Present Continuous and Present Simple
Autor: Estudos relativos ao concurso de diplomata | Publicado: 2011-04-05T19:43:00-07:00

Nós podemos usar o present continuous com alguns verbos estáticos (e.g. attract, like, look, love, sound) quando nós queremos enfatizar que uma situação é temporária ou por um período de tempo próximo ao presente. Compare:

Jean stays with us quite often. The children love having her here. e
Jean stays with us at the moment. The children are loving having her here.
Os verbos estáticos que nós raramente usamos com o present continuous incluem believe, consist of, doubt, own.
Alguns verbos têm diferentes significados quando eles são usados para falar sobre estados e quando eles descrevem ações. Com seus significados de 'estado', eles normalmente tomam formas simples em vez de contínuas. Com seus significados de 'ação', eles podem tomar formas simples ou contínuas, dependendo do contexto. Compare:The new treatment for influenza doesn't appear to work. (appear: state = seem) e
Madonna is currently appearing in a musical on Broadway./She often appears in musicals (appear: action = take part)
Do you think it's a good idea? (think: state = about an opinion) e
I'm thinking of going in August/Your troubles you think too much. (think: action = consider)&nbsp;
Outros verbos como estes incluem anticipate, cost, expect, feel, fit, have, imagine, measure, weigh
Com alguns verbos descrevendo estados verbais (e.g., find, realise, regret, think, understand) nós podemos usar o present continuous para enfatizar que temos recentemente começado a pensar sobre algo ou que não estamos certos sobre algo. Compare:I regret that the company will have to be sold. (I have made the decision and I am sorry about it) e
I'm regretting my decision to give her the job (= I am increasingly aware that it was the wrong decision)
Quando isto significar "think carefully&nbsp;about" o verbo considers só é usado com o present continuous:He's considering taking early retirement. (e não He considers taking early retirement)
Alguns outros verbos descrevendo preferências e estados mentais (e.g., agree, believe, conclude, know, prefer) são raramente usados com o presente contínuo:I believe you now. ( e não I'm believing you now)
Nós usamos o presente simples com verbos que executam a ação que eles descrevem:I admit I can't see as well as I used to.
We apologize for not replying earlier
Outros verbos como esses (às vezes chamados performativos) incluem acknowledge, advice, beg, confess, congratulate, declare, deny, forbid, guarantee, name, order, permit, predict, promise, refuse, remind, request, thank, warn. Alguns verbos usados como performativos em sentenças afirmativas (positivas), tais como apologize, deny, guarantee, promise, suggest, têm um significado similar, seja com o presente simples ou com o presente contínuo em sentenças negativas:I don't deny/I'm not denying taking the books, but Andy said it would be okay.
Observe que podemos usar modais com performativos, para fazer o que nós chamamos de mais educado:We would advise you to arrive two hours before the flight leaves.
I must beg you to keep this a secret.
Exercícios
Complete as sentenças com os verbos dados, usando negações ou interrogações quando necessário. Use o mesmo verbo para cada sentença nos pares. Escolha o presente contínuo se possível; se não, use o presente simples. Use formas contraídas quando apropriado.attract, consist of, doubt, feel, fit, have, like, look, measure, sound
1. a- I hear you're having your home repainted. How's it looking? ou (How does it look?).&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;b- I bought this new dress today. How does it look?
2. a- A: What are you doing with that ruler? B: I'm measuring the area of the kitchen.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;b- The garden measures 12 by 20 metres.
3. a- I doubt&nbsp;whether I'll get another chance to retake the exam.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;b- I suppose she might be at home tonight but I doubt it.
4. a- The new science museum is currently attracting (or attracts) 10,000 visitors a month.
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;b- Flowers attract bees with their brightly coloured petals.

5. a- Mike won't work at the top of the 20-storey building because he doesn't like heights.
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;b- a: How's the new job? b: Well, at the moment, I'm not liking ('dont't like' is also possible) it at all.

6. a- My car's in the garage today. They're fitting new brakes.
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;b- I bought this jump for Sue, but it doesn't fit her so I'll have to take it back.

7. a- What's your shirt made from? It feels like silk.
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;b- I won't be coming to work today. I'm not felling very well.

8. a- The roof of the house consist of only plastic sheets nailed down in a few places.
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;b- Their school uniform consists of black trousers and a dark green jumper.

