Present Simple vs. Present Continuous: What’s the Difference?
- Rose Sensei
- Nov 10
- 3 min read
If you’ve ever wondered when to say “I work” and when to say “I’m working,” this post is for you!
Both tenses talk about the present — but they describe different kinds of actions.
Present Simple vs Present Continuous - Difference
💡 Present Simple
We use the Present Simple to talk about:
Habits or routines → I wake up at 7 a.m. every day.
Facts or general truths → The sun rises in the east.
Permanent situations → She lives in Singapore.
✅ Structure (Positive):
Subject + base verb (+ s/es for he, she, it)
I work from home.
She teaches English.
❌ Negative:
Subject + don’t/doesn’t + base verb
I don’t work on Sundays.
He doesn’t like coffee.
❓ Questions:
Do/Does + subject + base verb
Do you work from home?
Does she teach English?
💡 Present Continuous
We use the Present Continuous to talk about:
Actions happening right now → I’m reading this blog post.
Temporary actions → She’s staying with her friend this week.
Future plans → We’re meeting Emma for coffee tomorrow.
✅ Structure (Positive):
Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing
I’m cooking dinner.
They’re studying for an exam.
❌ Negative:
Subject + am/is/are + not + verb-ing
I’m not watching TV.
She isn’t working today.
❓ Questions:
Am/Is/Are + subject + verb-ing?
Are you cooking dinner?
Is she studying now?
🌸 Story Time: Mia’s Busy Morning
Mia usually wakes up at 7 a.m.
She goes for a run, makes her coffee, and reads the news before work.
She doesn’t like rushing in the morning — she prefers calm starts.
But today is different! Her alarm isn’t ringing, and she is sleeping longer than usual. When she finally wakes up, she realises she’s late!
Now she is running around her apartment — she is brushing her hair, (is) packing her bag, and (is) looking for her keys.
Her phone rings, and her colleague says,
“Mia, the meeting starts in 10 minutes!”
Mia is jumping into a taxi now. She isn’t smiling — she is panicking!
She quickly texts:
“I usually arrive early, but today I’m late. Are you already at the office?”
🧠 Grammar in Action
Sentence | Tense | Why? |
Mia wakes up at 7 a.m. | Present Simple | Habit/routine |
She doesn’t like rushing. | Present Simple (negative) | Habit |
She is sleeping longer than usual. | Present Continuous | Temporary action happening now |
Her alarm isn’t ringing. | Present Continuous (negative) | Action not happening now |
Are you already at the office? | Present Simple (question) | verb 'be' now |
⚡ Practice Time!
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb.
She usually ______ (drink) tea, but today she ______ (drink) coffee.
I ______ (not / work) today — it’s Sunday!
______ (you / go) to the gym every day?
Look! The kids ______ (play) in the garden.
______ (he / cook) dinner right now?
✅ Answer Key:
drinks / is drinking
am not working
Do you go
are playing
Is he cooking
🪄 Quick Tip to Remember
👉 Present Simple = always, usually, every day, often, never
👉 Present Continuous = now, right now, today, this week, at the moment
☕ Try This!
Write two sentences about yourself:
A habit or routine (Present Simple)
____________________________________________________________
Something happening right now (Present Continuous)
____________________________________________________________
Example:
I usually read before bed, but tonight I’m watching a movie. 🍿
📩 Free Worksheet Download
Liked this Present Simple vs Present Continuous lesson?
🔗 Related Grammar Lessons
🎥 Check out our YouTube Channel Playlist:
Watch and Learn! For more ESL reading and listening practice video lessons, subscribe to our YouTube channel.
🔗Related Posts
Learn more about related Tenses below ⬇️
💡 Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more grammar stories, quizzes, and English learning tips every week!
Love This Content? Get more delivered to you! Sign up for our weekly email with fresh ideas for learning English.
Don't Just Read, Watch! Subscribe to our YouTube channel for video tutorials and explanations.
Thank you for reading & Happy Speaking!
Got Questions? Contact us on the form below.
Comments