Warm-up

Let's start easy. No notes. Mistakes are OK.

You know this one. Write one small word:

"This is Maria. She my sister."

SPEAK

Say two sentences about you, out loud. Start with "I am..." — your name, your country, your job, anything.

Listen to this phone call

Anna: Hi Ben! Are you at home?

Ben: Yes — I'm cooking dinner. I cook every Friday. It's my day!

Look at Ben. He says "I'm cooking" and "I cook". Same verb, two forms. Why? Say your idea first, then check.

Check your idea CLICK

"I'm cooking" = now, at this minute. The dinner is on the cooker!
"I cook every Friday" = every week. It is his routine, not this minute.
English has two present forms — one for every day, one for now. That is today's lesson.

Today: two present forms — one for every day and one for now — so you can talk about your daily life and about this moment.

Every Day: "I work on Saturdays"

For routines — things you do every day, every week — and for facts.

Find the pattern

Three sentences about normal life:

"I work on Saturdays."
"He plays football on Sundays."
"They live in Madrid."

Look at the three verbs. One is a little different. Which one? Why? Say your idea, then check.

Check the pattern CLICK

"plays" has an -s.
With he, she, it → the verb takes -s.
With I, you, we, they → the verb stays simple, no change.

I / you / we / they + verb → I drive
he / she / it + verb + s → she drives
not: don't / doesn't + verb → I don't drive. She doesn't drive.

    Words that go with this form: every day, every morning, always, usually, on Mondays.
  

Your turn

Write the missing verb. Use the verb in the brackets ( ).

1. My brother in a bank. (work)

2. She tea in the evening, not coffee. (drink)

3. I meat. I only like fish and vegetables. (not eat)

SPEAK

Say three things you do every day. Then say one thing your friend or your mother does every day — remember the -s!

Right Now: "It's raining!"

For things happening now, at this minute.

Find the pattern

Three sentences about this minute:

"Look! It's raining."
"Shh! The baby is sleeping."
"I can't talk now — I'm driving."

What two things do you see in every bold verb? Say your idea, then check.

Check the pattern CLICK

am / is / are + verb with -ing.
In speech we make it short: it's raining, I'm driving.
This form = now, at this minute. Often with Look!, Shh!, now.

I am + verb-ing → I'm reading
he / she / it is + verb-ing → she's reading
you / we / they are + verb-ing → they're reading
not: I'm not reading. She isn't reading.

    Small spelling changes: write → writing (no e) · run → running (double letter) · sit → sitting
  

Your turn

Write the missing words. Use the verb in the brackets ( ).

1. Listen! The children in the garden. (play)

2. I can't come to the door — I dinner. (make)

3. Dad TV — the TV is off! (not watch)

SPEAK

Look around you now. Say three sentences about this minute: What are you doing? What is the weather doing? What are the people near you doing?

Which One?

Every day, or now? The little words in the sentence tell you.

Every-day words → simple form

every day · every morning · always · usually · never · on Mondays

Now words → am / is / are + -ing

now · right now · at the moment · today · Look! · Listen!

Every day:
"I walk to work."

→

Now:
"I'm walking to work."

Same person, same verb — but "every day" and "now" need different forms.

Your turn

Read the little words. Then write the right form of the verb in the brackets ( ).

1. My sister to music every morning. (listen)

2. Look! The dog in the river! (swim)

3. We English on Tuesdays. (study)

SPEAK

Two sentences, out loud: one thing you do every weekend, and one thing you are doing right now. Feel the difference.

Your Turn to Talk

Now you do the talking — both forms, your life.

Talk for one minute

Topic: a normal day — and today. Talk out loud for one minute. Try to answer:

What do you do every morning?
What do you do in the evening?
And today, right now — what are you doing? Is today different?

01:00

Now write it

Write 3–5 short sentences about your life: every day and now. The checker looks for three things: an every-day word, a now word, and am / is / are + -ing.

Mix It Up

Real life does not tell you which form to use. Here it is all mixed — you choose.

Fix the mistakes

Each sentence has one mistake. Write the whole sentence again, correctly.

1. "She go to work by bus every day."

2. "Hurry! We are wait for the bus."

3. "He don't like fish."

4. "My mum sleep late on Sundays."

Which form fits?

5. "I can't answer the phone — I ___ a shower."

6. "My dad ___ in a hospital. He is a doctor."

7. "Look out of the window! It ___!"

SPEAK

One-minute challenge: you phone a friend. First say what you are doing right now. Then tell them two things you do every Saturday. The timer on the "Your Turn to Talk" page can help you.

What Do You Remember?

First, from before

1. Write one small word: "They my friends."

2. Say it out loud: introduce yourself in two sentences — your name and your country. Then check one possible answer.

One possible answer CLICK

One possible answer: "Hello! My name is Sara. I am from Brazil." Your sentences are different — that is fine.

Now, today's grammar — new sentences, no looking back

3. My friend in London. (live)

4. Listen! Someone at the door. (knock)

5. We TV in the morning — there is no time! (not watch)

Think back

Which page helped you most today — Every Day, Right Now, or Mix It Up? Say why.

Can you now...?

At the start we said: two present forms, for every day and for now. Tick what is true:

I can talk about every day — "I work on Saturdays." And I remember the -s for he, she, it.
I can talk about now — "Look! It's raining!" — with am / is / are + -ing.
I can choose the right form from the little words: every day → simple form, now → am / is / are + -ing.

    Not sure about one? Go back to that page and try the exercises again. They still check your answers.
  