Tenses, Present Simple and Continuous
TM 153-160; A
162-166
1.
Time vs tense, simple vs progressive, stative vs dynamic
1.1. 3 ‘times’ vs multiple tenses – they are just loosely related in English
Q: How many tenses are shown by actual form of the verb in English?1
1.2. Aspects (forms) – simple vs progressive/continuous. Both indicate when an action takes
place, but progressive may also stresses progress, temporality, incompleteness
Q: Match each sentence with the function of progressive it contains: 1. We
have been trying to learn grammar. 2. I'm making a cake. 3. He was wearing
a shirt yesterday.2
1.3. Stative vs dynamic verbs
1.3.1. Dynamic verbs – in simple and progressive form


deliberate or voluntary actions, e.g. I’m making a cake.
changing situations, e.g. He’s growing old.
1.3.2. Stative verbs generally not in progressive forms. They include:
 opinions, e.g. know, think, understand;
 emotion, e.g. love, like;
 preferences, e.g. want, prefer;
 senses e.g. feel, hear, see;
 being/seeming/owning, e.g. appear, belong.
1.3.3. Dynamic uses of stative verbs
 Verbs for deliberate actions may often be used in a stative sense
Q: Fill in the gaps3
deliberate action
state
…………………………..
I weigh 65 kilos
I’m tasting the soup. …………………………..
…………………………..



The radiator feels hot.
Stative verbs may be use in progressive in the present participle sense (imiesłów
przysłówkowy współczesny), e.g. Knowing him, he will be late. (pl Znając go, na
pewno się spóźni), Loving Paris as I do... (pl Jeśli uwielbia się Paryż tak jak ja...).
Some idiomatic uses of originally stative verbs allow conjugation in a progressive
tense, e.g. I’m seeing him off to the station.
Sometimes verbs describing physical sensations can be used in simple or progressive
forms with hardly any change of meaning, e.g. Ooh! It hurts! = Ooh' It's hurting!
Q: How about McDonald’s advertising slogan “I’m loving it.”?4
1.3.4. Progressive use of stative verbs may also add temporality, intensity and
involvement on the part of the speaker, even in educated and formal speech. This
1
Just two, present and past, e.g. write and wrote.
1. incompleteness 2. progress 3. temporality
3 1. I’m weighing myself 2. It tastes too salty. 3. I’m feeling the radiator.
4 It sounds off to the native speaker and draws attention. According to most dictionaries, as a dynamic transitive verb it may only mean “to
embrace and kiss (sb), as a lover.” or “to make love to sb”, but it’s hard to imagine how this could make sense with whatever ‘it’ that
McDonald’s is selling. So the only interpretation that remains would be temporality of this experience, thus ‘love’ would just mean ‘enjoy’
here.
2
use is however often considered unorthodox.
I don't think you're fully understanding the problem. → It’s possible to understand
it better.
No, you're still not understanding me. → You are not even close to understand
what I mean.
At the party he was not knowing me again. → He pretended not to know me.
What were you wanting? → You want to be more polite.
How are you liking your new phone? → Focus on your recent experience.
Q: Now, how would you translate “Hey, Jean. I’m loving that new haircut!”?5
2.
The present continuous
2.1. Form: auxiliary verb be + the present participle: eg. [Affirmative] I am working. [Negative] I
am not working. [Interrogative] Am i working?
2.2. Contractions of the verb BE
Q: How to contract: Am I not working??6
2.3. The spelling of the present participle
2.3.1. A verb ends in a single e, this e is dropped before ing:
o argue/arguing, hate/hating except after age, dye, singe and verbs ending in ee:
agree/agreeing or see/seeing
2.4. Different uses of the present continuous tense:
2.4.1. For an action happening now, e.g. Why are you sitting at my desk?
2.4.2. For an action happening about this time but not necessarily at the moment of
speaking. e.g. I am reading a play by Shaw.
2.4.3. For a definite arrangement in the near future (the most usual way of expressing one’s
immediate plans): eg. I’m meeting Peter tonight. He is taking me to the theatre.
2.4.4. With a point in time to indicate an action which begins before this point and probably
continues after it, eg. At six I am bathing the baby.
2.4.5. With always: eg. He is always making that mistake.
2.5. Form used mainly in affirmative:
2.5.1. For a frequently repeated action
2.5.2. For an action that appears to be continuous
2.6. Verbs not normally (c.f. 1.3.3) used in the continuous tenses and some exemplifications:
o Verbs of senses like: feel, hear, see, smell, notice, observe(=notice)....
o Verbs expressing feelings and emotions: admire (=respect, adore, care for(=like),
detest,...
o Verbs of mental activity: agree, appreciate(=understand), recall, feel(=think),...
o Verbs of possession: belong, owe, own, possess,....
o The auxiliaries, except be and have.
o Appear (=seem), concern, consist, contain, hold (=contain), keep (=continue), matter,
seem, signify, sound (=seem/appear).
o Feel, look, smell and taste used in the continuous forms.
o See and hear used in the continuous forms.
o Think, assume and expect used in the continuous forms.
3. The simple present
3.1. Form: add s or es to the base of the verb in the third person singular, eg. I work in an office.
She works in an office.
3.2. Uses of the simple present:
5
6
Bardzo podoba mi się twoja fryzura.
Aren’t I...
3.2.1. For statements that are always true: eg. Summer follows spring. Gases expand when
heated.
3.2.2. To refer to events, actions or situations which are true in the present period of time
and which, for all we know, may continue indefinitely: eg. My father works in a bank.
My sister wears glasses.
3.2.3. Use related to timetables and programmers or to events in the calendar: eg. We leave
tomorrow at 11:15 and arrive at 17:50
3.2.4. Observations and declarations: eg. I hope/assume/suppose /promise; I bet; I declare...