SIMPLE PRESENT OR PRESENT CONTINUOUS ?
In English there are two different Present tenses: the Simple Present and the Present Progressive or
Continuous.
The two tenses have different uses. Indeed, the Simple Present is used to express:
 a habit:
I drink three cups of coffee a day.
 a state:
Matt works in a computer games store as a shop manager.
 a fact that is always true:
Judy has brown eyes.
The Present Continuous, instead, is used to express:
 an activity that is happening now:
Don’t turn the radio off. I’m listening to it.
 an activity or situation that is true now, but is not necessarily happening at the moment of speaking:


We are attending an English course this term.
a temporary activity:
Peter is a student, but he’s working as a waiter at weekends.
a planned future arrangement:
I’m having lunch with Brenda tomorrow.
Compare the uses of the two tenses in the table below:
Simple Present
Present Continuous
Mike writes for “The Times”.
Mike is writing an e-mail to his girlfriend.
The bus always comes at 6 o’clock.
Look! The bus is coming.
Jane always stays in Oxford at weekends.
Jane’s staying in Oxford this month.
It often rains in England.
It’s raining now.
There are certain groups of verbs – called state verbs – that are usually only used in the Simple Present.
This is because their meanings are related to states or conditions that are facts and not activities. The groups
of verbs are:

verbs of thinking and opinions:
believe - think - understand - know - suppose - agree - mean - doubt - realize - remember - forget prefer - deserve - expect - imagine

verbs of emotions and feelings:
like - love - hate - care - hope - wish - want - admit

verbs of having and being:
belong - own - have - possess - contain - cost - seem - appear - need - depend on - weigh - come from resemble

verbs of the senses:
look - hear - taste - smell
Some of these verbs can be used in the Present Continuous, but with a change of meaning. In the
continuous, the verb expresses an activity, not a state. Compare:
I think you’re right.
(opinion)
He has a lot of money.
(possession)
I see what you mean.
(understand)
The soup tastes horrible.
(state)
I’m thinking of going to the cinema.
(mental activity)
She’s having a bad day.
(activity)
Are you seeing Mick tomorrow?
(activity)
I’m tasting the coffee to see if it needs sugar.
(activity)
Activities
 Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the verbs given.
is feeding / feeds
is reading / reads
is wearing / wears
is making / makes
is talking / talks
is practising / practises
Ex.:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Judy …
is walking / walks
is reading … a book. She … reads … every night.
My brother ……………………………… to school. He always ……………………………… there.
Helen ………………………… the violin regularly. She ………………………… in her bedroom at the moment.
Mum always …………………………… the dog early in the morning. She ……………………………… him now.
Jim often ……………………………… sunglasses. He ……………………………… a new pair today.
My cousin ……………………………… clothes for a hobby. This week she ……………………………… a skirt.
Susan ……………………………… to her boyfriend on the phone. She ………………………… to him every day.
 Translate the following sentences using either the Present Continuous or the Simple Present.
Ex.: Di solito andiamo al pub, ma questa sera andiamo al ristorante.
We usually go to the pub, but tonight we’re going to a restaurant.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Mi piace la musica classica, ma preferisco la musica pop.
Sto provando a spiegare, ma non mi stai ascoltando.
Di solito John guarda la televisione a quest’ora, ma stasera legge un libro.
“Cosa fate?”. “Giochiamo al computer”.
Ci vediamo spesso e ci divertiamo sempre.
Non vado spesso in discoteca, ma mi sto divertendo molto questa sera.
 Find the mistake in each sentence and correct them.
Ex.: What’s your brother’s job? He’s working in a bank.
What’s your brother’s job? He works in a bank.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Sue’s not here at the moment – she’s play tennis.
“What do you do?” . “I’m making the dinner”.
“Is that your hotel?”. “No, I’m stay at the Sheraton over there”.
The climate in Scotland is wet. It’s raining a lot.
“What time are you getting up every morning?”. “At about seven o’clock”.
Do you knowing Barbara?
“Are you coming to the party tomorrow?”. “Yes, I do”.
You’re driving to Liverpool, don’t you?
 Translate the following letter using the Present Continuous.
Ciao Davide!
Come stai? Io mi sto divertendo molto in
Inghilterra. Al momento abito a Londra con mio
cugino. Studiamo al King’s College. Abitiamo
nell’appartamento di mio zio. Non paghiamo
niente per l’appartamento, così risparmiamo
molti soldi. Sto anche lavorando in un pub di
sera. Non guadagno molto ma incontro molte
ragazze! E tu cosa fai? Lavori molto o esci ogni
tanto? Ti vedi ancora con Carla? Pensi di venire
qui a Londra?
Scrivimi presto.
Hi Davide!
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