Present Simple - Present Continuous

He is a chef and is opening a new restaurant today.

She is a writer from New York and is visiting London to sell her new book.

He is an opera singer and he goes to exhibitions in his free time.

He is from Ireland and writes for a newspaper.

She is an Australian student and she is studying to be a chef.

He is from Mexico and usually directs successful horror films.

He usually lives in Los Angeles but is making a comedy film at the moment.

She is a health food writer and plays volleyball in her free time.

She is an Italian chef and is doing a course in London at the moment.

He is a journalist from Canada and plays the piano.

She is British pop singer and is writing her third album.

Present Continuous

• Happening at the moment of speaking.
• Happening around now / temporary.
• Changing over a period of time.

Present Simple

• Habits, routines
• Permanent / true for a long time.
• Describe states (have got, be, know, think).

Present Continuous

I am cooking dinner.

That is exactly what I am making.

I am writing a book in my spare time.

She is doing an evening course in traditional English cooking.

The market is growing rapidly.

They are becoming more common in German.

What I’m doing here

Who are you talking to?

Is he working today?

I am not cooking dinner at the moment.

I am not writing a book.

It isn’t becoming more popular.

Present Simple

My mom still cooks a full three-course meal every evening.

These days, we only spend 20 minutes each day cooking food.

People who live in the UK spend over $ 5 billion a year.

People in the USA and Sweden also buy a lot of ready meals.

Many experts now believe that they are bad for our health.

We need to read the labels carefully.

I don’t cook. He doesn’t cook.

Where do you live?

Does it work?

Both still.

My mother still cooks a full three course meal every evening.

The Spanish and The Italians are still cooking their own meal.

State verbs

Talk about state, feelings, and opinions.

Don’t usually use in continuous.

• Be and have: be, have (got), own, belong.
• Think and know: think, know, believe, understand, remember, forget, mean.
• Like and hate: like, love, hate, prefer, want.
• Sense: see, hear, taste, smell, touch.
• Other: hope, seem, need, cost, agree, weigh, contain.

I like broccoli.

I can hear a noise outside.

I can’t see anything.

Both:

I’m having dinner at the moment (activity).

I have two dogs (state).

What are you thinking about (activity).

I think football is boring (state).