| present simple | present continuous (am / is / are + -ing) | |
|---|---|---|
| use | habits, facts, permanent situations | now, around now, temporary situations, changes |
| example | I work in Geneva. | I'm working in Lucerne this month. |
| signal words | always, usually, often, every day, never | now, at the moment, today, these days |
Present simple: he / she / it + -s: she works, he goes, it has. Questions and negatives with do / does (see the section above).
State verbs are normally not used in the continuous, even when you mean “right now”: know, understand, believe, like, love, hate, want, need, prefer, mean, belong, seem, own, remember.
I know (not “I'm knowing”). Do you understand? She wants a coffee.
Some verbs change meaning: I think it's good (opinion) / I'm thinking about it (process). I have a car (own) / I'm having lunch (eat). It tastes good / He's tasting the soup.
always + continuous expresses irritation: He's always losing his keys!
Translate the words from your reading, review them as flashcards and practise with gap-fill sentences.
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