Present simple or present continuous: every day or now? Exercises for habits versus actions happening now
About this lesson
This A1 drill lesson gives present simple vs present continuous exercises: habits or now, the time words, two kinds of questions, and verbs with no -ing.
- Grammar
- She works every day or Look! It's raining; usually or right now; Do you…? or Are you…?; What do you do? or What are you doing?; know, want, have (= own) without -ing.
- Topic
- An Iowa county fair, all fiction: a TV reporter's live updates, her interview with Bill the farmer, his grandson Josh's texts, and a chat where she interviews you.
- Activities
- True or false, sorting, choices, one-word gaps, time-word quizzes, drag-and-drop, gap-fills, tables, word order, matching, a memory game, a chat and a test.
What's inside
Chapter 1The rule
- PictureUnlock
- Study the scheme: present simple or present continuousGrammar schemeTry it
- Is the sentence correct? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Sort the sentences: every day or now?Sort into columnsTry it
- Choose the present simple or the present continuousChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps with one wordFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 2Every day or now?
- Sort the time words: present simple or present continuous?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Choose the right time wordQuizUnlock
- Choose the right formChoose the optionTry it
- Drag the words into the gaps: every day or now?Drag and dropUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: every day or now?Fill in the gapsUnlock
- Read about Carlos and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
Chapter 3Both tenses in sentences
- Fill in the gaps: present simple or present continuousFill in the gapsTry it
- Fill in the gaps: usually… but today…Fill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the table: every day and right nowFill in the tableUnlock
- Choose the right negativeChoose the optionUnlock
- Put the words in the right orderUnjumbleUnlock
- Drag the words into the gaps: habits and this weekDrag and dropUnlock
- Read Hector's email and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 4Questions and verbs with no -ing
- Match the questions and the answersMatchTry it
- Write the questions: every day or now?Fill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right question: job or now?QuizUnlock
- Put the words in order to make questionsUnjumbleUnlock
- Sort the verbs: -ing or no -ing?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Choose the right form: verbs with no -ingChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: verbs with no -ingFill in the gapsUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right wordsQuizUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: At the county fair
- Read Megan's live updatesReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the live updates again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read Megan's live report and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Megan's interview with Bill and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read Josh's messages and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Megan interviews youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose the right form: at homeChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: at work and at schoolFill in the gapsUnlock
- Sort the sentences: correct or wrong?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: questionsUnjumbleUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: question and short answerMemory gameUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: usually… but this week…Fill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the table: questions for every day and right nowFill in the tableUnlock
- Choose the right words: verbs with no -ingChoose the optionUnlock
- Write the questions for the answersFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock
- Drag the words into the gaps: a busy streetDrag and dropUnlock
- Read Ivy's postcard and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Paul's email and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read the messages and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Find the mistake in each sentenceQuizUnlock
Grammar: present simple or present continuous?
Both tenses talk about the present, but they look at it differently. The present simple is for habits, routines and facts: Cows eat grass. The present continuous is for this moment or a short time around it: My cousin is staying with us this week.
Present simple or present continuous? Every day or now
Every day, usually, often → present simple. Now, right now, at the moment → present continuous.
Every day or now: the time words
Every day, usually, often, always, never and on Mondays go with the present simple. Now, today, this week, Look! and Listen! signal the continuous: Look! Grandpa is driving his tractor.
Present simple: habits, routines, facts
- I / you / we / they work · he / she / it works (watches, studies, has)
- every day · usually · often · always · never · on Mondays · every summer · twice a week
- My grandpa feeds his cows every morning.
- Cows eat grass. (a fact)
Present continuous: now, for a short time
- am / is / are + verb-ing (making, sitting)
- now · right now · at the moment · today · this week · Look! · Listen!
- Look! Grandpa is driving his tractor.
- My cousin is staying with us this week.
The two tenses side by side
Present simple: She works. She doesn't work. Does she work? – No, she doesn't. Present continuous: She's working. She isn't working. Is she working? – No, she isn't. Do goes with the base verb, be with -ing.
| Form | Present simple | Present continuous |
|---|---|---|
| Positive (+) | I work. · She works. | I'm working. · She's working. |
| Negative (−) | I don't work. · She doesn't work. | I'm not working. · She isn't working. |
| Question (?) | Do you work? · Does she work? | Are you working? · Is she working? |
| Short answers | Yes, I do. · No, she doesn't. | Yes, I am. · No, she isn't. |
Do you…? or Are you…?
Do you watch TV? asks about a habit; Are you watching TV? asks about now. What do you do? asks about your job: I'm a reporter. What are you doing? asks about this moment: I'm feeding the chickens.
