Start with a real moment.
On most days you work in an office, but today you are working from home. The difference is about how you present the situation: a usual pattern versus something in progress or temporary. Time words help, but meaning matters more than memorising a list of “signal words.”
See how the sentence works.
Subject + am / is / are + verb-ing
Read the sentence as one idea, then notice the job each part does.
Understand the choices.
Use the present simple for routines, facts and relatively stable situations: “I take the train.” Add -s or -es with he, she or it in positive sentences. In questions and negatives, does carries that agreement: “Does she work here?”
Use the present continuous for actions happening now or around now, and temporary arrangements: “I’m taking a course this month.” You may not be in class at the exact moment of speaking; the course is a current, temporary activity.
Some verbs commonly describe states, such as know, need and believe, and usually use a simple form in that meaning. Compare “I think it’s useful” (opinion) with “I’m thinking about the problem” (active mental work). The meaning of the verb changes the choice.
Useful sentences, in context.
She usually walks, but today she is taking the bus.
Usual routine contrasts with today’s temporary choice.
I need a little more time.
Need describes a state here.
We are staying with friends this week.
The stay is a temporary situation around now.
A small change makes a difference.
AvoidShe is work today.
UseShe is working today.
A continuous form needs be + verb-ing. “She works today” can be grammatical in a schedule context, but it is a different form.
A MOMENT TO PRACTISE
Your turn.
Choose an answer, then check the explanation. There is no timer and nothing to sign up for.
TAKE IT INTO YOUR DAY
Make it yours.
Make two pairs about your life: “I usually …, but this week I’m …” Use real temporary changes, not just a different tense for the same meaning.
Further reading · British Council LearnEnglish
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