Re: simple present or present continuous ?
navigator wrote:Hi..if we consider the following sentence :
My train leaves at six.
Now, as I read, this sentence must be in simple present not in present continuous because the simple present isn't replacable, am I right ? or am I right ? and the question is why ?
The sentence can be in either simple present, simple future, or present continuous.
Simple present:
My train leaves at six.
Simple future:
My train will leave at six.
Present continuous:
My train is leaving at six.
stuh505 wrote:simple present tense is used to describe something that happens at a certain time
present continuous tense is used to describe something that happens over a period of time
This is untrue.
"Continuous" in tenses does not necessarily mean a continuous action, it simply means that the gerund is used.
stuh505 wrote:but you could also think about the fact that the act of leaving takes some time, so you could consider it to be an event that occurs over a period of time...and use present continuous tense:
This is misleading. The reason the gerund can be used is because the gerund can be used to reference future actions. It's no because "leaving takes some time".
Consider:
I am going to bed at 10.
I am leaving for work at 9.
These are not indications that the action will be a drawn out one, they are simply uses of the gerund to refer to the future.
navigator wrote:I meant, I don't understand why we use simple present with this sentence.Although, we know already when the train leaves because there is a schedule!.It's said that we use simple present because this is a habitual action.But, I didn't get the point yet
But you just said the point. The only reason why simple present is prefferable to the present continuous is because the schedule is a habitual action, and for those present simple is usually the tense to use.
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