Thursday, 23 April 2009

MINI-GRAMMAR LESSON: THE PRESENT SIMPLE AND THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS

THE PRESENT SIMPLE AND THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS

We use the present simple:

•to talk about facts (things that are always true) and permanent situations.

He lives in a small flat.
The sun always rises in the east.

•to talk about habits and actions that happen regularly.

He drives the kids to school every day.

We use the present continuous:

•to talk about actions that are happening at the moment of speaking.

He's trying to explain a problem to them.
Look! It is raining .

•to talk about temporary situations and activities.

She's going through a lot of troubles these days.

We can sometimes use both the present simple and the present continuous. Our choice depends on how we see the action.

I live in Salé. (= I think this is permanent.)
I'm living in Salé. (= I think this is temporary.)

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