How would you teach the differences between present simple and present continuous?
I explain to my ESL students that the simple present describes something that takes place right now. i.e. I sit at the computer. Then I explain that the simple present continuous describes something that starts now, but will continue for a short while into the near future. i.e. I am sitting at the computer. This sentence tells the reader that yes indeed, I am at the computer, that I will also be here for awhile, but not all day long. I use the same logic to explain the simple past vs simple past continuous, and the simple future vs the simple future continuous. Also, all three simple continuous tenses use the auxiliary verb To Be + the -ing form of the verb to conjugate: – i.e. I am going 1) It is the auxiliary verb that is conjugated into the past or present, depending on which of these continuous tense you need. Then the same -ing spelling is added to finish the tense. – i.e. I am going (simple present continuous), I was going (simple past continuous) 2) the conjugation model for the
