Unit 1: Present time
Ngữ pháp Present time: present simple, present continuous, present perfect simple, present perfect continuous, stative and non-stative verbs
📘 Giải thích tiếng Việt
Present simple
Dùng cho chân lý, thói quen, trạng thái lâu dài, và cả các văn cảnh đặc thù ở trình độ cao: bình luận thể thao trực tiếp, tiêu đề báo, tóm tắt phim, chỉ đường, tục ngữ. Nhớ dùng cho tương lai cố định theo lịch (Term ends on 21st December) và trong mệnh đề thời gian (when I finish).
Emphatic present simple (do/does + V)
Thêm trợ động từ do/does để nhấn mạnh tương phản hoặc cảm xúc mạnh: I do like word games!, He does know a lot.
Present continuous
Diễn tả việc đang xảy ra, tình huống tạm thời, xu hướng đang thay đổi (More people are recognising...), và thói quen gây khó chịu với always (He's always coming up with...). Cũng dùng cho sắp xếp tương lai.
Present perfect: simple vs continuous
Present perfect simple nối quá khứ với hiện tại, nhấn kết quả hay số lượng (I've written two essays). Present perfect continuous nhấn độ dài / tính liên tục của hành động (I've been working here for five years).
Stative vs dynamic verbs
Động từ chỉ trạng thái (believe, know, own, seem, contain, mean...) thường dùng thì đơn, không dùng tiếp diễn. Nhiều động từ đổi nghĩa khi chuyển sang tiếp diễn: I think it's true (tin) vs I'm thinking about it (cân nhắc); see, have, taste, smell cũng vậy.
Present simple
Emphatic present simple
Present continuous
Present perfect simple
Present perfect continuous
Stative and non-stative uses of verbs
Present simple
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| General truths | The left-hand side of the brain controls the right-hand side of the body. |
| Current habits | I don't always go to lectures that are early in the morning! |
| Permanent situations and states | Angie teaches French at a local adult education centre. |
| Telling jokes and other informal stories | So, a man goes to see his psychiatrist ... |
| Live sports commentary | Adams passes to Kareshi. It's a goal! |
| Newspaper headlines | HAWKING WINS NOBEL PRIZE |
| Reviews and summaries | The film ends with us not knowing whether they have been successful or not. |
| Instructions and directions | You turn left at the end of the road and the school is up ahead. |
| Proverbs and sayings | Too many cooks spoil the broth. |
| The future (for fixed events) (see Unit 5 for more information) | Term ends on 21st December. |
| The future (in time clauses) (see Unit 5 for more information) | I'll be so relieved when I finish this crossword. |
Emphatic present simple
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| To emphasise contrast | Adam doesn't know much about psychiatry but he does know quite a lot about psychology. |
| To emphasise strong feeling | I do like playing word games! |
always / usually / generally / often / sometimes / rarely / seldom / never / whenever / nowadays / these days / from time to time / every now and then / most/much of the time / It's/That's the last time
Present continuous
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Actions happening now | The boys are doing their homework right now. |
| Actions happening around now | What book are you doing in English at the moment? |
| Temporary situations and series of actions | We aren't having any exams while the lecturers are still on strike. |
| Changing and developing situations | More and more people are recognising the advantages of being able to speak a foreign language. |
| Annoying or amusing habits (usually with always) | Dan's always coming up with the craziest ideas! |
| Background information in jokes and other informal stories | A man goes to see his psychiatrist. He's carrying a bag full of honey ... |
| The future (for arrangements) (see Unit 5 for more information) | When are you taking your driving test? |
| The future (in time clauses) (see Unit 5 for more information) | I'll probably be a bit scared when I'm waiting outside for the exam to start. |
now / right now / for now / currently / at the moment / for the time being / at present / today / this week/etc / It's/That's the last time
Present perfect simple
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Situations and states that started in the past and are still true | I've been a member of MENSA for over five years. |
| A series of actions continuing up to now | She's done a BA, an MA and a PhD so far. |
| Completed actions at a time in the past which is not important or relevant | Have you ever read any books by Edward De Bono? |
| Completed actions where the important thing is the present result | She's been awarded a scholarship to study at Harvard. |
| Actions completed recently | I've just received my exam results. |
| The future (in time clauses) (see Unit 5 for more information) | Tell me when you've finished the report. |
since / for / It's the first/second/etc time / before / already / yet / ever / just / still / recently / up to now / (up) until now / so far
US: Did you find the answer yet? UK: Have you found the answer yet?
