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Present Simple vs Present Continuous - Regole ed esercizi per livello intermedio

Venerdì, 04 Settembre 2009
Present Simple vs Present Continuous:  How do you feel now? or How are you feeling now? Present Simple vs Present Continuous: How do you feel now? or How are you feeling now? This image by Fan is licensed under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license

Lezione di grammatica inglese online per studenti di livello intermedio - Un confronto tra il present simple e il present continuous. Uno sguardo alle differenze tra verbi di stato e verbi di azione.

 

Present continuous (I am doing)

The present continuous is used to express an action or a state that is happening at the time of speaking. The action is not finished.

e.g. I'm currently working a research project.

Present Continuous


We can see that this action is specific to the present. Last week I had
a different project. Next week I will have another. We therefore use
the present continuous for actions that are happening now or around now
and temporary actions.

• You are studying English. (now or around now)
• They travelling to Brighton. (now)
• I''m reading a good book at the moment. (around now)
• She is working in shop during the school holidays. (temporary)

Click here for more information.

Present simple (I do)

The present simple is used to express things in general or things that happen as habits.

e.g. I work in an office.

Present Simple


We can see in this example that it is a repeated action. Monday to
Friday (and unfortunately sometimes Saturday), week in week out, I work
in an office.
We therefore use the present simple for actions that
happen regularly, facts or states. It has a sense of always being true
or valid.

Iron melts at 1538°C. (fact)
• What do you do? (job; everyday)
• They live in Perth. (permanent)
• My brother has a sports car. (possession)

Click here for more information.

State Verbs

There are some verbs that we never or rarely use in the present continuous form (also true for the other tenses i.e. past, present perfect, future, etc.). These don''t describe actions but describe situations where there is no change (i.e. states). They are called state verbs.

For example the verbs understand and love do not describe actions. It is incorrect to say 'I am understanding you' or 'She is loving skiing'. You must say 'I understand you' or 'She loves skiing'.

The following verbs that express thoughts or opinion usually used only in the present simple:

deserve agree think suppose
prefer remember forget believe
mean imagine understand realize
assure know expect want
Notes

The verb 'think' can be used to describe an action or a state.

  • He thinks you are right. (opinion = state)
  • They are thinking about possible solutions. (mental activity = action)

The following verbs, which express possession or fixed ideas, are found mainly in the present simple:

have depend on contain cost
need weigh seem resemble
look like possess belong appear
Notes

'have' can be used to describe a state:

  • They have two gerbils and a cat. (possession)

or it can describe an action:

  • We are having a good time. (activity)


'weigh' can describe a fact:

  • The new iPod weighs 22g.

or it can describe an action:

  • The tailor is measuring the gentlemen for his new suit.


The verbs that express emotions also fall into the category:

love hate like dislike
hope worry amaze astonish
impress surprise care please
Notes

Before anyone asks the McDonalds slogan "I'm loving it" is grammatically incorrect.


Verbs that describe perceptions and senses also usually are used in the simple form only:

sense see smell taste
perceive sound hear feel
vocalise voice scent recognise
Notes

Some of these verbs can be used in the active sense.

For example taste.

  • The soup tastes good.
  • The chef is tasting the soup to see if it needs more salt adding.

Feel and Look

You can use the present simple or continuous when you state how somebody feels or looks now:

  • How do you feel now? or How are you feeling now?
  • You look well today. or You are looking well today.

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To study the present simple click here.
To study the present continuous here.
To study the past simple click here.
To study the past continuous click here.
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published in Presente
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Ultima modifica il Domenica, 05 Febbraio 2017 22:11

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