Specific question about Present Continuous/Simple Tense

[learner2007]

Hello!

I'm an English language learner. I'm also a chessplayer and read chess comments on played chess games. Reading, I was puzzled by the mixed use of Present Simple and Present Continuous Tense. I know that in sport commentaries it is usually used Present Simple, but I was confused when I saw many instances of using Present Continuous.Here are some examples:



"If White plays with his king and Black does not, then White is using six pawns, plus a king and bishop, while Black is only using his rook and six pawns." --------->Why not "uses"?

"The e8-knigt guards the d6-square." SIMPLE TENSE; why not "guarding"?

"....56 h6 Kb6 which isn't great but Black is also fighting with the king now." CONTINUOUS TENSE

"Black is being squeezed" CONTINUOUS TENSE

"White is achieving his usual brisk development" CONTINUOUS TENSE

White enjoys the threat g5-g6" SIMPLE TENSE, why not "is enjoying"


My question is: When Present Simple must be used and when Present Continuous?

[JosieW]

There is a lot to learn about when we use present continuous and present simple.

I would thoroughly recommend any student of English to buy the book:

English Grammar in Use (Intermediate) - by Raymond Murphy - Cambridge University Press.

The first few chapters deal with exactly this issue. There is a step by step explanation and lots of exercises to do afterwards. There is also a key to the exercises at the back of the book. I think you need to go into this area of study in some depth.

[learner2007]

Thanks, Josie!

[renzot25]

ok... what you have to remember is what happens always.. like a common move in chess.... if there is a common move, it happens always, so that's why the present simple is used... then the result can vary, the might be different options so you use the present continuous....

[learner2007]

ok... what you have to remember is what happens always.. like a common move in chess.... if there is a common move, it happens always, so that's why the present simple is used... then the result can vary, the might be different options so you use the present continuous....

OK, but if by "common" move you mean "a move which is played always in the particular position", this is not the case. I must tell you that Present Simple is commonly applied to all moves, even new, unplayed so far.