Collins Cobuild

Unit 62
Talking about the present
Main points
For  the  general  present,  general  truths,  and  habitual  actions,  you
use the present simple (‘I walk’).
For  something  which  is  happening  now,  or  for  temporary
situations, you use the present continuous (‘I am walking’).
1
If you are talking about the present in general, you normally use the
present simple tense. You use the present simple for talking about the
general present including the present moment.
My dad works in Saudi Arabia.
He lives in the French Alps near the Swiss border.
2
If you are talking about general truths, you use the present simple.
Water boils at 100 degrees centigrade.
Love makes the world go round.
The bus takes longer than the train.
3
 If  you  are  talking  about  regular  or  habitual  actions,  you  use  the
present simple.
Do you eat meat?
I get up early and eat my breakfast in bed.

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I pay the milkman on Fridays.
4
 If  you  are  talking  about  something  which  is  regarded  as  temporary,
you use the present continuous tense.
Do you know if she’s still playing tennis these days?
I’m working as a British Council officer.
5
 If  you  are  talking  about  something  which  is  happening  now,  you
normally use the present continuous tense.
We’re having a meeting.
Come and join in. Wait a moment. I’m listening to the news.
6
 There  are  a  number  of  verbs  which  are  used  in  the  present  simple
tense  even  when  you  are  talking  about  the  present  moment.  These
verbs  are  not  normally  used  in  the  present  continuous  or  the  other
continuous tenses.
These verbs usually refer to:
thinking:
believe forget imagine know
realize recognize suppose
think understand want wish
liking and
disliking:
admire dislike hate like love
prefer
appearance: appear look like resemble
seem
possession: belong to contain have
include own possess
perception: hear see smell taste
being:
be consist of exist

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I believe he was not to blame.
She hates going to parties.
Our neighbours have two cars.
Note that you normally use verbs of perception with the modal ‘can’,
rather than using the present simple tense.
I can smell gas.
Some  other  common  verbs  are  not  normally  used  in  the  present
continuous or the other continuous tenses.
concern deserve fit
interest involve
matter mean
satisfy surprise
What do you mean?
 WARNING:  Some  of  the  verbs  listed  above  can  be  used  in
continuous tenses in other meanings. For example, ‘have’ referring to
possession  is  not  used  in  continuous  tenses.  You  do  not  say  ‘I  am
having a car’. But note the following examples.
We’re having a party tomorrow.
He’s having problems with his car.
She’s having a shower.

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