Present Simple and Present Continuous

Present Simple and Present Continuous

En inglés hay dos tiempos para hablar del presente. El Present Simple describe hábitos, rutinas y hechos que siempre son verdad. El Present Continuous describe lo que está pasando ahora mismo o en este periodo, y situaciones temporales. En español a menudo usamos la misma forma («juego» / «estoy jugando»), por eso hay que fijarse bien.

Para elegir bien, hazte siempre la misma pregunta: ¿hablo de algo que pasa normalmente o que es siempre verdad, o de algo que está pasando ahora o solo durante un tiempo? En el primer caso usa el Present Simple; en el segundo, el Present Continuous. Las palabras clave de la frase te ayudarán a decidir.

Present Simple

Estructura: sujeto + verbo en forma base. Con he, she, it se añade -s o -es: She plays, he watches, it goes, she studies.

• Negativa: don't / doesn't + forma base: He doesn't like coffee. (nunca «doesn't likes»)
• Interrogativa: Do / Does + sujeto + forma base: Does she live here?

Usos:

• Hábitos y rutinas: I get up at 7 every day.
• Hechos generales y verdades científicas: Water boils at 100 °C at sea level.
• Situaciones permanentes: My parents work in a hospital.
• Horarios: The train leaves at 8:15.

Palabras clave: always, usually, often, sometimes, never, every day, on Mondays, once a week. Los adverbios de frecuencia van delante del verbo principal pero detrás de be: She often plays tennis. She is always late.

Present Continuous

Estructura: sujeto + am / is / are + verbo en -ing: I am reading, she is running, they are writing.

• Negativa: He isn't working today.
• Interrogativa: Are you listening?
• Ortografía: write → writing (se pierde la -e), run → running (se dobla la consonante), lie → lying.

Usos:

• Acciones que ocurren ahora: Look! It is snowing.
• Situaciones temporales: I am staying with my aunt this week.
• Planes futuros ya organizados: We are visiting my grandparents on Sunday.
• Cambios y tendencias: The climate is getting warmer.

Palabras clave: now, right now, at the moment, today, this week, Look!, Listen!

Verbos de estado (stative verbs)

Algunos verbos expresan estados, no acciones, y normalmente no se usan en forma continua: know, understand, believe, like, love, hate, want, need, prefer, belong, own, seem.
Correcto: I know the answer. Incorrecto: I am knowing the answer.

Ejemplos resueltos

Ejemplo 1. My brother usually ___ (play) football on Saturdays, but this Saturday he ___ (study) for an exam.
«Usually» indica rutina → Present Simple con -s: plays. «This Saturday» es una excepción temporal → Present Continuous: is studying.
Solución: My brother usually plays football on Saturdays, but this Saturday he is studying for an exam.

Ejemplo 2. Be quiet! The baby ___ (sleep).
«Be quiet!» indica que ocurre ahora → is sleeping.

Ejemplo 3. ___ you ___ (understand) the question?
«Understand» es un verbo de estado → Present Simple: Do you understand the question?

Ejemplo 4. She ___ (not / work) today because she ___ (feel) ill.
«Today» es una situación temporal → isn't working. «Feel» con el sentido de encontrarse físicamente puede ir en continuo para algo temporal: is feeling (también es correcto feels).
Solución: She isn't working today because she is feeling ill.

Ejemplo 5. Completa la pregunta: What time ___ the film ___ (start)?
Es un horario fijo → Present Simple: What time does the film start?

Comparación rápida

Errores frecuentes

• She play tennis. → She plays tennis. (falta la -s de tercera persona)
• He doesn't likes fish. → He doesn't like fish. (tras doesn't, forma base)
• I am wanting a new phone. → I want a new phone. (verbo de estado)
• Listen! Someone sings. → Listen! Someone is singing. (ocurre ahora)
• She is work now. → She is working now. (falta -ing)

Ejercicios