Worked example 1
Choose: ‘Listen! The baby (cries / is crying).’
- ‘Listen!’ means it is happening now.
- Use present continuous.
Answer: is crying
English as an Additional Language · Elementary (CEFR A2)
Present simple vs present continuous
English has two present tenses. Choosing the right one shows whether something is a routine or happening now.
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Before you start
Who it's for and what to know first
Word order and the verb ‘to be’.
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How it works
- Present simple for habits, routines and facts: ‘I work in a shop.’ ‘Water boils at 100 °C.’ Add -s for he/she/it: ‘She works.’
- Present continuous for now and temporary situations: am/is/are + verb-ing. ‘I am working now.’ ‘He is staying with friends this week.’
- Signal words — simple: every day, usually, often, never. Continuous: now, at the moment, today, this week.
- Some verbs are not usually continuous: know, like, want, need, believe. Say ‘I know’, not ‘I am knowing’.
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Practice questions
Tips
Common mistakes
- Forgetting -s with he/she/it.
- Forgetting am/is/are: ‘I working’.
Last reviewed: 25 September 2026