Present Simple Vs. Present Progressive
The present tense is easy enough to understand -- anything that is happening now. In English and many other languages, however, there is a distinction between two types of present tense. These distinctions are referred to as present simple and present progressive (or present continuous), and each tense is used to express a different set of act of actions.
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Forming the Tenses
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The present simple tense could be described as the most basic form of the verb apart from the infinitive. In this form the verb stands on its own; no helping verb is required. For instance, you might say, "John plays in the snow," or "They play board games." The present progressive form, on the other hand, demands the use of the main verb and a helping verb. An example with the progressive form of "play" could be "Harold is playing chess" or "They are playing soccer." In this case, you can see that the main verb is linked to a helping verb, one of several forms of the verb "to be."
Present Simple to Describe State of Being
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One of the two primary uses for the simple present form is to describe a subject's state of being. This form can be used to express basic descriptions such as "Peter has big ears" or "Sally is tall." However, it can also be used for expressions like "Andrew believes in aliens" or "Michelle enjoys tennis." All of these, whether descriptions or opinions, indicate fairly permanent facts that will most likely continue to be true for quite some time.
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Present Simple to Describe Habits
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The present simple form can also be used to describe habitual action, often accompanied by a qualification of the frequency of an action. For example, "Elizabeth goes to church every Sunday" expresses a habit, an action which is not necessarily occurring at this present moment but which continues to occur presently in the manner described.
Present Progressive for Temporary Action
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Present progressive has two main categories of uses as well, just like present simple. The first is to describe a current action that is temporary. For example, the phrase "Alex is taking out the trash" indicates that the action is ongoing but could end at any given time.
Present Progressive for Upcoming Plans
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Finally, present progressive can be used to describe an upcoming action. Examples of this include "I am going to the mountains this weekend" and "Roberto is playing in the championship next Thursday." The reason that this sort of construction can still be considered present tense is because of the present state of anticipation, which looks forward to the impending action. Like the habitual usage of simple present, this form is often accompanied by a phrase used to qualify the time frame, in order to make clear that the action itself has not happened yet, merely the anticipation.
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