FORM

Look at the mind map below. It will help you to understand the difference between the Present Simple `and Present Continuous. Pay attention to the special SIGNAL WORDS used with these tenses.

You cannot form the Present Continuous unless you already know how to form the Present Simple of the verb ‘to be’. (is, am, are)

See here for an explanation of the form and function of the Present Progressive Tense

The Present Continuous: Questions and Statements and Question Forms

Statements: Positive and Negative statements

Note:

There are some verbs that cannot be used in the Present Continuous Tense. We call these ‘stative verbs’. These “stative” verbs are about state, not action, and they cannot express the continuous aspect. Here are some of the most common non-continuous verbs:

feeling: hate, like, love, prefer, want, wish
senses: appear, feel, hear, see, seem, smell, sound, taste
communication: agree, deny, disagree, mean, promise, satisfy, surprise
thinking: believe, imagine, know, mean, realize, recognize, remember, understand
other states: be, belong, concern, depend, involve, matter, need, owe, own, possess

(See examples under the Grammar Tab)