Present Tense: Simple Present vs Present Continuous

Present Tense: Simple Present vs Present Continuous

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to distinguish between the simple present and the present continuous.

Explain to the students what they will learn by the end of the lesson.

What do you already know about the differences between simple present and present continuous?

Simple Present

The simple present is used for habitual actions or general truths. For example, 'I eat breakfast every morning.'

Explain the definition of the simple present and give examples.

Present Continuous

The present continuous is used for actions happening right now or in the near future. For example, 'I am eating breakfast right now.'

Explain the definition of the present continuous and give examples.

Forming Present Continuous

The present continuous is formed with the present tense of 'to be' + the present participle (verb + -ing). For example, 'I am eating breakfast.'

Explain how to form the present continuous and give examples.

Forming Simple Present

The simple present is formed by using the base form of the verb. For example, 'I eat breakfast every morning.'

Explain how to form the simple present and give examples.

Keywords for Simple Present

Some keywords for the simple present include 'always,' 'never,' 'usually,' and 'sometimes.'

Explain some of the keywords that are commonly used with the simple present.

Keywords for Present Continuous

Some keywords for the present continuous include 'right now,' 'at the moment,' and 'currently.'

Explain some of the keywords that are commonly used with the present continuous.

Practice Exercises

Complete the following sentences with the correct tense: 'I (eat/eating) breakfast every morning.' 'I (am eating/eat) breakfast right now.'

Give the students practice exercises to reinforce their understanding of the two tenses.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.