CLASS 6 · LEARNING KNOWLEDGE

Distinguishing ‹present progressive› and ‹simple present›

How it works

In English, there are two important present tenses: the ‹simple present› and the ‹present progressive›. The ‹simple present› is used for regular actions, facts, or general truths, e.g. ‹She plays tennis every Saturday.› The ‹present progressive› (also called ‹present continuous›) describes actions that are happening right now or are temporary, e.g. ‹She is playing tennis now.› Typical signal words for the ‹simple present› are ‹always›, ‹often›, ‹every day›, while words like ‹now›, ‹at the moment› or ‹right now› are typical for the ‹present progressive›. The formation differs: The ‹simple present› uses the base form (with ‹he/she/it› with ‹-s›), the ‹present progressive› is formed with ‹am/is/are› + ‹Verb-ing›.

Note
Use the ‹simple present› for regular or general actions, the ‹present progressive› for actions that are happening right now. Pay attention to signal words and the correct formation: ‹am/is/are› + ‹Verb-ing› for the ‹present progressive›.

An example

Choose the correct form: ‹She ___ (read) a book now.›

The correct form is ‹is reading›, because ‹now› shows that the action is happening right now. So: ‹She is reading a book now.›

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Own explanation and own practice exercises by AmyMath. Subject reference framework: English. The topic assignment may vary by federal state.