US: I already found the answer. UK: I've already found the answer.
US: I haven't gotten the books yet. (= I haven't bought the books yet.)
UK: I haven't got the books yet.
Present perfect continuous
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Actions and situations continuing up to the present (or just before the present) | We've all been wondering what to get Tony for his birthday and we just can't decide. |
| The future (in time clauses) (see Unit 5 for more information) | I won't take my driving test until I've been having lessons for at least two months. |
I've written two essays this week.
I've worked here for five years. (no emphasis)
I've been working here for five years. (emphasises the duration)
since / for / just / all day/week/etc
Stative and non-stative uses of verbs
| Category | Verbs |
|---|---|
| Communication | agree, deny, disagree |
| Thinking | believe, consider, doubt, expect, imagine, know, mean, realise, suppose, suspect, think, understand |
| Existence | be, exist |
| Emotions | adore, appeal, appreciate, desire, despise, detest, dislike, envy, fear, feel, forgive, hate, like, love, mind, need, pity, prefer, satisfy, trust, want, wish |
| Perception | appear, hear, look, notice, recognise, resemble, see, seem, smell, sound, taste |
| Possession and relationships between things | belong, concern, consist, contain, cost, depend, equal, fit, have, include, involve, lack, measure, owe, own, possess, suit, weigh |
| Other | deserve, matter |
I'm thinking about going on a computer course. (action: think = consider)
Exercise A
Write the verb in brackets in the correct form, present simple or present continuous, in each gap.
Web note: where one box is provided for more than one nearby gap, type the complete missing phrase.
Exercise B
Write one word in each gap.
Exercise C
Write a verb from the box in the correct form, present simple or present continuous, in each gap. Use the words in brackets with the verb. Use contractions where possible. You can use the verbs more than once.
Email conversation between Sandy and George
Sandy: Hey, George! How's things? What (1) __________ ?
George: Hi, Sandy! Fine! (2) __________ some research for that history project.
Sandy: (3) __________ ?
George: Yeah, (4) __________ , thanks. The website (5) __________ at now is very good. It's got loads of useful information.
Sandy: Great! Listen, the reason (6) __________ you is that my (7) __________ past the library every morning on the way to work, and (8) __________ she can give you a lift tomorrow morning, if you like.
George: Wow, that's really kind of her, but actually (9) __________ long to walk there from here, so (10) __________ to worry. Can you thank her for me, though?
Sandy: Sure!
George: (11) __________ with your project? (12) __________ a title yet?
Sandy: No! (13) __________ a topic yet! (14) __________ on it at the moment, though. (15) __________ to finish my physics project first.
George: Why (16) __________ something on the Second World War? That's interesting.
Sandy: No, (17) __________ wars! I'd rather do something (18) __________ more on social history.
George: Like what?
Sandy: Like the role of women in the Industrial Revolution.
George: (19) __________ good.
Sandy: (20) __________ so? Okay. Maybe I'll do that, then.
Exercise D
Select the correct word or phrase.
Exercise E
Write a verb from the box in the correct form, present simple or present continuous, in each pair of sentences.
Web note: some questions use one input for the full phrase instead of separate mini-gaps.
Exercise F
Each of the words or phrases in bold is incorrect. Rewrite them correctly.
Exercise G
Select the correct word or phrase. If both are correct, select both.
Exercise H
Write the verb in brackets in the correct form, present perfect simple or present perfect continuous. Use contractions where possible.
Web note: when a single input covers a longer answer, type the whole missing phrase.
Exercise I
Write a word from the box in each gap. You can use each word more than once.
Exercise J
Write one word in each gap.
Humans and other life forms
Humans (1) __________ much in common with other life forms on Earth. (2) __________ the very first life forms appeared, all living things have (3) __________ desperately struggling to survive the harsh and changing conditions of our planet. This has (4) __________ adapting to new situations and, in many cases, has (5) __________ to either evolution or extinction. We are (6) __________ alone in making use of the world around us (birds use twigs to build nests, for example) or in being particularly skilful (spiders make intricate webs). Where we (7) __________ differ from other life forms, however, (8) __________ in our ability to record, and learn from, our collective history. In this, it (9) __________ that we (10) __________ unique. (11) __________ is still much mankind (12) __________ not know about the earliest humans, of course, but we are increasingly (13) __________ a species with detailed knowledge about our past. The more we learn, the better (14) __________ our chances of survival in the future. It must also be recognised, however, that we are also the only species on Earth which (15) __________ managed to create the means to destroy the planet we live on.
