usage of verb tense
Which is correct? Our train is leaving at 9:25 or our train leaves at 9:25
Both are ok however the general rule is to use the present continuous in such a situation where present actions and events are involved:
- e.g. for things or actions that are happening, or that we are doing, right now or in immediate future
- and for travels and meetings/appointments
- ex: I am eating my dinner right now
- ex: I am flying to Rome on the weekend
Generally not used in present continuous are:
- sense verbs e.g. I am liking my dinner
And the present simple is used for:
Stating facts e.g. the population of Italy is...
- Stating general truths e.g. English food can be awful...
- Talking about habitual activities e.g. how often you do something (with use of adverbs of frequency - usually, sometimes, always etc.) Ex: "I go to the gym three times per week"
- Giving directions and/or instructions e.g. the museum is on the left
- Talking about general schedules and timetables e.g. the train leaves on the hour...
- "The train is leaving in 5min..." is more immediate
- Providing a summary or abstract at the beginning of a report e.g. "in this experiment we focus on the..." etc.
- Newspaper headlines e.g. "Microsoft takes over Yahoo"
- Doing by saying e.g. "I quit!"...or "I apologise" or "I now pronounce you husband and wife" etc. (see perlocutionary speech acts - Austin and Searle)
|link comment||edited Jun 01 '11 at 10:38 Gabedude Contributor|
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