Tom __________ at the moment. Can I take a message?
Use the present continuous tense with action verbs and time expressions like, "at the moment."
I often __________ tennis on Saturdays.
Use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as 'usually', 'often', 'sometimes', etc.
We __________ on the Smith account this weekend.
The present continuous can be used to discuss something happening around the moment of speaking.
We rarely go out for dinner, but this week we __________ out on Saturday.
Use the present continuous tense to describe an event that is planned for the future.
He __________ every word she says.
Use the present simple tense for stative verbs (verbs that express a state, a feeling, an opinion, etc.).
Angela gets up at 7 o'clock and __________ breakfast every day.
Use the present simple tense to describe something that happens every day.
Peter usually __________ a lot of questions.
Use the simple present tense to speak about someone's usual behaviour.
Jason doesn't know the answer to this question. He __________ the other answers.
Use the present simple tense for stative verbs (verbs that express a state, a feeling, an opinion, etc.).
We __________ a meeting in Chicago this weekend.
Use the present continuous to speak about scheduled events, especially when using business English.
She __________ to purchase a new computer.
A desire is not an action, so it is a stative verb (a verb that expresses a state, feeling, opinion, etc.) The present continuous is not used with stative verbs.
I __________ that this quiz is easy.
'Hope' is a stative verb (a verb that expresses a state, feeling, opinion, etc.) and is not used with the continuous form.
Janet __________ breakfast at the moment.
Use the present continuous tense to describe something that is happening at the exact moment of speech.
My friends __________ in a factory twenty miles from their apartment.
In this case, both answers could be right, but would have a slightly different meaning. "My friends are working..." would mean that the friends are working right now, at this time and could be an answer to the question, "Where are your friends?"
"My friends work..." implies a habitual action; in other words, that the friends have jobs at the factory but not that they are necessarily working there at the moment.
She is always __________ about how much she hates her job.
The word "always" is a clue; we use the present continuous to talk about how something that happens often.
The children __________ at the moment by the nanny.
Use the present continuous to describe something that is happening right now.
This is the passive form of the continuous. The plural form of "to be" is required, because the sentence is about more than one child.
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