9. a- Simon has been practising the song for days. It sounds quite good, but he doesn't think he's ready yet to perform it in public.
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;b- What's that noise? b: It's sounds like a bird stuck in the chimney.

10. a- I had a postcard from Joanne on Holiday in Spain. It sounds like she's having a really good time.
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;b- My sister has long blonde hair. You're bound to recognise her.

1.2 Risque qualquer resposta improvável:

1. I'm understanding/I understand biology a lot better now that we've got a new teacher. (ambas são possíveis).
2. I went to see a Formula One race last week, but I admit/I'm admiting that I don't know much about cars.
3. Do you find/Are you finding it to concentrate on your work with this music on? (ambas são possíveis)
4. We'll do our best to get the computer repaired by next week, but we're not guaranteeing/ we don't guarantee it. (ambas são possíveis)
5. I've just started to learn how to drive. Now&nbsp;I'm knowing/I know how difficult it is, I'll never criticise your driving again.
6. She says that she wasn't in the kitchen when the bottle smashed, but I refuse/I'm refusing to believe her.
7. I'm certainly agreeing/I certainly agree with you that people shouldn't drink and drive.
8. I know the company has made a loss this year, but I'm not apologising/I don't apologise for that. (ambas são possíveis)
9. It's very difficult for us to get jobs here, so we're considering/we consider emigrating to Canada.


Present Continuous e Present simple (2)

Usamos frequentemente o presente simples e o presente contínuo em histórias e piadas no inglês informal falado para criar a impressão que os eventos estão ocorrendo agora. Isso pode torná-los mais diretos e entusiasmantes e fixar a atenção das pessoas:

She goes up to this man and looks straight into his eyes. He's not wearing his glasses, and he doesn't recognise her...
This man's playing golf when a kangaroo bounds up to him, grabs his club and hits his ball about half a mile...
Os eventos principais são normalmente descritos em sequência usando o presente simples e os eventos de fundo mais longos são descritos usando o presente contínuo.Em narrativas e anedotas o presente simples pode ser usado para realçar o evento. Com frequência é usado após tempos passados e com frases tais como suddenly ou all of a sudden.I was sitting in the park, reading a newspaper, when all of a sudden this dog jumps at me.
Usamos o presente simples e o presente contínuo em comentários ao vivo (por exemplo, em exemplos esportivos) quando a reportagem acontece no mesmo momento em que a ação:King serves to the left-hand court and Adams makes a wonderful return. She's playing magnificent tennis in this match...
Podemos usar o presente simples em frases como It says here, I hear, I gather, I see, I understand e They say, (Someone) says, (Someone) tells me, para introduzir notícias que nós temos ouvido, lido, visto (e.g., na televisão) ou que são ditas. Podemos também usar tempos passados (e.g., It said here, I heard):

I gather you're worried about Ken.
Jane tells me you're thinking of emigrating.
Professor Otto is at the conference and I hear she's an excellent speaker.
O presente simples é frequentemente usado em manchetes de jornais para falar sobre eventos que têm recentemente acontecido:Quake hits Central Iran
Foreign Minister resigns
Scientist find brightest star
Fire breaks out in Hotel room
Podemos usar o presente simples para nos referirmos a conteúdos de livros, filmes, jornais etc:Thompson gives a list of the largest European companies in Chapter Six.
At the beginning of the book, three men find $4 millions in a crashed plane
In the film, Joan Smithson takes the role of a private detective.
Podemos usar o presente contínuo com advérbios tais como always, constantly, continually ou forever para enfatizar que algo é feito de modo tão frequente porque é a característica de uma pessoa, coisa ou grupo:

A: I think I'll stay here after all. B: You'are constantly changing your mind
Tony is a really kind person. He's always oferring to help me with my work.
Podemos usar o presente (ou passado) contínuo em vez do presente (ou passado simples) com o verbo wonder se quisermos ser especialmente amigáveis ou educados, principalmente se não estivermos certos sobre os sentimentos de outra pessoa em relação a algo ou como eles reagiram ao que dizemos:You said that there were only 50 books in the boxes. I'm just wondering/I was just wondering whether you counted them all? (mais educado do que 'I just wonder'...?)

Exercícios

Complete estas sentenças usando os verbos entre parentêses. Escolha o presente simples ou o presente contínuo.

