La différence entre le présent simple et le présent be + ing peut se résumer en deux mots : Now (maintenant) et In General (en général)
Voici quelques exemples:
In general I speak English. Now I am speaking English.
In general you eat pizza. Now, you are eating pizza.
In general the queen drinks tea. Now she is drinking tea.
Dans la vie on n’aura pas toujours les mots « in general » et « now » pour nous guider. Il faudra s’habituer aux différents contextes pour choisir le bon temps entre présent simple et be + ing.
| Présent simple | Présent be + ing |
| In general | Now |
| Every day | Today |
| On Mondays | This Monday |
| All the time | At the moment |
| Often/Never/Sometimes /Rarely/Usually | Currently |
| At weekends | This weekend |
Cas particuliers : Ces verbes sont toujours au présent simple:
Be, Want, Like, Understand, Know, Remember, Forget, Prefer, Need, Mean, Believe, Forget.
Voici quelques exercices pour vous entraîner. Pour les solutions écouter le fichier audio ou consultez le pdf
Exercices et corrigés en PDF
Exercice 1 : Mettre au présent simple ou be + ing, positif.
- I __________________ (play) tennis on Mondays. Today I ________________________ (play) football.
2. At the moment I ______________________ (look) for a job. Usually I _______________ (work) as a salesman.
3. This weekend we ______________________ (have) a big party. We ________________ (do) this every year in January.
4. I ___________________ (not go) to Italy this year. I ___________________ (stay) at home.
5. My uncle ___________________ (sing) again. He always __________________ (sing) during family reunions. It’s horrible!
Exercice 2 : Mettre au présent simple ou be + ing, positif ou négatif.
- I _______________ (not like) this party. I ________________ (leave).
2. Usually on Sundays I ________________ (not go) to work. This Sunday is an exception. I _________________ (work) to catch up on.
3. I ___________________ (not sleep) well in trains. I _______________ (sleep) better in planes.
4. Leave me alone, I _________________ (sleep). I ________________ (have) a beautiful dream.
5. I _____________________ (not understand), can you speak more slowly?
6. She ____________________ (come) with us. She _____________ (be) too tired.
7. She never _________________ (come) to our parties. She always __________________ (stay) at home.
Pour les questions servez vous de la formule magique : auxilary, subject, verb.
si c’est « in general » auxilary = do/does
ex : What do you do/What does she do (in general)
Si c’est « now » auxilary = am/is/are. Et bien sûr on n’oublie pas d’ajouter ing au verbe.
ex : What are you doing/What is she doing? (now)
Exercice 3 : Posez des questions au présent be + ing ou simple
1 .Q : What ______ _____________ _________ ? (do) A: I am cleaning the dishes.
2. Q : What _______ ____________ _________ ? (do) A: I am a professional tennis player.
3. Q : Where _______ _____________ ________ (go) to buy food? A : I go to Harrods.
4. Q: ____ ________ _______ (like) spaghetti? A : Yes I do.
5. Q: _____ _________ _______ (have) a nice time? A: Yes we are, thank you!
6. Q: Where ______ _________ _____ (go)? A : I’m not telling you. It’s a secret…
7. Q Where ______ ________ _______ (stay) when you go to Italy? A: Usually I stay in a Hotel.
8. Q Who ___________ ____________ _______________ (meet) today? A: I am meeting my good friend Sally.
9. Q Who _________ ____________ _____________ (like) in the tennis world? A : I like Djokovitch, but my favourite is Nadal!
10. Q _________ ____________ _______________? (listen) A: No sorry, what did you say?
Anglais in Antibes 