[Grammar] Simple tense's usage:There are still many difficulties.

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anhnha

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Despite efforts by enterprises to co-operate with schools, there are still many difficulties.
We use present simple tense in the above sentence. The verb "are" means that at the moment, now. I am confused why we don't use the progressive tense to express it.
Is it true that we can use both present simple tense and present progressive tense to say about the action that is happening?
If so, is there any difference between them?
I know that the present simple tense is use in these case:
1. Actions that are repeated or harbitual
2. States
3. Statements that are always true
I don't see the above sentence fits for the usage of the present simple tense.
Thanks for help!

 

bhaisahab

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Despite efforts by enterprises to co-operate with schools, there are still many difficulties.
We use present simple tense in the above sentence. The verb "are" means that at the moment, now. I am confused why we don't use the progressive tense to express it.
Is it true that we can use both present simple tense and present progressive tense to say about the action that is happening?
If so, is there any difference between them?
I know that the present simple tense is use in these case:
1. Actions that are repeated or harbitual
2. States
3. Statements that are always true
I don't see the above sentence fits for the usage of the present simple tense.
Thanks for help!


"At this moment there are many difficulties." How would you write that using present progressive?
 

anhnha

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"At this moment there are many difficulties." How would you write that using present progressive?
At this moment we are facing many difficulties.
Or:
At this moment we are having many difficulties.
 

Raymott

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At this moment we are facing many difficulties.
Or:
At this moment we are having many difficulties.
No, that's a different sentence. You'd have to write, "At this moment there are still being many difficulties". That is, you form the present progressive with the appropriate auxiliary from "to be" (here, 'are') and the present participle of the main verb (here, 'being').
However, we don't say that. Why is this not 2. a state? It's a state in which there are still many difficulties. It's a state of there being still many difficulties.
 
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anhnha

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Why is this not 2. a state? It's a state in which there are still many difficulties. It's a state of there being still many difficulties.
Can I use the present progressive tense to say about states?
Is there any difference in meaning between them?
 

Raymott

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Can I use the present progressive tense to say about states?
Is there any difference in meaning between them?
No, I just said "We don't say that".
There's no difference in meaning, but we don't say "are being" in this context.
Yes, sometimes you can use the present progressive to talk about states. "I am feeling sick" is one example.
 
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