PRESENT SIMPLE versus PRESENT CONTINUOUS (1)

PRESENT SIMPLE
VERSUS
PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE


I

PRESENT SIMPLE

PRESENT CONTINUOUS
FORMULATION
Positive

S + V(-s/-es).

I
You
He/ She
We/ They

play.
play.
plays.
play.

S + am/is/are + V-ing.

I
am playing.
You
are playing.

He/ She is playing.
We/ They are playing.


I

PRESENT SIMPLE

PRESENT CONTINUOUS
FORMULATION
Negative

S + do/does + not + V.

S + am/is/are +not +V-ing.

I
don’t
play.
You
don’t play.
He/She doesn’t play.
We/They don’t play.

I
am not playing.
You
are not playing.
He/She is not playing.
We/They are not playing.

I

PRESENT SIMPLE

PRESENT CONTINUOUS
FORMULATION
Interrogative

Do/ Does + S +V?

- Do

you/ they play?
Does he/ she play?
-Yes, I/ we/ they do.
he/ she does.
No, I/ we/ they don’t.
he/ she doesn’t.

Am/ Is/ Are +S + V-ing?
- Am I
playing?
Is he/ she playing?
Are they
playing?
-Yes, I am.
he/ she is.
we/ they are.

-No, I am not.
he/ she isn’t.
we/ they aren’t.


I

PRESENT SIMPLE

PRESENT CONTINUOUS
WHQuestions
FORMULATION

WH- + do/ does + S +V?

- When do you play?
Where does she play?
-I
play in the morning.
She plays in the garden.

WH- +am/ is/ are +S + V-ing?

- Where are you playing?
What is she playing?
- I am playing in the garden.
- She is playing tennis.


PRESENT SIMPLE

I

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

1

Things in general or repeated Something happening at or
USAGE
actions (habits, routines).
close to the time of speaking.
I am
doing.

I do.
past

present

future

past

present

future

Water boils at 100 degrees
Celsius.

The water is boiling. Could you
turn it off, please?

Tom plays tennis everyday.

- Where’s Tom? – He is playing
tennis in the garden.


Mark is a teacher. He teaches
English at a school.
Mark is teaching English now.


PRESENT SIMPLE

I

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

2

A permanent situation

A temporary situation

I live with my parents in
London.

I’m living with some friends

until I can find a flat.

This machine doesn’t work.
It hasn’t worked for years.

This machine isn’t working.
It broke down this morning.


MS. Hoa works in a bank
in Hanoi.

She is working in
Ho Chi Minh city this week.


PRESENT SIMPLE
3

Normally used to talk about
thoughts, feelings, states.

I don’t know.

I

PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Mainly used for actions and
happenings. Not usually used
for states.

Like- love- hate- want- need
Prefer- suppose- know-mean

I don’t believe! Is that true?

Understand- believe- seemremember


I

PRESENT SIMPLE

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

CLUE WORDS
Adverbs of frequency:
- Always
- Usually
- Often
- Sometimes
- Occasionally
- Rarely
- Never
- Everyday
He usually reads a book in
the morning.

- At present
- At the moment

- Recently
- Nowadays
- Now
- Right now

He is reading a book now.


PRESENT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT SIMPLE
Everytime (habits,
hobbies)

He always watches TV
in the evening.

always

Too often
(complaints,
criticism,…)

He is always watching TV
in the evening.