Present Simple vs. Present Continuous – English Grammar Exercises for A1
Your normally good dog, Max, is tearing up a pillow, and you are recording a video to send to your family.
Choose the best answer (A, B, C, or D) to complete each sentence. Read carefully, as Max is doing some very strange things right now!
1 Max normally _____ all morning, but today he is wide awake.
(a) is sleeping
(b) sleeps
(c) sleeping
(d) sleep
2 Look at him! He _____ the new sofa pillow right now!
(a) are biting
(b) bites
(c) is bite
(d) is biting
3 He usually _____ his own rubber toys when he wants to play.
(a) chews
(b) is chewing
(c) chewing
(d) chew
4 I _____ a video to send to you at the moment. You won’t believe this!
(a) record
(b) am record
(c) am recording
(d) recording
5 Dogs often _____ active, but this behavior is too much!
(a) is being
(b) are
(c) is
(d) are being
6 Max _____ on the floor every day, but today he _____ on the expensive table!
(a) is sitting / jumps
(b) sit / is jump
(c) sits / jumps
(d) sits / is jumping
7 Please hurry home, Mom! He _____ the pillow feathers everywhere!
(a) is spreading
(b) is spread
(c) spread
(d) spreads
8 He usually _____ when I say “stop”, but he _____ me right now.
(a) is listening / ignores
(b) listens / ignores
(c) listens / is ignoring
(d) listen / is ignore
9 What _____ right now? I can’t believe my eyes!
(a) does he do
(b) is he do
(c) is he doing
(d) he is doing
10 He never _____ bad things when you are at home.
(a) is doing
(b) doing
(c) do
(d) does
11 Oh no, the cat _____ him! She normally _____ away from him.
(a) joins / is staying
(b) is joining / stays
(c) joins / stays
(d) are joining / stay
12 I _____ to stop him, but he is running too fast!
(a) am try
(b) trying
(c) am trying
(d) try
13 Why _____ in your text message? You normally _____ angry when he does something bad!
(a) do you laugh / are getting
(b) you are laughing / gets
(c) are you laugh / get
(d) are you laughing / get
14 The pillow _____ completely destroyed right now.
(a) are
(b) is being
(c) does
(d) is
15 I _____ to catch him, but I _____ he thinks it’s a fun game.
(a) am running / am believing
(b) run / am believing
(c) am running / believe
(d) am run / believes
16 He _____ the word “no”! He _____ even faster!
(a) isn’t understanding / is running
(b) doesn’t understand / is running
(c) isn’t understanding / runs
(d) don’t understand / is run
17 _____ the video I _____ you right now?
(a) Are you seeing / am sending
(b) Do you see / am sending
(c) Are you seeing / send
(d) Do you see / sending
18 Usually, Max _____ a very quiet dog, but he _____ so loud today!
(a) is / is being
(b) is / is
(c) is being / is
(d) does / is doing
19 I _____ the huge mess he _____ right now!
(a) am hating / is making
(b) hate / is making
(c) am hating / makes
(d) hates / is make
20 Mom, you always _____ he is a little angel, but look what he _____!
(a) are saying / does
(b) says / is do
(c) say / does
(d) say / is doing
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (b)
Explanation:
- Why it’s right (Key): “Normally” indicates a routine or habit, requiring the Present Simple (sleeps).
- Analysis of wrong options: (a) is a Common Mistake (using continuous for a routine). (c) is a Strong Distractor (using the V-ing form without the “to be” verb, confusing it for a main verb). (d) is a Structural Error (missing the ‘s’ for the third-person singular subject “Max”).
2 (d)
Explanation:
- Why it’s right (Key): “Look!” and “right now” indicate an action happening at the moment of speaking, requiring Present Continuous (is biting).
- Analysis of wrong options: (b) is a Common Mistake (using Present Simple for a current action). (c) is a Structural Error (missing the -ing form). (a) is a Strong Distractor (correct tense, but uses “are” with the singular subject “He”).
