This discusses about the difference between Simple Present and Present Progressive Tenses in English Grammar including formula, usage and their signal words.

1. Simple Present vs
Present Progressive
Aryza Riesdyanti

2. FORM
Simple Present Present Progressive
(+) S + V1 /-s/-es/-ies (+) S + is/am/are + Noun/Adj/Adv (+) S + is/am/are + V-ing
(-) S + Do/Does + Not +V1 (-) S + is/am/are + Not + Noun/Adj/Adv (-) S + is/am/are + Not + V-ing
(?) Do/Does + S +V1 ? (?) Is/am/are + S + Noun/Adj/Adv? (?) Is/am/are + S + V-ing?

3. Exceptions
Simple Present
• After o, ch, sh or s, add es.
Example: do-does, wash-washes.
• After a consonant, the final
consonant y becomes ie.
Example: worry-worries
Present Progressive
• Silent e is dropped, example: come-coming,
• After a short, stressed vowel, the final
consonant is doubled. Example: sit-sitting
• After a vowel, the final consonant l is doubled
in British English. Example: travel-travelling
• Final ie becomes y. Example: lie-lying

4. USAGE
Simple Present
• In general
Ex: Colin plays football every Tuesday.
• Present actions happening after
another
Ex: First, Colin plays football, then he
watches TV.
Present Progressive
• Right now
Ex: Look! Colin is playing football now.
• Several actions happening at the
same time
Ex: Colin is playing football and Anne is
watching.

5. USAGE
Simple Present
• Schedule
Ex: The film starts at 8 pm.
• Daily routine
Ex: Jim works in a restaurant.
Present Progressive
• Arrangement
Ex: I am going to the cinema tonight.
• Only for a limited period of time
Ex: Jenny is working in a restaurant this
week.

6. Signal Words
Simple Present
• Always
• Often
• Normally
• Usually
• Sometimes
• Seldom
• Never
• First
• Then
• Every …..
Present Progressive
• At the moment
• At this moment
• Today
• Now
• Right now
• Listen!
• Look!

7. Certain Verbs Only Used in Simple Present
• Possession: belong, have*, possess, own
• Sense Perception: feel*, hear, see*, smell*, taste*
• Emotional State: hate, like, love, regret, fear, envy, mind, care, appreciate, dislike
• Mental State: believe, know, think*, understand, realize, recognize, suppose, imagine,
doubt, remember, forget, want, need, prefer, mean
• Introductory clauses for direct speech: answer, ask, reply, say
• Other state: cost, seem, look*, appear*, owe, weigh*, be* (is, am, are), exist, consist
of, contain, include

8. Certain Verbs Used in Both Tenses with
Different Meaning
Simple Present
1. I think he is a kind man
2. He has a car.
3. This food tastes good.
4. These flowers smell good.
5. I see a butterfly. Do you see it?
6. The cat’s fur feels soft
Present Progressive
1. I am thinking about this grammar
2. I am having trouble. She is having fun.
3. The chef is tasting the sauce.
4. Don is smelling the roses.
5. The doctor is seeing the patient.
6. Sue is feeling the cat’s fur.

9. Certain Verbs Used in Both Tenses with
Different Meaning
Simple Present
7. She looks cold.
8. He appears to be asleep.
9. A bag of banana weighs 10 kilograms.
10.Sally is nice. Mary is not nice.
Present Progressive
7. I am looking out the window.
8. The actor is appearing on the stage.
9. The grocer is weighing the bananas.
10.Mary is being nice.