🔁 Present Simple vs Present Continuous — Form & Meaning

Simple = habits & facts. Continuous = actions happening now or around now. Mind the he/she/it spelling and the stative verbs that don’t take -ing.

Simple: do/does · don’t/doesn’t Continuous: am/is/are + V-ing Adverbs of frequency (always, often…) Signal words: now, at the moment, these days Stative verbs → Simple, not Continuous

🧱Present Simple — Form

AFFIRMATIVE

I/you/we/they + base verb → They work.
he/she/it + base verb + s/es → She works, He goes.

NEGATIVE

do not / don’t + base verb → I don’t like coffee.
does not / doesn’t + base verb → He doesn’t like coffee. Not: *doesn’t likes.

QUESTIONS & SHORT ANSWERS

Do/Does + subject + base verb? → Does she work here?
Yes, she does. / No, she doesn’t.

He/She/It spelling

General	add -s → play→plays, work→works
After s, sh, ch, x, z	add -es → watch→watches, fix→fixes
Consonant + y	y → ies → study→studies, try→tries
After -o	add -es → go→goes, do→does
Irregular	have→has · be→is

🧩Present Continuous — Form

AFFIRMATIVE

am/is/are + V-ing → I am working, She is reading, They are studying.

NEGATIVE

am not / isn’t / aren’t + V-ing → He isn’t driving.

QUESTIONS & SHORT ANSWERS

Am/Is/Are + subject + V-ing? → Are you working?
Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.

-ing spelling

General	add -ing → work→working, study→studying
Drop silent e	make→making, live→living
C-V-C (stressed)	double consonant → run→running, swim→swimming, prefer→preferring
ie → y	lie→lying, die→dying

📘Present Simple — Meaning & Use

HABITS & ROUTINES

I wash my hair every day.
He usually gets up early. / We don’t go to the library.

FACTS & PERMANENT STATES

Water boils at 100°C. · I have two brothers. · She is very tall.

ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY

always/often/sometimes/rarely/never → mid position: She often eats pasta. / after be: I’m never late.
Expressions at the end: We go to the cinema once a month.

Timetables/schedules (fixed)

The train leaves at 7 a.m. tomorrow.

📕Present Continuous — Meaning & Use

ACTIONS IN PROGRESS

I can’t talk now — I’m brushing my teeth.
It’s raining; he’s having a shower.

AROUND NOW / TEMPORARY

I’m reading a new book these days.
I’m going to work by bus this week; my car is in the garage.

SIGNAL WORDS

now, right now, at the moment, currently, today, these days, this week/month

Stative (non-action) verbs → use the Simple

senses: see, hear, smell, taste, feel
opinion/feeling: believe, know, like, love, hate, prefer, think (opinion)
possession/being: have, own, belong, be, need, want, mean, seem
❌ I’m knowing French. → ✅ I know French.

🎯Spot the difference

I drink tea. (habit) ↔ I’m drinking tea now. (at this moment)
He works from home. (in general) ↔ He’s working from home this week. (temporary)
She usually wears glasses. ↔ She’s wearing contacts today.
It rains a lot in April. ↔ It’s raining now.

❌ Does she works? → ✅ Does she work?
❌ He don’t like it. → ✅ He doesn’t like it.
❌ I’m needing help. → ✅ I need help.

✅Quick checks

Habit, fact, timetable, or stative? → Present Simple.
Happening now / temporary / around now? → Present Continuous.
He/She/It in the Simple? → add -s/-es.
Negatives & questions: do/does for Simple; am/is/are for Continuous.

🧪Extra natural examples

We don’t often eat out. / I’m not eating out this month — I’m saving money.
Where do you live? / Where are you staying tonight?
She teaches yoga on Mondays, but she’s teaching a special class today.

Recap: Simple = regular, permanent, or factual; Continuous = in progress or temporary. Keep stative verbs in the Simple and remember the -s for he/she/it. 🌟

🔁 Present Simple vs Present Continuous — Form & Meaning

Present simple vs present continuous

Choose the correct forms of present simple or present continuous for the gaps below.

Present simple vs present continuous

Choose the correct forms of present simple or present continuous for the gaps below.

Present simple vs present continuous

Fill in the gaps with the correct present simple or present continuous forms.