A2–B1 English grammar
Present Simple vs Present Continuous: Rules and Exercises
Do you say “I work” or “I am working”? The answer depends on the meaning: routine or temporary situation, general truth or change in progress. Learn a reliable decision process, not a list of signal words.
Understand · You say · Check
A clear route through the lesson
Start with the situation: a routine, something happening now, or a temporary change. The two short speaking pauses are your core production task. Use the longer writing task only for extra practice.
Read the explanations, answer aloud at each You say pause, then reveal the model and check one point. A model is one possible answer. Finish with the 12-question understanding check.
Keep the learner’s speaking time. At each You say pause, use the suggested follow-up and one correction focus. Finish with the 12-question understanding check.
The quick answer
Present simple
Use it for routines, repeated events, stable situations, facts and states.
subject + base verb (+ s/es)Maya works in a hospital. She usually starts at eight.
Present continuous
Use it for actions happening now, temporary situations, developing changes and current projects.
subject + am/is/are + verb-ingMaya is working from home today. Her team is testing a new system.
One person, two situations
On most weekdays, Ana works in a café. This week, the café is closed, so she is working from home.
Choose from the meaning
1. Habit vs action now
Simple: a repeated routine.
Continuous: an action in progress at this moment.
2. Stable vs temporary
A temporary situation does not need to be happening at this exact second. It can be a limited arrangement this week or this year.
She lives in Bogotá. · She is living with her aunt this month.3. Fact vs developing change
Use the simple for a general fact and the continuous for a process that is changing.
Water boils at 100°C. · The climate is getting warmer.4. Timetable vs arrangement
Fixed public schedules often use the simple. Personal future arrangements often use the continuous.
The train leaves at 6:10. · We are meeting at the station at six.Build each tense accurately
| Function | Present simple | Present continuous |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | I/you/we/they work. He/she/it works. | I am working. You/we/they are working. He/she/it is working. |
| Negative | I/you/we/they do not work. He/she/it does not work. | I am not working. They are not working. She is not working. |
| Question | Do they work? Does she work? | Are they working? Is she working? |
| Short answer | Yes, she does. No, they do not. | Yes, she is. No, they are not. |
Optional extension: Special cases that signal words cannot solve
Special cases that signal words cannot solve
State verbs
Verbs such as know, want, need, belong, own, understand and prefer usually describe a state, so the simple form is normal.
I understand the problem. This bag belongs to Sara.Meaning can change
Some verbs have a state meaning and an action meaning.
I think it is useful. = opinionI am thinking about the offer. = considering
Always + continuous
The continuous with always can express irritation about repeated behaviour.
He is always leaving wet towels on the floor!See, have and taste
Compare a state with a deliberate activity.
I see your point. / I am seeing the dentist.The soup tastes good. / She is tasting it.
Guided practice
Choose a tense from the situation, then open the explanation.
1. Usually I ___ (work) at home, but today I ___ (use) the office.
work; am using. The first action is the normal routine; the second is a temporary exception today.
2. Why ___ you ___ (smell) the milk? It ___ (smell) strange.
are you smelling; smells. The first is a deliberate action; the second describes the milk’s quality.
3. The museum ___ (open) at ten tomorrow, and we ___ (meet) outside at 9:50.
opens; are meeting. The museum has a fixed schedule; the meeting is our personal arrangement.
4. Prices ___ (rise) quickly this year.
are rising. The sentence describes a developing change during a limited period.
5. Rewrite naturally: “I am wanting a quieter room.”
I want a quieter room. Want normally describes a state.
Final check
Check your understanding
Choose one answer for each question. Read the context carefully: a question may ask for a particular form, meaning or register. The explanations show why that answer fits.
0 of 12 questions answered