Welcome to English grammar spot. This lesson is about the present simple
and the present continuous.
I'm going to show you when to use a present simple,
and when to use a present continuous.
Now let's get started.
Let's have a look at these sentences:
I never cook dinner.
She is cooking dinner.
The first sentence is in the present simple tense,
the second sentence is in the present continuous tense.
First we are going to have a look at how to form a present simple and how to form a present continuous.
For the present simple we use the infinitive form of the verb,
for the present continuous,
we need the auxiliary verb to be,
and the infinitive form of the verb and '-ing.'
An example for the present simple is:
We walk to school every day
With the present simple we need to pay extra attention to the third person singular.
he, she and it.
Because in conjugating that verb,
we add an '-s'.
An example of a present continuous is:
They are washing their car.
Now when do we use a present simple?
We use a present simple when something happens always, regularly, sometimes and never.
We use a present continuous for a temporary activity.
An example for the present simple here is:
She always drives like a madwoman.
An example for the present continuous here is:
you are driving like a madwoman, let me out of the car!
A temporary activity.
The present simple is also used when talking about facts.
The present continuous is used when something is happening right now.
An example of the present simple here is:
Water freezes minus one Celsius.
An example for the present continuous is:
The water is freezing! Look!
Finally we use the present simple for timetables and schedules for example:
The bus arrives at 10:30.
We use the present continuous for a plan in the near future.
We know when it's going to happen. For example:
I'm taking the bus tomorrow.
I thank you for your attention.
For regular updates please subscribe to: YouTube.com/englishgrammarspot
Or go to www.englishgrammarspot.com