Talking about the Present

Rules regarding the use of present simple and present continuous (progressive) tenses often differ in English to C1 learners’ first language. For example, whilst some languages, such as Italian, have a present continuous equivalent, its use is more limited than in English. Other languages, such as German and French, do not have a present continuous tense at all. Therefore, despite being grammatical forms which are often studied at the early stages of learning English, these two tenses can pose a number of issues for you, but it is very important that you can use them accurately in the exam.

Below are some standard rules for using the present simple and present continuous in English. Some will be familiar to you whilst others may come as a surprise.