eng7-1.1· Unit 1: Tenses — Present & Past· ~12 min

Present Simple & Present Continuous

Habits and facts vs. actions happening now.

We use the Present Simple to talk about habits, routines and facts that are generally true, for example 'She walks to school every day' or 'Water boils at 100 degrees'. With this tense we often add an -s in the third person singular (he, she, it), and we use signal words like always, usually, often, sometimes, never, every day and on Mondays. We use the Present Continuous (am/is/are + verb-ing) for actions that are happening now or at the moment of speaking, such as 'Look! It is raining' or 'They are playing football right now'. Common signal words for the Present Continuous are now, right now, at the moment, Listen! and Look!. When we form the -ing, there are small spelling rules: most verbs just add -ing (play → playing), verbs ending in a silent -e drop it (write → writing), and short verbs with one vowel and one consonant double the last letter (run → running, sit → sitting). For example: 'Ali usually reads in the evening, but right now he is watching TV.'

Key terms

Present Simple — The tense used for habits, routines and general facts, for example 'She walks to school every day' or 'Water boils at 100 degrees'.
Present Continuous — The tense formed with am/is/are + verb-ing, used for actions happening now or at the moment of speaking, for example 'Look! It is raining'.
Third person singular -s — The -s/-es ending added to a Present Simple verb after he, she or it (for example he works, she drinks).
Auxiliary (helping) verb — A small verb that helps form a tense or question: am/is/are for the Present Continuous, and do/does for Present Simple questions and negatives.
Time markers (signal words) — Words that show which tense to use: always, usually, often, every day point to the Present Simple; now, right now, at the moment, Listen!, Look! point to the Present Continuous.
State verb — A verb describing a state rather than an action (for example like, understand). State verbs are not normally used in the -ing form: we say 'I don't like', not 'I am not liking'.
FormPresent SimplePresent Continuous
AffirmativeShe walks to school. / I walk to school.She is walking now. / I am walking now.
NegativeShe doesn't walk. / I don't walk.She isn't walking. / I am not walking.
QuestionDoes she walk? / Do you walk?Is she walking? / Are you walking?
TenseUseTime markers
Present SimpleHabits, routines and general factsalways, usually, often, sometimes, never, every day, on Mondays
Present ContinuousActions happening now or at the moment of speakingnow, right now, at the moment, Listen!, Look!
✎Choosing the tense after a signal word: 'Listen! The baby ___.'
  1. 1Signal word: 'Listen!' points to something happening at this moment, not a habit.
  2. 2Rule: Actions happening now take the Present Continuous: am/is/are + verb-ing. With 'the baby' (it) the auxiliary is 'is'.
  3. 3Answer: is crying — 'Listen! The baby is crying.'
✎Mixing both tenses in one sentence: 'Ann usually ___ by bus, but today she ___ by car.'
  1. 1Signal word: 'usually' marks a habit in the first part; 'today' marks a temporary change in the second part.
  2. 2Rule: Habit takes the Present Simple (third person 'goes' with -s); a temporary action now takes the Present Continuous 'is going'.
  3. 3Answer: goes / is going — 'Ann usually goes by bus, but today she is going by car.'
🚫Common mistake

Don't forget the -s in the third person singular: after he, she, it (or names like My father) the Present Simple verb adds -s, so it is 'she drinks' and 'my father works', not 'she drink' or 'my father work'.

⚠️Caution

Never drop the helping verb in the Present Continuous. 'She watching TV' is wrong; you need am/is/are before the -ing form: 'She is watching TV.' And match it to the subject: 'She is' (not 'She are').

🚫Common mistake

After do/does and don't/doesn't, the main verb goes back to the base form with no -s and no -ing: 'Ali doesn't like coffee' and 'How often does your brother wash the dishes?' — not 'doesn't likes' or 'does washes'.

⚠️Caution

State verbs like 'like' and 'understand' are not used in the -ing form. Say 'I don't like this film' and 'I don't understand', never 'I am not liking' or 'I am not understanding'.

💡Note

Watch the -ing spelling: short verbs with one vowel and one consonant double the last letter (swim becomes swimming, run becomes running), and verbs ending in a silent -e drop it (make becomes making).

Rules

  1. 1Use the Present Simple for habits, routines and general facts; add -s/-es in the third person singular (he/she/it works).
  2. 2Use the Present Continuous (am/is/are + verb-ing) for actions happening now or at the moment of speaking.
  3. 3Signal words for the Present Simple: always, usually, often, sometimes, never, every day, on Mondays.
  4. 4Signal words for the Present Continuous: now, right now, at the moment, Listen!, Look!.
  5. 5-ing spelling: most verbs add -ing (go → going); drop silent -e (make → making); double the final consonant after one short vowel (swim → swimming).

Practice

10 easy · 10 medium · 10 hard

10 random questions per test

EasyMediumHardMixed