Present Simple vs. Present Continuous – English Grammar Exercises for A1
Your friend Tom calls you to play football on a Saturday afternoon, as usual. However, you are very busy and cannot go. Choose the correct option (A, B, C, or D) to complete the conversation.
1 Hi Tom! I usually ______ football with you on Saturdays, but I can’t today.
(A) am playing
(B) play
(C) don’t play
(D) playing
2 I am sorry, but I ______ my homework right now.
(A) am doing
(B) don’t do
(C) do
(D) am do
3 I know we normally ______ at the park at 3 PM.
(A) are meeting
(B) aren’t meeting
(C) meets
(D) meet
4 Look at my desk! I ______ for a big math test at the moment.
(A) study
(B) am studying
(C) don’t study
(D) studying
5 My brother often ______ with us, but he is busy today too.
(A) plays
(B) doesn’t play
(C) is playing
(D) play
6 Right now, he ______ his room because our mom is angry.
(A) cleans
(B) is clean
(C) doesn’t clean
(D) is cleaning
7 You know I ______ football, but today is different. I have to stay home.
(A) am loving
(B) hate
(C) loves
(D) love
8 It’s a beautiful day. The sun ______ outside, but I must stay in.
(A) is shining
(B) shines
(C) is shine
(D) doesn’t shine
9 ______ you ______ for me at the field right now? Please don’t wait!
(A) Do / wait
(B) Are / wait
(C) Are / waiting
(D) Don’t / wait
10 I always ______ free time on weekends, but not this week!
(A) am having
(B) have
(C) don’t have
(D) has
11 Please don’t be sad. I ______ to finish this homework quickly.
(A) try
(B) don’t try
(C) am trying
(D) am try
12 We usually ______ a lot of fun, but I really need to read this book.
(A) have
(B) don’t have
(C) are having
(D) has
13 Listen! My mom ______ me right now. I have to go!
(A) calls
(B) doesn’t call
(C) calling
(D) is calling
14 I ______ this math problem. It is very hard.
(A) understand
(B) don’t understand
(C) am not understanding
(D) doesn’t understand
15 What ______ you ______ at the moment? Are you at the field?
(A) do / doing
(B) are / doing
(C) do / do
(D) are / do
16 Normally, everyone ______ to the field early.
(A) comes
(B) is coming
(C) doesn’t come
(D) come
17 I ______ I can join you next Saturday.
(A) don’t hope
(B) am hoping
(C) hope
(D) hopes
18 You ______ a great time with the team right now, while I am stuck here.
(A) have
(B) aren’t having
(C) having
(D) are having
19 I can hear the referee’s whistle on your phone. The game ______ now!
(A) doesn’t start
(B) starts
(C) is start
(D) is starting
20 I really ______ to go out and play, but my parents say no.
(A) am wanting
(B) don’t want
(C) wants
(D) want
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) play
- Why it’s correct: The frequency adverb “usually” indicates a habit or routine, which requires the Present Simple tense.
- Why the others are wrong: (A) incorrectly uses the Present Continuous for a habit. (C) is a meaning trap; if you “don’t play” usually, the excuse “but I can’t today” makes no logical sense. (D) lacks the “to be” verb and is structurally wrong.
2 (A) am doing
- Why it’s correct: The time expression “right now” indicates an action happening exactly at the moment of speaking, requiring the Present Continuous.
- Why the others are wrong: (C) uses the Present Simple. (D) lacks the “-ing” form. (B) does not fit the context of explaining what you are currently busy with.
3 (D) meet
- Why it’s correct: “Normally” indicates a routine. With the pronoun “we”, the verb remains in its base form in the Present Simple.
- Why the others are wrong: (A) uses the Present Continuous. (C) incorrectly adds an ‘s’ to the verb. (B) contradicts the context of their usual routine.
4 (B) am studying
- Why it’s correct: The phrase “at the moment” is a classic marker for an action in progress, requiring the Present Continuous.
- Why the others are wrong: (A) is the Present Simple. (D) lacks the auxiliary verb “am”. (C) contradicts the visual clue (“Look at my desk!”).
5 (A) plays
- Why it’s correct: “Often” points to a routine. Because the subject “My brother” is third-person singular, the verb must end in ‘s’.
- Why the others are wrong: (C) uses the Present Continuous. (D) lacks the necessary ‘s’. (B) contradicts the logic that his absence today is an exception.
6 (D) is cleaning
- Why it’s correct: “Right now” shows the cleaning is currently in progress.
- Why the others are wrong: (A) uses the Present Simple. (B) uses the base verb instead of the “-ing” form. (C) contradicts the reason why he is currently busy.
7 (D) love
- Why it’s correct: “Love” is a stative verb (a verb expressing a state or feeling). Stative verbs are almost exclusively used in the Present Simple, never in the continuous form.
