PRESENT SIMPLE

VS
PRESENT
CONTINUOUS
 WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

A. I SPEAK ENGLISH.

B. I AM SPEAKING ENGLISH.
 PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE

 FOR FACTS OR THINGS THAT ARE ALWAYS TRUE

EXAMPLES:
 WHALES LIVE IN THE OCEAN
 A DOG HAS FOUR LEGS
 IT RAINS A LOT IN THE WINTER
 WATER BOILS AT 100℃
 FOR REGULARLY HABITS OR REPEATED ACTIONS
EXAMPLES:
 I BRUSH MY TEETH THREE TIMES A DAY.
 I READ IN BED EVERY NIGHT.
 SHE GOES TO THE GYM AFTER WORK.
 HE WALKS TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY.
COMMON TIME EXPRESSIONS USED WITH THE PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE ARE:
 ALWAYS, OFTEN, GENERALLY, SOMETIMES, NEVER…
 EVERY DAY, EVERY WEEK, EVERY YEAR…
 ONCE A DAY, TWICE A WEEK, THREE TIMES A MONTH…
 IN THE MORNING, IN THE AFTERNOON, AT NIGHT…
 ON MONDAYS, ON FRIDAYS…
 PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

 FOR AN ACTION HAPPENING RIGHT NOW AT THE MOMENT OF SPEAKING.

 I AM TEACHING AN ENGLISH LESSON.
 YOU ARE WATCHING A VIDEO.
 STEVE IS WASHING HIS HAIR.
 SHE IS TAKING HER DOG FOR A WALK.
 TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS HAPPENING AROUND THE TIME OF
SPEAKING BUT NO NECESSARILY AT THIS EXACT MOMENT. (ACTION IN PROGRESS
AND DOESN’T FINISH)
• I AM READING A GREAT BOOK.
 IT DOESN’T MEAN THAT I AM READING A BOOK RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT.
 IT REFERS TO THIS MOMENT OF MY LIFE.
• THEY ARE STAYING AT A LOCAL HOTEL BECAUSE THE ROOF OF THEIR HOUSE
WAS DAMAGED DURING THE STORM.
• JACK IS LEARNING ITALIAN.
COMMON TIME EXPRESSIONS USED WITH P.S.T
ARE:
 NOW, RIGHT NOW
 AT THE MOMENT
 STILL
 WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

A. I SPEAK ENGLISH.
• THIS IS A FACT. I GENERALLY SPEAK ENGLISH
B. I AM SPEAKING ENGLISH.
• THIS REFERS TO WHAT I AM DOING NOW. IT IS A
TEMPORARY ACTION BECAUSE IN A MOMENT, I MIGHT
START SPEAKING IN MALAY.
 AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCES
o HE IS BITING HIS NAILS BECAUSE HE IS NERVOUS.

(ACTION HAPPENING NOW / BITING HIS NAILS RIGHT NOW / P.C.T)

o HE ALWAYS BITES HIS NAILS WHEN HE’S NERVOUS.

(THIS IS HIS HABIT / HE DOES THIS WHEN HE IS NERVOUS / WE USE P.S.T WITH THE ADVERB OF
FREQUENCY ALWAYS)
o I EAT CEREAL EVERY DAY

(THIS IS MY HABIT , MY ROUTINE / P.S.T)

o I AM EATING CEREAL RIGHT NOW

(THIS IS AN ACTION HAPPENING NOW / P.C.T)

 NEGATIVE SENTENCES
o I DO NOT EAT CEREAL EVERY DAY.

(SOMETIMES I HAVE PANCAKES FOR BREAKFAST)

o I AM NOT EATING CEREAL RIGHT NOW.

(I AM EATING BROCCOLI.)
 QUESTIONS

 DO YOU EAT CEREAL EVERY DAY?

IS THIS YOUR HABIT OR ROUTINE? (P.S.T)

 ARE YOU EATING CEREAL RIGHT NOW?

IS THIS WHAT YOU ARE DOING RIGHT NOW (P.C.T)