How do I choose between the present simple and the present continuous?

The present simple is for habits, facts and timetables (every day, usually, never). The present continuous is for what is happening right now or temporarily (now, Look!, at the moment). The same verb can take either tense; the difference is habitual versus this moment.

Why are know, like and believe not used in the continuous form?

They are state verbs: they describe a mental or sensory state that simply exists rather than an action that starts and stops, so they normally stay in the present simple: I know, She likes, He believes.

S1 English: Present Simple and Present Continuous (Challenge, 10 Questions)

2026-11-07

Tutor Prep Guide · S1 English

A challenge set combining both tenses in one sentence, correcting don’t and doesn’t or is and are errors, explaining the difference between the two tenses, turning statements into questions, and respecting state-verb limits, each with a note.

Quick answer Answers in order: walk … am taking, is having … is not answering, He knows the answer, She doesn’t like coffee, They are watching TV in the living room, I love this song, Do the boys play basketball every Friday?, habit versus right now, is raining, studies … travels. State what was wrong as well as the correction.

01 Paper details (check answers afterwards)

Item	Detail
Questions	10 questions
Suggested time	about 45 minutes
Difficulty mix	Challenge 10
Chapter	Chapter: S1 English: Present Simple and Present Continuous
Level	S1

02 Questions (10 items)

ChallengeUsually I ______ (walk) to school, but today I ______ (take) the bus.
ChallengeShe ______ (have) lunch at the moment, so she ______ (not / answer) the phone.
ChallengeWhich is correct: “He is knowing the answer” or “He knows the answer”?
ChallengeCorrect this sentence: “She don’t like coffee.”
ChallengeCorrect this sentence: “They is watching TV in the living room.”
ChallengeWhich is correct: “I am loving this song.” or “I love this song.”?
ChallengeTurn this into a question: “The boys play basketball every Friday.”
ChallengeWhat is the difference in meaning between “He runs.” and “He is running.”?
ChallengeIt ______ (rain) outside. Take an umbrella with you.
ChallengeMy brother ______ (study) at a school in Kowloon. He ______ (travel) by MTR every day.

03 Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	walk … am taking	Usually marks the habit, so walk stays in the present simple, while today is an exception and takes the present continuous am taking.
2	is having … is not answering	Having lunch is an activity rather than possession, so the continuous form is allowed; both verbs describe this moment and stay in the present continuous.
3	He knows the answer.	Know is a state verb, so the continuous form is wrong and only the present simple He knows is correct.
4	She doesn’t like coffee.	The subject she is third person singular, so the negative needs doesn’t and the main verb returns to the base form like.
5	They are watching TV in the living room.	They is plural, so the present continuous needs are instead of is.
6	I love this song.	Love is a state verb, so the present simple I love is the standard form.
7	Do the boys play basketball every Friday?	The subject is plural, so the question begins with Do and play stays in the base form.
8	The first describes a habit; the second describes what is happening right now.	The present simple states a habitual action, while the present continuous states an action in progress at the moment of speaking.
9	is raining	The rain is happening as we speak, so the present continuous is raining is used rather than the habitual present simple.
10	studies … travels	Both sentences describe a settled situation and a daily habit, so both verbs take the present simple with -s for the third person singular subject.

04 What to do after marking

After marking, redo only the wrong items and write down which step went wrong (formula, unit, or misread number).
Repeat the same item two days later; move to the next paper only when both attempts are correct.
Parents only need the answer and note columns; there is no need to explain every item.

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