3 (a)
Explanation:
- Why it’s right (Key): “Usually” indicates a regular habit, which requires Present Simple (chews).
- Analysis of wrong options: (b) is a Common Mistake (using continuous for a habit). (d) is a Structural Error (missing ‘s’ for third-person singular). (c) is a Strong Distractor (using a gerund/participle alone without an auxiliary).
4 (c)
Explanation:
- Why it’s right (Key): “At the moment” shows an action in progress right now (am recording).
- Analysis of wrong options: (a) is a Common Mistake (using Present Simple instead of Continuous). (b) is a Structural Error (am + bare verb is grammatically incorrect). (d) is a Strong Distractor (missing the “to be” verb “am”).
5 (b)
Explanation:
- Why it’s right (Key): “Dogs” is a plural noun stating a general fact, so we use Present Simple (are).
- Analysis of wrong options: (d) is a Common Mistake (using continuous for a general state). (c) is a Structural Error (using singular “is” for plural “Dogs”). (a) is a Strong Distractor (wrong agreement and wrong tense).
6 (d)
Explanation:
- Why it’s right (Key): “Every day” needs Present Simple (sits), and “today” (as an exception to the routine) needs Present Continuous (is jumping).
- Analysis of wrong options: (a) is a Common Mistake (reversing the tenses). (b) is a Structural Error (missing ‘s’ on sit, missing ‘-ing’ on jump). (c) is a Strong Distractor (using Present Simple for both, ignoring the “today” exception).
7 (a)
Explanation:
- Why it’s right (Key): The context “hurry home” implies the action is happening right now, causing an emergency (is spreading).
- Analysis of wrong options: (d) is a Common Mistake (using Present Simple for an ongoing emergency). (b) is a Structural Error (is + bare verb). (c) is a Strong Distractor (missing ‘s’ for singular subject and wrong tense).
8 (c)
Explanation:
- Why it’s right (Key): “Usually” pairs with Present Simple (listens), and “right now” pairs with Present Continuous (is ignoring).
- Analysis of wrong options: (a) is a Common Mistake (flipping the tenses). (d) is a Structural Error (wrong verb forms entirely). (b) is a Strong Distractor (using Present Simple for both, ignoring the “right now” marker).
9 (c)
Explanation:
- Why it’s right (Key): “Right now” requires the Present Continuous question structure: Wh-word + be + subject + V-ing.
- Analysis of wrong options: (a) is a Common Mistake (using Present Simple). (d) is a Structural Error (wrong word order for a question). (b) is a Strong Distractor (missing the -ing suffix).
10 (d)
Explanation:
- Why it’s right (Key): “Never” indicates a frequency/habit, requiring Present Simple (does).
- Analysis of wrong options: (a) is a Common Mistake (using continuous with a frequency adverb). (c) is a Structural Error (using “do” with the singular subject “He”). (b) is a Strong Distractor (using V-ing without an auxiliary verb).
11 (b)
Explanation:
- Why it’s right (Key): The cat is acting unusually right now (is joining), but “normally” indicates her habit (stays).
- Analysis of wrong options: (a) is a Common Mistake (reversing the tenses). (d) is a Structural Error (using plural “are” for a singular cat, and missing ‘s’ on stay). (c) is a Strong Distractor (using Present Simple for both actions).
12 (c)
Explanation:
- Why it’s right (Key): The action of trying to stop him is happening at the time of speaking (am trying).
- Analysis of wrong options: (d) is a Common Mistake (using Present Simple). (a) is a Structural Error (am + bare verb). (b) is a Strong Distractor (missing the auxiliary “am”).
13 (d)
Explanation:
- Why it’s right (Key): The laughing is happening right now (are you laughing), while “normally” indicates a general reaction (get).
- Analysis of wrong options: (a) is a Common Mistake (reversing the tenses). (b) is a Structural Error (wrong question word order and wrong subject-verb agreement). (c) is a Strong Distractor (missing the -ing on laugh).