1. Beckham passes to Giggs who shoots just over the bar. Manchester United is&nbsp;attacking&nbsp;much more in this half.
2. A man arrives home late one night after the office Christmas Party. His wife waits for him, and she says to him...
3. I went to a concert yesterday in the Town Hall. In the middle of it, while the orchestra was playing, this man suddenly stands on his seat and starts to conduct them.

Expanda um desses conjuntos de notas abaixo para completar cada diálogo:

continually/change/mind &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;forever/moan/work
forever/ask me/money &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;constantly/criticise/driving

1: A: Can I borrow $10? B: You're forever asking me for money
2: A: That was a dangerous thing to do. B: You're constantly criticising my driving
3: I think I'll stay here after all. B: You're continually changing my mind
4: A: I had a bad day at the office again B: You're&nbsp;always moaning at work


2.4 Complete as sentenças com os verbos apropriados usando negações ou interrogações quando necessário. Use o mesmo verbo para cada sentença no par com ou o presente contínuo ou o presente simples. Acrescente palavras fora dos espaços quando necessário:

1. A: I was just wondering whether you could help me. You see my car's broken down outside your house and I need to phone a garage.
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;B: 'Do you think Philip would be good at the job'? Hmm, I don't wonder.

2. A: 'Shall I phone at 6:00'? 'No, we usually like dinner at that time.'
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;B: 'I don't like lamb, thanks. I'm a vegetarian.'

3. A: Gielman plays&nbsp;Henry V in the latest production at the Royal Theatre.
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;B: They constantly are playing loud music until the early hours of the morning. 

4. A: I normally take the children to schoolat half night. Perhaps we could meet at nine.
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;B: In his 1954 book Wall takes&nbsp;a controversial view of Britain's hole in the war in Europe.

Past Simple e Present Perfect

As expressões de tempo que se referem ao presente, tais como this morning/week/month e today, podem ser usadas com os verbos do past simples ou do present perfect. Se nós pensamos em this morning como um período passado, completo no tempo, então nós usamos o&nbsp;past simple; se pensamos em this morning como um período de tempo que inclui o momento presente, então usamos o present perfect. Compare:

I didn't shave this morning (= the morning is over and I didn't shave) and
I haven't shaved this morning (= it is still the morning and I might shave later)
Nas reportagens, você frequentemente lerá ou ouvirá eventos recentes introduzidos com o present perfect, e então o past simple ou outros past tenses são usados para dar detalhes:'The film star Jim Cooper has died of cancer. He was 68 and lived in Texas...'
'The US space shuttle Atlantis has returned safely to earth. It landed in Florida this morning...'
A teacher from Oslo has been the first woman to cross the Antartic alone. It took her 42 days to make the crossing with her dog team.&nbsp;
Em uma sentença que inclui uma proposição temporal com since, nós geralmente preferimos um verbo no past simple na proposição temporal e um verbo no present perfect na&nbsp;proposição principal. A cláusula temporal refere-se a um ponto particular no passado:Since Mr Hassan became president, both taxes and unemployment have increased. (rather than.. has become).
She hasn't been able to play tennis since she broke her arm. (rather than ...has broken...)
Note, contudo, que usamos o present perfect na proposição temporal se as duas situações descritas na proposição principal e na&nbsp;proposição&nbsp;temporal se estendem até o presente:Have you met any of your neighbours since you've lived here? (not...you lived...)
Depois da estrutura It/This/That is/will be the first time... nós geralmente usamos o present perfect na cláusula seguinte:That's the first time I've seen Jan look embarrassed. (reporting a past event).
It won't be the first time she has voted against the government in her long career. (talking about a future event).
Note, contudo, que depois de It/This/That was the first time... nós geralmente usamos o past perfect:It was the first time I'd talked to Ella outside the office.
Com as preposições temporais introduzidas por after, when, until, as soon as, once, by the time e as expressões de tempo&nbsp;the minute/second/moment o past simple se refere aos eventos passados, completados e o present perfect se refere aos eventos futuros. Compare estes exemplos:After she left hospital (past), she had a long holiday. and
After Dominic has left school (future), he will be spending six months in India.
I'll contact you the minute I've got my exam results (future).
Nas proposições temporais em sentenças como essas é possível usar o past perfect em vez do past simple (e.g. After she had left...) e o present simple em vez do present perfect (e.g. After Dominic leaves...) com o mesmo significado.
Exercícios
Escolha um verbo para completar a sentença. Use o present perfect ou past simple.
Have - got - oversleep - read - spend - wear
1. I