Present simple vs present continuous

Grammar / A2 Grammar lessons and exercises / Present simple vs present continuous

✏️ Exercises

Present Simple vs Present Continuous

📝 Present Simple: Form

Grammar infographic showing the structure of the Present Simple tense in English, including positive forms, negative forms, questions, and short answers for A1 elementary learners.

The spelling of he/she/it

The spelling changes for third-person singular (he/she/it). Add -s or -es to the base verb.

  • He works in an office.
  • She goes to school.
  • It catches the ball.
Grammar chart demonstrating Present Simple tense spelling rules for third-person singular subjects (he, she, it) with examples of verb conjugations and common mistakes.

🔄 Present Simple: Use

  • Habits or regular actions:
    I wash my hair every day.
    I never go to the library.
  • Permanent situations or general truths:
    She’s very tall.
    Water boils at 100 degrees.
    I like soup.
  • Adverbs of frequency (always, sometimes, never, etc.):
    → Go before the main verb or after “be”:
    He usually gets up early.
    I am never late.
  • Expressions of frequency (twice a week, every month, etc.):
    → Go at the end of the sentence:
    We go to the cinema once a month.

📝 Present Continuous: Form

Grammar chart showing the form of the Present Continuous tense in positive, negative, and question forms, including short answers and spelling rules for -ing words.

Form: am/is/are + verb-ing

  • I am working.
  • She is studying.
  • They are not playing.
  • Are you listening?

🔄 Present Continuous: Use

  • Actions happening now or “around now”:
    I can’t talk now. I’m brushing my teeth.
    I’m reading a new book these days.
  • Temporary situations:
    I’m going to work by bus this week.
    I’m living with my cousins.
  • Used with time expressions: now, at the moment, this week, these days
    He’s studying a lot this week.
    I’m not feeling well these days.
  • ⚠️ Stative verbs (non-action verbs) → NOT used in continuous:
    believe, like, love, hate, need, want, see, hear, be, etc.
    ✅ I need help. ❌ I am needing help.
    ✅ She seems sad. ❌ She is seeming sad.

🆚 Present Simple vs Present Continuous

Educational grammar chart comparing Present Simple and Present Continuous tenses, highlighting their uses, with signal words and examples of each.