simple present and present continuous

Anonymous · 02-Mar-2003, 14:55

i want some questions and answer about simple present and present continuous to teach my kid.

please send me details about how simple present and present continuous forming.

thanks

ra

**Tdol** · 02-Mar-2003, 17:43

Present Simple
Present Continuous

**Jeremy Taylor** · 16-Jun-2004, 14:55

I think one important point is that with the present simple, the speaker sees the event as a permanent event. For example, when I was 12, I told a girl, I love you, not, I am loving you, because AT THAT MOMENT I thought it would last forever - even though it only lasted three days.
On the other hand, At the age of 18, I started looking for a wife. I'm 41 now and I'm still looking. I see this as a TEMPORARY event, as when I find HER, I'll stop looking - so I use the present contonuous - despite the fact that the event has been going on for 26 years!
Interesting, isn't it?

**MikeNewYork** · 17-Jun-2004, 21:29

Originally Posted by Jeremy Taylor

I think one important point is that with the present simple, the speaker sees the event as a permanent event. For example, when I was 12, I told a girl, I love you, not, I am loving you, because AT THAT MOMENT I thought it would last forever - even though it only lasted three days.
On the other hand, At the age of 18, I started looking for a wife. I'm 41 now and I'm still looking. I see this as a TEMPORARY event, as when I find HER, I'll stop looking - so I use the present contonuous - despite the fact that the event has been going on for 26 years!
Interesting, isn't it?

I really don't agree with your statement that present simple = permanent event. We use present simple in different situations.

I drive to work. (describes a habit)
I like pizza. (my feeling at the moment)
I leave for Europe tomorrow. (a future scheduled event)
I sentence you to ten years in jail. (a pronouncement)

**Jeremy Taylor** · 17-Jun-2004, 22:10

Point taken, Mike. I was just concentrating on one aspect of the ps/pc conundrum.
Jeremy

**MikeNewYork** · 18-Jun-2004, 16:13

Originally Posted by Jeremy Taylor

Point taken, Mike. I was just concentrating on one aspect of the ps/pc conundrum.
Jeremy

No problem. :wink:

**Ibeke** · 11-Aug-2004, 08:47

Originally Posted by MikeNewYork

Originally Posted by Jeremy Taylor

I think one important point is that with the present simple, the speaker sees the event as a permanent event. For example, when I was 12, I told a girl, I love you, not, I am loving you, because AT THAT MOMENT I thought it would last forever - even though it only lasted three days.
On the other hand, At the age of 18, I started looking for a wife. I'm 41 now and I'm still looking. I see this as a TEMPORARY event, as when I find HER, I'll stop looking - so I use the present contonuous - despite the fact that the event has been going on for 26 years!
Interesting, isn't it?

I really don't agree with your statement that present simple = permanent event. We use present simple in different situations.

I drive to work. (describes a habit)
I like pizza. (my feeling at the moment)
I leave for Europe tomorrow. (a future scheduled event)
I sentence you to ten years in jail. (a pronouncement)

mistakie...

**AndrewJC** · 31-Jul-2005, 14:32

Originally Posted by MikeNewYork

I really don't agree with your statement that present simple = permanent event. We use present simple in different situations.

I drive to work. (describes a habit)
I like pizza. (my feeling at the moment)
I leave for Europe tomorrow. (a future scheduled event)
I sentence you to ten years in jail. (a pronouncement)

I don't quite agree with your last two sentences. I could just as well say "I'm leaving for Europe tomorrow" as what you have, without altering the meaning. Likewise, a judge could just as well say "I'm sentencing you to ten years in jail." (I would allow that the use of simple present in that context has a loftier tone, but the meaning is the same.)