What do you do? or What are you doing?
| Question | It asks about | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| What do you do? | your job | I'm a reporter. |
| What are you doing? | this moment | I'm feeding the chickens. |
| Do you watch TV? | a habit | Yes, I do. I watch it every evening. |
| Are you watching TV? | now | No, I'm not. I'm reading. |
Do you…? or Are you…?
Do you + verb: a habit. Do you run every morning? Are you + verb-ing: now. Are you running right now? (Not: Do you watch TV now? What do you do now?) What do you do? = What is your job? What are you doing? = What is happening now?
Verbs with no -ing
Like, love, hate, want, need, know, understand, believe and have (= own) stay in the present simple, even with now: She wants a dog. Have for a meal or fun can take -ing: We're having pizza for lunch today.
Verbs with no -ing
- like
- love
- hate
- want
- need
- know
- understand
- believe
- have (= own)
No -ing, even now
These verbs are about feelings, wants, thinking and owning. Use the present simple, even with now: I know the answer now. She wants a dog. He has a car. (Not: I'm knowing. She's wanting a dog. He is have a car.) But have + a meal or fun is an action: We're having pizza for lunch today.
Common mistakes
Four errors to catch: I am usually walk to school, She is working every day, Look! It rains and I'm knowing your name. Usually goes straight before the verb, with no am, is or are.
I am usually walk to school.
I usually walk to school.
usually + verb: no am / is / are
She is working every day.
She works every day.
every day = a habit: present simple
Look! It rains.
Look! It's raining.
Look! = now: present continuous
I'm knowing your name.
I know your name.
know, like, want…: no -ing
Examples
- Bill gets up early every day.a habit
- Right now, he's tasting pies at the fair.now
- Megan usually works in the studio, but this week she's working at the fair.usually … but this week …
- Do you know Josh? Yes, I do.know: no -ing
- Are you having fun? Yes, I am!have fun: -ing is OK
- Josh has a pig. He loves it.have (= own), love: no -ing
More lessons on this grammar: Present simple vs present continuous lessons and exercises
Try the present simple vs present continuous exercises
Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.
What's in the lesson
- 42 auto-checked exercises
- 4 games
- 1 real-life document
- 1 grammar scheme
- 1 picture
The main objectives of this lesson are to:
- use the present simple for habits and the present continuous for now: Grandma bakes bread every Saturday. Look! Grandma is baking a cake.
- pick the tense from the time word: usually, often, on Mondays or right now, at the moment, Listen!
- ask Do you…? about a habit and Are you…? about now, with the short answer to match: Are you playing a game? – Yes, I am.
- tell What do you do? (your job) from What are you doing? (this moment)
- keep know, want, need and have (= own) without -ing, even now: Wait! I know the answer! Mike has two cats.
- Grammar:
- present simple vs present continuous · time words · Do you…? / Are you…? · verbs with no -ing
- Topic:
- grammar practice · everyday life · county fair · farm
Teaching tips
- Play usually-but-today: each student says one habit and one change, like I usually take the bus, but today I'm walking, and the next student retells it with he or she.
- Hold up a time-word card: show every Sunday, Listen! or this week, say a verb, and the class builds a sentence in the tense the card calls for.
- Interview a classmate at the fair: pairs take turns as the TV reporter and ask What do you do?, a Do you…? question and What are you doing right now?
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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · A1
English Grammar Practice · A1 has 24 drill lessons for adult beginners, one grammar point each, from the verb to be and the present simple to can, was and were and telling the time. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words, so it works next to any course.See the course
- 1To be: I am, you are, she is
- 2To be negatives and questions: is it your bag?
- 3Subject pronouns and possessive adjectives: I, my, she, her
- 4This, that, these, those: what's this?
- 5Plural nouns: one box, two boxes
- 6A, an, the: a new apartment
- 7There is, there are: what's in the hotel?
- 8Have and has: she has a dog
- 9Present simple: she works, they work
- 10Present simple: don't, doesn't, do you…?
- 11Adverbs of frequency: always, usually, never
- 12In, on, at: times, days and months
- 13Prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to
- 14Can and can't: I can swim
- 15Imperatives: open, don't run, let's go
- 16Object pronouns: me, him, her, them
- 17Possessive 's: whose bag is this?
- 18Present continuous: what's happening now?
- 19Present simple or present continuous: every day or now?
- 20Like, love, hate + -ing: I love dancing
- 21Wh- questions: what, where, when, why?
- 22Countable and uncountable nouns: some, any, how much?
- 23Was and were: where were you yesterday?
- 24Telling the time and dates: what time is it?