In this article, we’ll revisit the basic contrasts between the two essential tenses: Present Simple and Present Continuous. Then, we’ll build on those basics by exploring additional meanings and ways to use the tenses. To top it all off, you’ll have a chance to practice the grammar with the exercises at the end of the article. Read on and enhance your grammar skills.

Basic Contrasts

Present Simple generally refers to:

• Facts that are always true (e.g. Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.)
• Habits (e.g. British people drink a lot of tea.)
• States (e.g. I don’t like horror films.)

Present Continuous generally refers to actions which are in progress at the moment. These can be temporary (e.g. I’m staying in a hotel until I find an apartment.) They can be actually in progress (e.g. The dog is sleeping on our bed!) Or they can be generally in progress but not actually happening at the moment (e.g. I’m learning to drive.)

State Verbs & Event Verbs

State (dynamic) verbs describe a continuous state, so do not usually have a continuous form.

📝 Typical examples of state verbs

• believe
• belong
• consist
• contain
• doubt
• fit
• have
• know
• like
• love
• matter
• mean
• need
• own
• prefer
• seem
• suppose
• suspect
• understand
• want
• wish

Some verbs have a stative meaning and a different active meaning. The typical examples are:

Verb	Example 1	Stative meaning	Example 2	Active meaning
be	Jack is noisy.	general characteristic or personality	Jack is being noisy.	behavior (temporary or specific to the present situation)
depend	Our success depends on the effort we make.	= Our success is reliant on…	I am depending on you to win this contract for us.	= I am counting on you…
feel	This fabric feels soft.	a physical sensation or quality	I am feeling terrible!	an emotional or physical state
have	I have a big family.	possession or ownership	I am having a shower.	an activity or an action the speaker is currently engaged in
measure	The screen measures 34 inches diagonally.	a specific measurement or dimension	I am measuring the table to see it it’s going to fit in our dining room.	the act of determining the dimensions or size
see	I see a very tall building in the distance.	the physical act of perceiving something with your eyes	I am seeing someone.	= I am dating someone
taste	The soup tastes great.	a general quality or flavor	I am tasting the soup to see if it’s salty enough.	the action of sampling
think	I think this is a great idea.	opinion	I am thinking about getting a new job.	= I am considering…
weigh	This suitcase weighs a ton!	= The bag has a significant weight; it is very heavy.	We‘re weighing the baby.	= We are determining the weight of the baby.

Note that some verbs can have multiple stative and active meanings. For example, “to see” can mean have a romantic relationship with someone (as mentioned in the example above) as well as perceive things that are not real (e.g. Am I seeing things? Did a black cat just pass you by?). Both of these meanings are active, which means the verb can be used in both the Present Simple and Continuous tenses, depending on the situation. At the same time, “see” has an additional stative meaning, which is understand (e.g. I see what you mean). When in doubt, use a dictionary to check the meanings of verbs and examples of their usage.

Other Uses of Present Continuous

• Complaints about annoying habits (e.g. You’re always interrupting me!)
• Change and development (e.g. The climate is changing. The weather is getting hotter and hotter.)
• Immediacy or ongoing experience (informal) (e.g. I’m loving it!)

Other Uses of Present Simple

• Declarations (e.g. I hereby declare this hospital open.)
• Headlines (e.g. Ship Sinks in Midnight Collision.)
• Instructions (e.g. First you roll out the pastry.)
• Itineraries (e.g. On day one we visit New Hampshire.)
• Summaries of historical events (e.g. May 1945: The war in Europe comes to an end.)
• Plots of stories and movies (e.g. At the end of the play both families realize that their hatred caused the death of the lovers.)
• “Historic present” in narrative and funny stories (informal) (e.g. So then the second man asks the first one why he has a banana in his ear and the first one says…)

Practice

Exercise 1. Click the link here and choose the correct verb form.

Exercise 2. Click the link here and put each verb in brackets into the Present Simple or Present Continuous. Use full verb forms rather than contracted ones.

Exercise 3. Click the link here and put each verb in brackets into the Present Simple or Present Continuous. Use full verb forms rather than contracted ones.

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