Simple Present Vs.

Present
Continuous
Whats the difference?

Simple Present
Used to show that an action is repeated

past

present

future

Ex. I walk to school.

Ex. Jane likes to play soccer.
Ex. We want to play baseball.
***Remember*** Verb + s or es

Present Continuous
Used to show that an action is happening now
past

present

future

Ex. I am walking to school.

Ex. They are swimming.
Ex. I am eating ice-cream.

***Remember*** am/is/are + Verb + ing

What tense is it and why?

She is running home.
They are attacking the car.
Rob and Ellen enjoy playing soccer.
The school is closed.
The office staff is eating lunch.
I like skiing.
The printer is broken.
They are playing badminton.

Use the simple

present for:
1) action that
happens repeatedly
(habitual action)

2) general or
permanent situations
3) facts

Use the
present
continuous for:
1) Something that

is happening now or
close to the time of
speaking
2) A temporary
situation

Simple Present:
The most important thing to remember
about this tense is . . .
3rd person singular (he, she, it)
We say:

I
You
We
They

Simple Present:
But for 3rd person singular, we say . . .

He
She
It

The verb BE
Remember the forms of verb BE for
the simple present tense:

I
He, She, It
They, We, You

AM
IS
ARE

Present Continuous:
Dont forget that VERB BE is part of
this structure.
I

AM

ARE
IS

You, We, They

He, She, It

Complete these sentences with either the present

simple or the present continuous

We normally _______ (hold) ous sales

conference in Spain, but this year we

_______ (hold) it in Poland.
Although we ________ (use) our own sales
representative at the moment, we
generally _________ (use) agents in Japan.
It normally _______ (take) us two years to
develop a new product.

 We dont often ______ (raise) our prices

more than 5%, but this time we __________

(raise) them 10%.
Usually our Sales Director _________ (deal)
with important customers.
We usually ________ (recruit) from within
the company, but this time we _________
(advertise) externally.

 We _______ (rent) offices until our

new headquarters are ready.
The company ________ (want) to
achieve record sales this year.

Complete the sentences. Use Simple Present

and Present Progressive.
I am
(be)very busy today.
At noon Iam visiting
(visit)my friend Tanya.
We want
(want)to have lunch together.
In the afternoon am
I playing
(play)squash with
am meeting
Emily.
are going
In the
evening, I
(meet)Rob.
starts (go)to the cinema.
We
The film
(start)at 8 pm.

Complete the sentences. Use Simple Present and Present

Progressive.
James lives
(live)in a little village.
He is
(be)in his last year at school.
After school, Jameswants
(want)to become a banker.
So this week, heis doing (do)a practical course in a bank.
There is (be)a bank in a nearby town, but James
has take the bus to get there.
(have)to
The bus leaves (leave)at 5.30 in the morning and
returns
(return)at
8.15 in the evening.
James does not like (not / like)to spend so much time in
town before and after work, waiting for the bus.
is staying
Therefore, this week he
(stay)with his aunt,
who lives
(live)in town.
James usually wears
(wear)jeans and t-shirts, but
while
he
(work)for the bank now,
he
is working
is wearing
(wear)a suit and a tie.

Complete the sentences. Use Simple Present and

Present Progressive.
Mary and Joeare (be)in a clothes shop at the
are looking
moment.
They has
(look)at some jeans.
wants
Joe only
(have)one very old pair of jeans.
is trying on buy a new pair of jeans now.
So he
(want)to
fit
says
Right now, he
(try on)a
pair of blue
jeans. do not suit
replies
These jeans
(fit)very well, he
(say).
do you think
asks
But they
(not suit)you,Mary
(reply).
Try on another pair.
do they
cost
What
(think
/ you)?he
(ask)Mary,
when has tried on another pair.

Look! Jenny is going (go)to school.

is carrying (carry)her
On her back, Jenny
school bag.
is
The school bag
(be)very heavy
Normally, Jennywears
(wear)black
is wearingshe
shoes, but today
(wear)red
is wearing
wellies.
raining
And look, isshe
(wear)a raincoat
does not
because
itwant
(rain)outside.
Jenny
(not / want)to get wet.