[Grammar] Shows/Is showing

[Mr.Lucky_One]

Hi, I have a question about using this verb in the context of time.
Which tense is more appropriate in the sentence below?
The clock hanging on the wall shows/is showing twenty eight minutes past five.
I mean it is twenty eight minutes past five on the clock right now. The clock has not stopped at this time, it is still working.
Is it alright to use present simple?

 

[emsr2d2]

I really can't find a difference between them. In this case, I would say that they are equally appropriate. The rest of the text around the sentence might dictate which one sounds better.

 

[Mr.Lucky_One]

The context is below.

"...It is raining outside. The dense drizzle like a cellophane curtain. It is unnaturally warm for a middle of November – 11 degrees Celsius. The clock hanging on the wall is showing twenty eight minutes past five, but the night darkness that can be only in St. Petersburg and only at this time of a year has already taken over the city. Lights are shining outside and the rain is getting the whole city looking like a big blur. I place the cup on the sill and turn away from the window…"

Perhaps present continuous is a little bit better because it shows a background action. I don't know.

 

[bhaisahab]

The context is below.

"...It is raining outside. The dense drizzle like a cellophane curtain. It is unnaturally warm for a middle of November – 11 degrees Celsius. The clock hanging on the wall is showing twenty eight minutes past five, but the night darkness that can be only in St. Petersburg and only in this time of a year has already taken over the city. Lights are shining outside and the rain is getting the whole city looking like a big blur. I place the cup on the sill and turn away from the window…"

Perhaps present continuous is a little bit better because it shows a bockground action. I don't know.

In that context either could be used with the same meaning.

 

[Raymott]

The context is below.

"...It is raining outside. The dense drizzle like a cellophane curtain. It is unnaturally warm for a middle of November – 11 degrees Celsius. The clock [STRIKE]hanging [/STRIKE]on the wall [STRIKE]is showing[/STRIKE] shows twenty eight minutes past five, but the night darkness that can be only in St. Petersburg and only in this time of a year has already taken over the city. Lights are [STRIKE]shining[/STRIKE] shine outside and the rain is [STRIKE]getting[/STRIKE] making the whole city look[STRIKE]ing[/STRIKE] like a big blur. I place the cup on the sill and turn away from the window…"

Perhaps present continuous is a little bit better because it shows a bockground action. I don't know.

My comments are literary. The present continuous can become annoying in a story. I wouldn't want to read too much of this.
"hanging" does nothing as a progressive, and is not necessary. The lights shining is not as progressive as to need highlighting, but the rain is. I've made a few suggestions; but try to keep the progressive for actions that really move the story along. The clock and the lights don't. (Only my opinion and artistic sensitivities, of course).
You have other grammatical errors that I haven't fixed.