Get Present Tense Simple Or Progressive

We use the simple past as the narrative form of the past to express completed, sequential actions. We use the past progressive to say what was happening at a particular moment in the past, to set the scene and to emphasise duration of a past action.

In many cases, both forms are correct, but there is often a difference in meaning: We use the Present Perfect Simple mainly to express that an action is completed or to emphasise the result. We use the Present Perfect Progressive to emphasise the duration or continuous course of an action.

You form the present progressive tense by using a form of the verb be followed by an –ing verb. For example, “I am watching a movie.”

The present progressive tense is for anything that is happening right now. Progressive tense verbs end with "-ing" and have a helping verb ("to be" verb, in the present tense). We can also use it to talk about temporary actions, trends and things that are happening these days. She is reading a newspaper.

The simple present is used for permanent actions, to describe daily events, facts or as a narrative form for stories that take place in the present. The present progressive is used for temporary actions and to describe what is happening at the moment of speaking.

I am > I'm – I'm going to the store in about ten minutes. He is > He's, She is > She's, It is > It's – It's raining cats and dogs. We are > We're, You are > You're, They are > They're – We're catching the 9:00 flight.

The simple tenses are used for actions that occurred at a specific time either in the present, past or future, but they do not state whether or not the action is finished. They are present (simple), past (simple) and future (simple). The progressive tenses are used to indicate an unfinished action.