Present simple and continuous

Basic contrasts
We use the present simple to talk about:

 something that is always or generally true

When you heat ice, it melts.

 something that happens regularly

I go swimming twice a week.

 continuing states.

She's very happy with her job.

We use the present continuous to talk about:

 actions which are in progress at the moment

He's busy. He's giving a presentation to some clients.

 temporary actions

I'm working from home this month.

 something generally in progress but not actually happening at the

moment

More and more people are feeling the effects of climate change.

 future plans that have already been organised.

I'm going to Ghana next month. I booked my flights yesterday.

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State verbs
State verbs describe a state rather than an action. They aren't usually used in
continuous forms, so we use present simple instead of present continuous.
I don't know the answer. I'm not knowing the answer.
He really likes his new house. He's really liking his new house.
They seem busy at the moment. They're seeming busy at the moment.
State verbs often relate to:

 thoughts and
opinions: agree, believe, doubt, guess, imagine, know, mean, recognise
, remember, suspect, think, understand
 feelings and emotions: dislike, hate, like, love, prefer, want, wish
 senses and
perceptions: appear, be, feel, hear, look, see, seem, smell, taste
 possession and
measurement: belong, have, measure, own, possess, weigh.

Some verbs have a stative meaning and a different active meaning.

I have a new computer. (state – possession)
I'm having a quick break. (action – having a break is an activity)
This coffee tastes delicious. (state – our perception of the coffee)
Look! The chef is tasting the soup. (action – tasting the soup is an activity)
Other uses of present continuous
 verbs describing change and development

Life is becoming more expensive.

 complaints and annoying habits

He's always coming in late and making noise.

Other uses of present simple
 headlines
In headings at the top of articles in newspapers and magazines,
references to the past are usually simplified to present simple.

Billionaire buys multinational company

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  instructions

Open the link and enter your password.

Plot summaries
Note that when describing the story of a book, film, play, etc., we use present
tenses.
She quits her job and goes in search of adventure.
While she is travelling in India, she meets someone special.
Anecdotes
People also sometimes use present tenses to tell an anecdote – a funny or
interesting story about a real incident. This makes the story more immediate
and dynamic.
So I'm on the bus and this guy comes up to me and starts talking to me
about someone called Dev. I'm like, 'Sorry, do we know each other?'

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 Present simple and continuous 1:
Complete the sentences.

 're
 is taking
 is rising
 's always complaining
 complains
 rise
 takes
 're meeting
1. The train journey from London to Edinburgh about five hours.
2. We very happy with our decision to move out of the city.
3. This report ages to write. I don't know when I'll get it finished.
4. In many countries, the cost of food and bills .
5. House prices for second year in a row
Figures released by the government show that while interest rates are falling, house prices are going
up. The Treasury Minister is set to hold a conference this evening.
6. In the film, the main character to his boss about the job. His boss responds with
an offer that seems too good to be true.
7. We at the train station at 9 a.m. tomorrow.
8. He . If he doesn't like the job, he should find a better one.

Present simple and continuous: 2

Complete the sentences.

 's having
 has
 have
 's always taking
 finds
 are finding
 starts
 're having
1. More and more people it hard to achieve a satisfactory balance between work and free
time.
2. He a hard time at the moment.
3. We a party on Saturday. Do you want to come?
4. Study that people who choose change are happier
A new study suggests that people who make the decision to change are more content than people
who don't.
5. She my laptop. It's never there when I need it.
6. We two office buildings in the city centre.
7. So I'm standing in a long queue to get in to the stadium and it suddenly raining.

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8. The film stars Paul O'Connor as the pilot who to make a crash landing in the middle of the
desert.

Present perfect simple and continuous

Do you know the difference between We've painted the room and We've been painting the
room?
Look at these examples to see how the present perfect simple and continuous are used.
We've painted the bathroom.
She's been training for a half-marathon.
I've had three coffees already today!
They've been waiting for hours.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar test 1
Present perfect simple and continuous:
Choose the correct verb forms to complete the sentences.

