Tenses: Present Simple vs. Present Continuous (Form)

Three young people with drinks are talking about present events, using present simple and present continuous in English.

These two tenses are your linguistic tools for navigating the present, allowing you to describe both the steady rhythm of life and the fleeting moments that make each day unique.

 

With the Present Simple, you'll capture the constants in your world - the sunrise each morning, your daily routines, and the truths that stand the test of time. 

 

The Present Continuous, on the other hand, lets you zoom in on the ever-changing now, highlighting actions in progress and temporary states (He is working as a waiter to earn some extra money.).
 

Let's learn how to make sentences in these two tenses. We'll keep it simple!

 

 

How to Form Present Simple? 

 

 

For most verbs:

  • I/You/We/They + verb  (I come...)
  • He/She/It + verb + s  (He comes...)

Examples:

  • I play football.
  • She plays football.

*Did you know?

Some verbs change differently:

 go → goes, watch → watches, study → studies

 

(To learn more about how to add '-s' to different verbs after he/she/it, visit our 'Rules for 3rd person singular (-s')' in Present Simple page!) 

 

 

Negative form:

  • I/You/We/They + don't + verb
  • He/She/It + doesn't + verb

Examples:

  • I don't like coffee.
  • He doesn't play tennis.

 

Question form:

  • Do + I/you/we/they + verb?
  • Does + he/she/it + verb?

Examples:

  • Do you like pizza?
  • Does she speak English?

 

How to Form Present Continuous?:

 

Form:

  • I am + verb + ing
  • You/We/They are + verb + ing
  • He/She/It is + verb + ing

Examples:

  • I am reading a book.
  • They are watching TV.
  • She is cooking dinner.

 

Negative form:

  • I am + not + verb + ing
  • You/We/They are + not + verb + ing
  • He/She/It is + not + verb + ing

Examples:

  • I am not sleeping.
  • They are not working.
  • He is not studying.

 

Question form:

  • I am > Am I...?
  • You are > Are you...?
  • He is > Is he...?

 

  • Am I ...ing? 
  • Are you/we/they ...ing?
  • Is he/she/it ...ing?

 

Examples:

  • Are you listening?
  • Is she coming to the party?
  • Am I doing this right?

 

 

Remember:

  • For Present Simple: person or thing + the verb (gets an ‘-s’ after he/she/it).
  • For Present Continuous: person or thing with am/are/is + the verb always ends in -ing.

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