📘 Present Simple vs Present Continuous
🔵 Present Simple
🔁 Habits, Regular or Repeated Actions
- I wash my hair every day.
- He usually gets up very early.
📌 Facts, Permanent Situations or States
- I have one brother. He lives in Paris.
- Water boils at 100 degrees.
🧠 With *Stative Verbs
- Give me the money. I need it now.
- What happened? You look sad.
🕒 Signal Words
always, never, often, sometimes, every day, once a month, twice a week, etc.
💡 I Do It Regularly
- I drink tea.
- I do yoga.
🔴 Present Continuous
⏳ Actions in Progress Now
- I can’t talk. I’m brushing my teeth.
- He can’t talk now. He’s having a shower.
🔄 Actions in Progress Around Now
- I’m reading a new book. I love it!
- He is training hard now.
🕓 Signal Words
now, at the moment, these days, this week, this month, etc.
💡 I’m Doing It Now
- I’m drinking tea.
- I’m doing yoga.
📌 *Stative Verbs (Not used in Continuous)
Verbs of the senses: hear, see, smell, look, seem
Opinion: believe, consider, like, love, hate, prefer, think, etc.
Possession: have, own, belong, etc.
Also: be, need, mean, remember, want, etc.
📚 Present Simple & Present Continuous
🔵 Present Simple
We use the present simple for habits or permanent situations.
✅ Habits or Actions that Happen Regularly
- I wash my hair every day.
- I never go to the library.
- I go to the library on Saturdays.
📌 Permanent Situations or General Truths
- I don’t drink coffee.
- She’s very tall.
- I have two brothers.
- Water boils at 100 degrees.
- I like soup.
🕒 Adverbs and Frequency Expressions
We use frequency adverbs to talk about how often something happens:
- We usually order a pizza on Fridays.
- I go running twice a week.
🚫 Stative (Non-Action) Verbs
Some verbs don’t describe actions and are not used in the continuous form. Examples:
be, have (own), like, love, hate, prefer, need, want, know
- ✔️ They have a new car.
- ❌ They are having a new car.
- ✔️ I like chocolate.
- ❌ I’m liking chocolate.
🔴 Present Continuous
We use the present continuous for things happening now or around now (temporarily).
🕐 Actions Happening Now
- “What are you doing?” “I’m watching TV.”
📅 Temporary Actions Around Now
- I’m reading a very good book at the moment.
- What TV series are you watching these days?
🗓️ Time Expressions
We use the present continuous with time phrases like:
now, at the moment, at present, today, these days, this week, etc.
🤔 Present Simple or Continuous?
✅ Usually or Now?
- I listen to the radio. (= I usually do it)
- I’m listening to the radio. (= I’m doing it now)
- I don’t usually watch documentaries, but I’m watching one now.
🏠 Temporary or Permanent?
- I work in an office. (permanent)
- I’m working in an office. (temporary)
- I live in Edinburgh. (permanent)
- I’m living in Edinburgh. (temporary)
❓What Do You Do? / What Are You Doing?
- What does Erik do? (= What’s his job?)
- What is Erik doing? (= What’s he doing right now?)
Exercises:
Present simple or present
continuous?
Choose the correct present simple or present continuous form to
complete the dialogues below.
1
John: Hey, Emma! What
on weekends?
2
Emma: I usually
on Saturday mornings.
3
Emma: And I
at home on Sundays.
4
John: What
this Saturday?
5
Emma: I
Sarah for coffee at the new café.
6
John: I
this weekend,
7
John: …but I
my project on Friday evening.
8
John:
you extra tasks often?
9
Emma: Not today—he
me with the report.
10
John: What are you
to the presentation?
Present simple or present continuous?
Complete the following sentences choosing the correct
present simple or present continuous forms.
1
I ____ coffee every morning.
A.
B.
C.
2
Look out! That car ____ fast.
A.
B.
C.
3
They ____ in New York.
A.
B.
C.
4
She ____ English classes now.
A.
B.
C.
5
Tom ____ his bike because it’s broken.
A.
B.
C.
6
The sun ____ in the east.
A.
B.
C.
7
Stop! You ____ my book.
A.
B.
C.
8
Every summer, we ____ to Spain.
A.
B.
C.
9
Right now, he ____ for his exam.
A.
B.
C.
10
She ____ the bus every day.
A.
B.
C.
Present simple or present continuous?
Complete the following postcard with the verbs in brackets in present simple or present continuous.
Dear Mia,
1
I (write) to you from Tokyo, and I can’t believe how exciting it is here.
2
Right now I (sit) at a busy sushi bar in Shinjuku.
3
Chefs (prepare) rolls at lightning speed,
4
and customers (eat) with smiles on their faces.
5
Every day I (explore) a different neighborhood,
6
and I usually (take) the subway to get around.
7
In the mornings I (visit) temples,
8
and in the afternoons I (shop) for souvenirs.
9
I (enjoy) every moment of this trip,
10
and my camera (capture) hundreds of amazing photos.
Love,
Sophie
Sophie