1. I ___ the windows all day without any help! Two more and I can have a rest.
've been washing

've washed
2. You look nice! Have you ___ your hair cut?
been having

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had
3. Has someone ___ my special bread? There's only a little bit left.
been eating

eaten
4. ___ four goals and it's only half-time!
They've been scoring

They've scored
5. I've ___ English for three years and soon I'm going to be using it at work.
been learning

learned
6. A: Are you OK? B: Yeah, I'm fine! I'm not crying. I've ___ onions!
been chopping

chopped
7. Finally! We ___ our house!
've been selling

've sold
8. Sorry, I'm late! How long ___?
have you been waiting

have you waited

Grammar explanation
We use both the present perfect simple (have or has + past participle) and the present perfect
continuous (have or has + been + -ing form) to talk about past actions or states which are still
connected to the present.

Focusing on result or activity

The present perfect simple usually focuses on the result of the activity in some way, and the
present perfect continuous usually focuses on the activity itself in some way.

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Present perfect simple Present perfect continuous

Focuses on the result Focuses on the activity

You've cleaned the bathroom! It looks lovely! I've been gardening. It's so nice out there.

Says 'how many' Says 'how long'

She's read ten books this summer. She's been reading that book all day.

Describes a completed action Describes an activity which may continue

I've written you an email. I've been writing emails.

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 Present perfect simple Present perfect continuous

When we can see evidence of recent activity

The grass looks wet. Has it been raining?

I know, I'm really red. I've been running!

Ongoing states and actions

We often use for, since and how long with the present perfect simple to talk about ongoing states.
How long have you known each other?
We've known each other since we were at school.
We often use for, since and how long with the present perfect continuous to talk about ongoing
single or repeated actions.
How long have they been playing tennis?
They've been playing tennis for an hour.
They've been playing tennis every Sunday for years.
Sometimes the present perfect continuous can emphasise that a situation is temporary.
I usually go to the gym on the High Street, but it's closed for repairs at the moment so I've been
going to the one in the shopping centre.

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 Present perfect simple and continuous:
Choose the correct verb forms to complete the sentences.

1. Have you always ___ garlic?

been hating

hated
2. Thanks for the recipe book! We've ___ two different recipes so far.
been trying

tried
3. I'm worried about Sam. She's ___ too hard recently.
been working

worked
4. I've ___ to call the internet company all morning but I can't get through.
been trying

tried
5. She's ___ three main ways our company can reduce costs.
been finding

found
6. He's ___ for the party for weeks.
been preparing

prepared
7. You've got white dust all over you! What have you ___?
been doing

done
8. Have your parents ___ yet?
been arriving

arrived

Here's a side-by-side comparison of the 4 tenses:

Here's a side-by-side comparison of the simple present, present
continuous, present perfect, and present perfect continuous tenses:
1. Simple Present Tense:
 Used for general truths, habits, and routines.
 Examples:

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 "I eat breakfast every morning."
 "She works at a bank."
2. Present Continuous Tense:
 Used for actions happening at the present moment or around the
current time.
 Examples:
 "I am studying for my exam right now."
 "They are playing soccer."
3. Present Perfect Tense:
 Used for actions or states that started in the past and have a
connection to the present moment.
 Examples:
 "I have visited that city before."
 "She has finished her work."
4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense:
 Used for ongoing actions or states that started in the past, continue in
the present, and may continue into the future.
 Examples:
 "She has been studying for three hours."
 "They have been working on the project for weeks."

Key Differences:

 Simple Present: Describes general truths, habits, or routines.

 Present Continuous: Describes actions happening at the present
moment or around the current time.
 Present Perfect: Describes actions or states that started in the past
and have a connection to the present.
 Present Perfect Continuous: Describes ongoing actions or states that
started in the past and continue in the present.

The choice of tense depends on the specific context and the intended
meaning. The simple present is used for general statements, while the
present continuous focuses on actions in progress. The present
perfect is used to discuss past actions with present relevance, while
the present perfect continuous emphasizes ongoing activities that
started in the past and continue to the present.

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