Lesson
Grammar: Present simple or present continuous?
Habits and facts, or things happening now? Learn when to use each tense, avoid the common "state verb" mistake, and check yourself with three quick exercises.
Two present tenses
| Present simple | Present continuous | |
|---|---|---|
| Use it for | habits, routines, facts, timetables | actions happening now, temporary situations, changes in progress |
| Form | I work / she works | I am working / she is working |
| Common time words | usually, always, every day, often | now, at the moment, this week, currently |
Water boils at 100°C.
The number of online students is growing every year.
The state verb trap
Some verbs describe a state, not an action, so we don't normally use them in the continuous form: know, understand, believe, want, like, love, need, prefer, belong, seem.
Why it matters in IELTS
In Speaking Part 1 you describe your routine (present simple) and what you're doing these days (present continuous). Mixing them up is one of the most common errors at Band 5.
Questions 1–5
Choose the correct form.
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Water ___ at 100°C.
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Look outside! It ___ .
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I ___ what you mean.
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My brother ___ for his exams this month, so he rarely goes out.
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How often ___ to the gym?
Questions 6–10
Write the verb in brackets in the correct form.
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She usually (walk) to work, but today she is taking the bus.
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At the moment, the number of students in our class (grow).
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I (not / like) spicy food.
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Listen! Someone (knock) at the door.
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The train (leave) at 6.15 every morning.
Questions 11–14
Is each sentence correct or incorrect?
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I am wanting a new phone.
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Prices are rising quickly this year.
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He is living in Dhaka since 2019.
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My sister works in a bank.
