use present tenses to tell a story, especially in informal conversation.

In most cases, you’d use past tenses to tell a story, but you can also move the past

tenses into the present: past continuous becomes present continuous, past simple becomes present

simple, and so on.

This can make your story sound more vivid, as if it’s taking place now.

For sentence four, where do you think this sentence comes from?

Notice the capital letters, and the fact that it doesn’t have a full stop at the end.

It’s a newspaper headline.

Headlines are written in a specific style, and often use the present simple to talk about

events in the recent past.

What about sentence five?

Can you explain what’s going on here?

The key here is that ‘see’ has different meanings.

The first ‘see’ means ‘understand’.

This is a state verb, so it can’t be continuous.

The second ‘see’ means ‘meet’ or ‘have a relationship with’.

It’s an action verb, so it can be continuous.

There are other verbs like this, where there are multiple meanings, some of which are actions,

and some of which are states.

Other common verbs like this are ‘have’, ‘think’, ‘expect’ or ‘look’.

How did you do on this lesson?

Which points did you find most difficult or confusing?

Let us know how you did in the comments, and what was most difficult for you!

Thanks for watching!

See you next time!