Present Continuous and Present Simple—What’s the Difference?

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“But how do I know when to use Present Continuous or Present Simple?” This is a question often asked by students.

This depends on the speaker, and this depends on what is happening at the moment.

Compare:

A: Listen! The baby is crying!

B: Yes, the baby is crying! Maybe he is hungry!

In example above, the speakers are talking about the current situation. They are describing the current situation.

Compare:

A: Babies are noisy.

B: Yeah. Babies cry.

The speakers are not  necessarily looking at or listening to a crying baby at the time of speaking. They are simply stating the fact, the reality, that babies cry.

More Examples:

Kokia is singing now. (We are talking about what Kokia is doing NOW.) 

Kokia sings well. (We are stating a fact.) 

Mr. Jack is washing his car. He washes his car every Saturday.

My mother is in the kitchen. She is cooking ssamgepsal. She cooks ssamgepsal every Sunday evening.

JAPANESE TRANSLATION

By: Google Translate

 

 

現在形と現在形—違いは何ですか？

 

「しかし、PresentContinuousまたはPresentSimpleをいつ使用するかをどうやって知ることができますか？」これは学生からよく聞かれる質問です。

これは話者によって異なり、現在何が起こっているかによって異なります。

 

比較：

A: Listen! The baby is crying!

B: Yes, the baby is crying! Maybe he is hungry!

上記の例では、スピーカーは現在の状況について話している。彼らは現在の状況を説明しています。

 

比較：

A: Babies are noisy.

B: Yeah. Babies cry.

話者は、話すときに泣いている赤ちゃんを見たり聞いたりしているとは限りません。彼らは単に赤ちゃんが泣くという事実、現実を述べているだけです。

 

その他の例：

Kokia is singing now. (Kokiaが今何をしているのか話し合っています。)

Kokia sings well. （私たちは事実を述べています。）

Mr. Jack is washing his car. He washes his car every Saturday.

My mother is in the kitchen. She is cooking ssamgepsal. She cooks ssamgepsal every Sunday evening.

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