Simple Present vs. Present Continuous

Do you know when to use Simple Present and when to use Present Continuous?

Both tenses talk about actions, but they are used in different situations.

Let’s learn how to use them!

Simple Present

We use the Simple Present to talk about:

• Habits and routines
• Facts or general truths

Form:

• Subject + base verb (add -s for he/she/it)

Examples:

• I get up at 7:00 every day.
• She works in a bank.
• They play football on Sundays.
• The sun rises in the east.

Present Continuous

We use the Present Continuous to talk about:

• Actions happening right now
• Temporary actions

Form:

• Subject + am/is/are + verb + -ing

Examples

• I am studying English right now.
• She is watching TV.
• They are playing football at the moment.
• We are living in London this month.

Main difference

🕒 Simple Present = things we do regularly

⏰ Present Continuous = things happening now or for a short time

Time expressions

You can often tell which tense to use by looking at the time expressions:

• Simple Present: every day, always, usually, sometimes, on weekends
• Present Continuous: now, right now, today, at the moment, this week

Practice time!

Complete the sentences with the correct tense:

• I __________ (study) English on Mondays.
• I __________ (study) English right now.
• She __________ (work) at a restaurant this week.
• They always __________ (eat) lunch at 1:00.
• We __________ (watch) a movie at the moment.

Ver Respuestas

• I study English on Mondays.
• I am studying English right now.
• She is working at a restaurant this week.
• They always eat lunch at 1:00.
• We are watching a movie at the moment.

Summary

Tip: Think about time.

If it’s something you do regularly, use Simple Present.

If it’s happening now, use Present Continuous.