14 (d)
Explanation:
- Why it’s right (Key): “To be” acts as a stative verb here to describe the current state of the pillow, so we use Present Simple (is) even with “right now”.
- Analysis of wrong options: (b) is a Common Mistake (forcing a continuous form onto a state). (a) is a Structural Error (using plural “are” for singular “pillow”). (c) is a Strong Distractor (using “does” instead of “is” for an adjective description).
15 (c)
Explanation:
- Why it’s right (Key): Running is an action happening now (am running), but “believe” is a stative verb and cannot be used in the continuous form, even if the belief is happening right now (believe).
- Analysis of wrong options: (a) is a Common Mistake (putting a stative verb in the continuous form). (d) is a Structural Error (am + bare verb, plus adding ‘s’ to “believe” with the pronoun “I”). (b) is a Strong Distractor (using Present Simple for a physical action happening now).
16 (b)
Explanation:
- Why it’s right (Key): “Understand” is a stative verb (doesn’t understand). “Run” is a physical action happening now (is running).
- Analysis of wrong options: (a) is a Common Mistake (using the continuous form for a stative verb). (d) is a Structural Error (using “don’t” with singular “He”). (c) is a Strong Distractor (using continuous for a stative verb and simple for a current action).
17 (b)
Explanation:
- Why it’s right (Key): “See” is a stative verb of perception (Do you see). Sending is an action happening now (am sending).
- Analysis of wrong options: (a) is a Common Mistake (using continuous for the stative verb “see”). (d) is a Structural Error (missing the auxiliary verb “am” before sending). (c) is a Strong Distractor (using continuous for a stative verb, and simple for an ongoing action).
18 (a)
Explanation:
- Why it’s right (Key): “Usually” uses Present Simple (is). “Is being” is a rare exception where the verb “to be” can be used in the continuous form to describe temporary, unusual behavior happening right now.
- Analysis of wrong options: (b) is a Common Mistake (failing to recognize the temporary behavior exception). (c) is a Structural Error (reversing the grammatical roles). (d) is a Strong Distractor (using “does” instead of the “to be” verb for adjectives).
19 (b)
Explanation:
- Why it’s right (Key): “Hate” is a stative verb expressing an emotion (hate). “Make a mess” is an ongoing action (is making).
- Analysis of wrong options: (a) is a Common Mistake (using continuous for the emotion verb “hate”). (d) is a Structural Error (adding ‘s’ to hate with the pronoun “I”). (c) is a Strong Distractor (flipping the appropriate tenses).
20 (d)
Explanation:
- Why it’s right (Key): “Always” describes a repeated habit (say). “Look” directs attention to an action in progress right now (is doing).
- Analysis of wrong options: (a) is a Common Mistake (reversing the tenses). (b) is a Structural Error (using says with “you”, and is + do). (c) is a Strong Distractor (using Present Simple for both, ignoring the “look!” marker).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Present Simple: Use this tense for habits, routines, and things that are generally true.
- Keywords: always, usually, normally, often, sometimes, never, every day.
- Example: Max normally sleeps all day.
- Present Continuous: Use this tense for actions happening right now at the exact moment of speaking, or temporary situations breaking a habit.
- Keywords: right now, at the moment, look!, listen!, today.
- Example: Look! He is destroying the pillow!
- The Stative Verb Trap: Some verbs describe states, feelings, or thoughts, not physical actions. Even if they are happening “right now”, they cannot take the “-ing” form.
- Common Stative Verbs (A1): like, love, hate, want, need, believe, understand, see, hear.
- Correct: I hate this mess right now. (NOT: I am hating…)
- The “To Be” Exception: Normally, “to be” is a stative verb (e.g., He is a dog). However, if someone or something is temporarily acting in a strange way, you can use “is being” + an adjective.
- Example: He is usually quiet, but today he is being very loud! (Temporary bad behavior).