UNIT 3 - Pressent Continuous (I am doing) or Present Simple (I do)

a) Study this explanation and compare the examples:

• Present Continuous (I am doing)
  

     Use the present continuous tot talk about something which is happening at or around the time of speaking.

     ~ The kettle is boiling. can you turn it off, please?

     ~ Listen to those people. What language are they speaking?

     ~ 'Where's Tom?'   'He's playing tennis.'

     ~ (you find a stranger in your romm) What are you doing here?

     ~ Silvia is in Britain for three months. She's learning English.

Use the present continuous for a temporary situation:

   - I'm living with  some friends until I can find a flat.

   - that machine isn't working. It broke down this morning.

• Present Simple (I do)

 

     Use the present simple to talk about things in general or things which happen repeatedly

     ~ Water boils at 100 degrees Celcius.

     ~ Excus me, do you speak English?

     ~ Tom plays tennis every Saturday.

     ~ What do you usually do at weekends?

     ~ What do you do? (= What's your job?)

     ~ Most people learn to swim when they are children.

Use the present simple for a permanent situation:

   - My parents live in London. They have been there for 20 years.

   - That machine doesn't work. It hasn't worked for years.

b) Some verbs are used only in simple tenses. For example, you cannot say ' I am knowing '. you can only say I know. here is a list of verbs which are not normally used in continuous tenses (but there are exceptions):

want        like       belong          know        suppose            remember

need        love      see               realise      mean                forget

prefer     hate      hear              believe     understand       seem

have (when the meaning is 'possess')

think (when the meaning is 'believe')

     ~ Do you like London? (not 'are you liking?')

     ~ He doesn't understand. (not 'he isn't understanding')

     ~ These shoes belong to me. (not 'are belonging')

     ~ What do you think Tom will do? (= What do you believe he will do?)

     but: What are you thinking about? (= What is going on in your mind?)

  Thanks to Cambridge University Press, "English Grammar in Use"