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Essential Grammar for

Picture Description

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2 Verb Tenses

You need 2 verb tenses for picture description:

1. Present simple
2. Present continuous

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Present simple: Formation

Formation of to be in the present simple:

Singular Plural
I am We are
You are You are
He/she is They are

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Present simple: Formation

Negation in the present simple:

Singular Plural
I am not We are not
You are not You are not
He/she is not They are not

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Present Simple: Use for picture description

The present simple can be used for:

⭐ Facts or generalizations ⭐

- It is cold.
- Horses are strong.
- The Duolingo English Test is hard.
- He is happy.

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Present Simple: Picture Description

- Cars are parked.

- Leaves are on the
ground.
- It is daytime.
- The street is dirty.
- The trees are tall.
- The apartments have
terraces.

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Present Simple: Picture Description

If you are not describing action, you

should very likely use the present simple.

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Present continuous: Formation

Formation: Present simple of to be + the present participle

Formation of to laugh in the present continuous:

Singular Plural
I am laughing We are laughing
You are laughing You are laughing
He/she is laughing They are laughing

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Present progressive: Formation

Negation of the present continuous:

Singular Plural
I am not laughing We are not laughing
You are not laughing You are not laughing
He/she is not laughing They are not laughing

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Main use: Describing events happening right now

- Right now, we are learning the present continuous verb

tense in English.
- Right now, I am talking.
- Right now, you are listening.
- We are not eating lunch.
- We are not walking in a park.

⭐ This is why you will use the present

continuous for picture description! ⭐

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Example 1
- Three men are playing
basketball.
- They are jumping to get the
ball.
- The one man is intensely
grabbing the ball.
- The other man is standing
on the ground.

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Example 2

- The train is travelling on the

tracks.
- The train is going through
the mountains.
- The train is leaning to one
side.

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Recap

Use the present continous tense to describe things in action.

Use the present simple tense to describe things not in action.

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Example 3
Present simple

- In the background, there are

houses.
- There is a green field.
- The men are muddy.
- The sky is grey.

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Example 3
Present continuous
- The men are playing rugby.
- One team is wearing green
uniforms and the other
team is wearing black
uniforms.
- The teams are fiercely
pushing against one
another in a ruck.
- The referee is standing
close by.

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Now, we have to cover

some difficult things
(I’m sorry 🙁)

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Continuous v. non-continuous verbs

- In English, there are verbs which cannot be used in
continuous tenses.
- These verbs are called “non-continuous verbs.”
- In general, non-continuous verbs are verbs that you
cannot see being performed.

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Non-continuous verbs
Abstract verbs Possession verbs Emotion verbs
- To be - To possess - To like
- To want - To own - To love
- To cost - To belong - To hate
- To seem - To dislike
- To need
- To fear
- To care
- To envy
- To contain
- To owe - To mind
- To exist

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Continuous v. non-continuous verbs: Examples

❌ She is wanting ice cream right now.
✅ She wants ice cream right now.

❌ They are needing water.

✅ They need water.

❌ He is having pain right now.

✅ He has pain right now.

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Example 4
Present simple

- The barber has tattoos.

- ❌ The barber is having tattoos.
- The tattoos are red.
- The clippers are white.
- The clippers are not
battery-powered.

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Example 4
Present continuous

- The barber is carefully

trimming his client’s hair.
- The barber is gently
holding his client’s ear.
- The client is sitting still.
- The client is wearing a black
apron.

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Example 5
- There is a white boat.
- It seems a little old.
- ❌ It is seeming a little old.
- There is a sailor who is tying
the boat to the pier.
- The rope is yellow and blue,
and he is kneeling down in
order to tie a knot.
- He is wearing a blue,
waterproof uniform.
- A river is behind him.

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