SIMPLE PRESENT VS PRESENT CONTINUOUS
SIMPLE PRESENT PRESENT CONTINUOUS
• facts and things that are always true:
The moon orbits the Earth once a day. (=
this is always true)
• things that are generally true:
I often have problems with my computer. (=
this is generally true)
• general tendencies and repeated
situations:
It gets cold at this time of year. (= every
year)
• permanent situations:
Where does he live? He lives with his mum.
(= there’s no plan to change this situation)
• actions happening now:
I’m currently orbiting the Earth. (=
this is happening now)
• sth that is happening now or
around now:
I’m having lots of problems with my
computer. (= at the moment)
• changing situations:
It’s getting colder. (= at the moment)
• temporary or new situations:
Where is he living now? He’s staying
with friends (= for the moment, but
this situation will change)
 SIMPLE PRESENT VS PRESENT CONTINUOUS
PRESENT
SIMPLE PRESENT
CONTINUOUS
You usually use the present simple You rarely use stative
with verbs such as be, like, love, hate, verbs in the present
believe, look, understand, own, continuous form:
STATIVE VERBS
mean, want, seem and know. These
verbs describe states. I’m understanding
I understand what you mean.  what you mean. 
never, hardly ever/rarely, not often, at the moment,
TIME
occasionally/sometimes, often, currently, now, today.
EXPRESSIONS
normally/usually, always, all the time,
AND
once a(n)/ twice a(n)/ three times a(n)
ADVERBS
hour / day / week / month / year, etc.
 Complete the article about an internet businessman. Use the
present simple or present continuous forms of the verbs in brackets.
I normally 1.................
get up (get up) at seven o’clock, but this week I
2....................
am starting (start) work earlier because it’s a busy period. I
3....................... check
usually arrive (usually arrive) at work by nine and I 4....................
(check) my emails. Today, I 5....................
am working..(work) on reports on our
websites because these tell me how many people
6........................................
are currently visiting (currently visit) our websites. For
example, we 7.............
have (have) about six million visitors every month
and this number 8....................... are also making
is increasing (increase). We 9.............................
(also make) a lot of improvements to our sites at the moment. The
internet business is very competitive and it 10....................
is getting (get)
harder to stay at the top.
 Put the verb into the correct form present continuous or
present simple.

1. Let's go out. (it / not / rain) now.

2. Julia is very good at languages. ____________
she speaks (she / speak) four
languages very well.
3. Hurry up! everybody’s
__________________
waiting (everybody / wait) for you.
4. ____________________(you
Are you listening / listen) to the radio?’ - 'No, you can
turn it off.'
Do you listen
5. ___________________ (you / listen) to the radio every day?' 'No,
just occasionally. '
flows
6. The River Nile _____________ (flow) into the Mediterranean.
7. The river _____________
is flowing (flow) very fast today - much faster
than usual.
 Put the verb into the correct form present continuous or
We usually present simple.
8. ____________
grow (we / usually / grow) vegetables in our garden,
but this year _______________________
we aren’t growing (we / not / grow) any.
9. A: How's your English?
B: Not bad. I think ______________
it’s improving (it / improve) slowly.
____________
10.Rachel is in New York right now. She’s staying (she / stay) at
the Park Hotel.
11._______________
She always stay (she / always / stay) there when she's in New
York.
12.Can we stop walking soon? ____________
I’m starting (I / start) to feel tired.