Present simple or present continuous?

Permanent and temporary

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Verbs not often used in the present continuous
(Verbos que no suelen utilizarse con el presente continuo)

● Some verbs are normally used in the present simple and not in the present continuous.
Here are some of them:
(Algunos verbos que normalmente se utilizan con el presente simple no se utilizan con
el presente continuo)

know, suppose, think, understand (mental process verbs)

admire, adore, detest, hate, like, respect (verbs expressing feelings)
smell, taste (verbs describing the senses)
consist, contain, last (verbs describing permanent qualities)
promise, swear (speech act verbs)
You could ask Greg if he can help. He knows a bit about cars.
Not: He’s knowing a bit about cars.
Those batteries don’t last very long.
Not: Those batteries aren’t lasting very long.
Each chapter contains authentic reading texts and a variety of listening and speaking
activities.
Not: Each chapter is containing …
I swear I gave you back the keys.
Not: I’m swearing I gave you back the keys.

Be in the present continuous (el verbo “ser” en el presente continuo)

● We use be in the present continuous to talk about current actions or behaviour rather
than about a quality or characteristic.
(Utilizamos el verbo “ser” en el presente continuo para hablar sobre acciones o
comportamientos actuales

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