- Why the others are wrong: (A) is a very common mistake for beginners (“am loving” is grammatically incorrect in formal English). (C) incorrectly adds an ‘s’ to “I”. (B) contradicts the context.
8 (A) is shining
- Why it’s correct: You are describing the current weather condition happening outside at this exact moment.
- Why the others are wrong: (B) is the Present Simple. (C) lacks the “-ing” suffix. (D) contradicts the statement “It’s a beautiful day”.
9 (C) Are / waiting
- Why it’s correct: This is a question about an action happening “right now”. The correct structure for Present Continuous questions is: Am/Is/Are + Subject + Verb-ing?
- Why the others are wrong: (A) is a Present Simple question. (B) uses the base verb instead of “-ing”. (D) doesn’t fit the context.
10 (B) have
- Why it’s correct: “Always” indicates a routine. Furthermore, “have” (when used to mean possession) is a stative verb and cannot take the “-ing” form.
- Why the others are wrong: (A) is a common mistake (students often see “always” but incorrectly use the continuous, or forget “have” is stative). (D) “I” does not take “has”. (C) contradicts the context.
11 (C) am trying
- Why it’s correct: This describes an ongoing effort happening right at the moment of speaking.
- Why the others are wrong: (A) is the Present Simple. (D) lacks the “-ing” suffix. (B) contradicts the desire to finish the homework quickly.
12 (A) have
- Why it’s correct: “Usually” marks a routine. The phrase “have fun” is used in the Present Simple here to describe a general truth about their Saturdays.
- Why the others are wrong: (C) is the Present Continuous. (D) the subject “We” takes “have”, not “has”. (B) contradicts the context.
13 (D) is calling
- Why it’s correct: The exclamation “Listen!” draws attention to an action happening at this very second.
- Why the others are wrong: (A) is the Present Simple. (C) lacks the auxiliary verb “is”. (B) makes no sense; if the mom isn’t calling, there is no reason to hang up the phone.
14 (B) don’t understand
- Why it’s correct: “Understand” is a stative verb that describes a mental state. Even though the confusion is happening right now, you must use the Present Simple.
- Why the others are wrong: (C) is a widespread mistake among learners (“am not understanding” violates the stative verb rule). (D) the pronoun “I” pairs with “don’t”, not “doesn’t”. (A) contradicts the statement that the problem is hard.
15 (B) are / doing
- Why it’s correct: The phrase “at the moment” requires a question in the Present Continuous form.
- Why the others are wrong: (A) mixes forms incorrectly. (C) is the Present Simple. (D) lacks the “-ing” suffix.
16 (A) comes
- Why it’s correct: “Normally” points to a routine. The indefinite pronoun “everyone” is always treated as singular, so the verb must take an ‘s’.
- Why the others are wrong: (B) is the Present Continuous. (D) lacks the required ‘s’. (C) contradicts the context of the team gathering.
17 (C) hope
- Why it’s correct: “Hope” is another example of a stative verb related to thoughts and feelings, commonly used in the Present Simple.
- Why the others are wrong: (B) is a common grammatical error. (D) the pronoun “I” does not take an ‘s’. (A) contradicts the polite and hopeful tone of the decline.
18 (D) are having
- Why it’s correct: In the specific phrase “have a great time,” the word “have” acts as an action verb (meaning experiencing), not a possession verb. Therefore, it CAN be used in the continuous form, which is required by “right now”.
- Why the others are wrong: (A) is the Present Simple. (C) lacks the auxiliary verb “are”. (B) contradicts the assumption that the team is enjoying themselves.
19 (D) is starting
- Why it’s correct: The time marker “now,” combined with hearing the whistle, shows the event is beginning at this exact moment.
- Why the others are wrong: (B) is the Present Simple. (C) lacks the “-ing” suffix. (A) contradicts the auditory evidence of the referee’s whistle.
20 (D) want
- Why it’s correct: “Want” is a core stative verb. It expresses a desire and must be used in the Present Simple, regardless of how temporary the feeling is.
- Why the others are wrong: (A) is a classic mistake (“am wanting” is incorrect). (C) “I” does not take an ‘s’. (B) contradicts the speaker’s true desire to play.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- The Contrast (Routine vs. Temporary): To politely decline an invitation, it is natural to acknowledge the routine first using the Present Simple (I usually play… / We normally meet…). Then, you present your temporary, urgent excuse using the Present Continuous (But right now I am studying… / I am doing my homework…).
- Time Expressions:
- Present Simple Markers: usually, normally, often, always, on Saturdays.
- Present Continuous Markers: right now, at the moment, today, Look!, Listen!
- The Stative Verbs Trap: This is the most crucial rule for A1/A2 learners. Even if you are talking about your feelings or thoughts right at this very second, NEVER add “-ing” to stative verbs.
- Common Stative Verbs: want, love, hate, understand, hope, know, need. * (Example: Say “I want to go” instead of “I am wanting to go”).