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Message board > Present simple Vrs. Present Continuous! Help!
Present simple Vrs. Present Continuous! Help!
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Samantha.esl
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Present simple Vrs. Present Continuous! Help!
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Hello everyone!
I am helping a student with grammar. Specifically, present
continuous vrs. Present simple! And the teacher gave them the following sentences in which they have to complete with either presnet continuous or present simple. But the confusion is when do we use one or the other? I first thought she was using present continuous for future
arrangements but I don �t know..I got a little lost as she puts enphasis on the
prepositions.. The sentences seem ambiguous to me... Would you help me!?!
1) She ................ ( work) during the weekends ( she said she should use present Cont.. Why can �t we use present simple here?)
2) She..................( work) IN the weekends ( she said she should use Simple present here.. why?)
3) She..................( work) AT the weekends (The teacher said she should use Present Continuos. Is it correct? why?)
What does the first sentence mean if I use present continuous? IT �s not a routine but it �s not a future arrangement either!?
Thank you!!
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23 Feb 2010
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Aurore
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To be honest I can �t answer the question why because none of these sentences sound English. It doesn �t matter if you use the present simple or continuous because they �re not English sentences. I �m from England and I �d never say any of them. Hope that reassures you.
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23 Feb 2010
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Kate (kkcat)
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Actually, there is no logic behind these sentences. To choose between Present Simple or Present Continuous, we need context at least. And the choice of the tenses for these three sentences seems to be �out of the blue �.
But if someone uses Pr. Continous in sentence 1. it would only mean that it �s a temporary situation and is likely to finish soon.
But again, the choice of a tense purely depends on the context or if there is no context - on the speaker.
Hmm, never met the use of prep. �in � with the �weekend � before.
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23 Feb 2010
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lshorton99
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I agree with Aurore!
However, the last sentence could be She works at the weekend. (I wouldn �t use weekends here) If you say She is working at the weekend then it would be a definite future arrangement.
I would never use IN with the weekend and during doesn �t sound right either!
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23 Feb 2010
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Malvine
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I haven �t heard IN with THE WEEKEND either - only AT or ON. |
23 Feb 2010
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minna526
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Hello!
Don �t worry, it �s not your fault that you can �t explain!
I agree with Aurore, too.
Also "IN THE WEEKEND" is obviously an error!
Probably the teacher should revise her worksheet.
Minn
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23 Feb 2010
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Stepha
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Hi!
1- present continuous: because it refers to a particular action that has begun but hasn �t ended at the time of the speaking; she will continue to work during weekends in the future.
3- implies that it is not, or may not be, permanent
I don �t know why the prepositions determine the verb tense, specially because number 2 doesn �t seem quite right. I would use at again and justify my option:
simple present- because it is a permanent arrangement, a habit, a thing that happens on a regular basis
that is to say: 1 is ok, 2 I don �t know, 3 could be done using both tenses.
I have to admit I �m getting confused, hope someone has a better answer because I would like to know the justification  |
23 Feb 2010
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Samantha.esl
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Hi everyone!!
I �m glad to read your answers!! I was a little shocked when this student came to me asking for help with these sentences because they don �t sound right to me. I �m not a native speaker and I know I make mistakes myslef and I don �t know it all! But I was a little puzzled.
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24 Feb 2010
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PhilipR
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Are you sure this student �s teacher is a real teacher and not an impostor? Had this �teacher � had too much to drink or indulged in magic mushrooms? If not, I think someone needs to have a chat with this person before (s)he corrupts more students. 
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24 Feb 2010
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suxanita
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Well, i don �t know what to say.
They �re ambiguous and... - In the weekend? -
I agree with PhilipR... are you sure she/he �s a teacher?
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24 Feb 2010
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kmtr
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I �m guessing that the "in the weekend" is a poor translation from the Spanish "en". You could say she works ON the weekend. "En" has various English equivalents depending on context.
And I don �t usually hear "at the weekend"; for me "at" is for location or for a specific time (at 4:00) , not a time duration-morning, afternoon, etc is generally "in". |
24 Feb 2010
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