Teacher Discussion Forums

I am new to this Forum. I am teaching Adult Intermediate ESL and recently had a student ask me an interesting question. I would like to hear how some of you would answer:

"I learned that the simple present can represent actions that happen all the time. (For example, She always makes fun of her brother.)

I also learned that the present progressive represents an action happening now (For example, She is making fun of her brother again.)

My question is how do you explain why the present progressive is used here? (She is always making fun of her brother.)

Thank you for any advice you might give!

magari321 wrote:I am new to this Forum. I am teaching Adult Intermediate ESL and recently had a student ask me an interesting question. I would like to hear how some of you would answer:

"I learned that the simple present can represent actions that happen all the time. (For example, She always makes fun of her brother.)

I also learned that the present progressive represents an action happening now (For example, She is making fun of her brother again.)

My question is how do you explain why the present progressive is used here? (She is always making fun of her brother.)

Thank you for any advice you might give!

There's not much difference in basic neaning between the use of the present simple and progressive there. The only real difference is in the way the speaker percieves the action.

The present simple is used when the speaker sees the action or event as a single total entity. Temporal references are irrelevant.

The progressive, an Aspect, can be used when the speak sees the same event as divided (over time, for example). It marks the sentence for repetition and implies that there are periods in which the action does not happen.

The present simple and progressive can both express states, but the progressive, can more easily express the broken, repetitive nature of the action.

You can achieve the latter with the present simple if you do something like this:

She always makes fun of her brother when she visits us.

(Permanent state broken by periods of her being elsewhere than at our home)