Verbs & Present Tense Conjugation

Simple vs continuous: habit vs now

I eat breakfast every day (habit) / I am eating now (at this moment)

Stative verbs — no continuous form

know, want, love, hate, believe, seem — not "I am knowing" or "she is wanting"

More stative verbs

understand, remember, forget, prefer, own, belong, mean, contain, need

Verbs + -ing: enjoy / avoid / finish

I enjoy swimming / She avoids eating junk food / He finished working

Verbs + to-infinitive: want / hope / try

I want to learn / She hopes to travel / They try to help — not + -ing

go + -ing activities

go swimming, go shopping, go running, go dancing, go fishing

make vs do

make a cake / make a decision / do homework / do sport / do the washing

get + adjective

get tired, get better, get worse, get angry, get lost — to become

Common phrasal verbs

turn on / turn off / pick up / put on / take off / look after / look for

"have got" = "have"

I've got a car = I have a car / She's got a problem — common in British English