I live or I'm living
I live or I'm living
By Alena Lien,
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3 September 2018
Present simple or Present continuous?
When we talk about experiences and situations in conversation, we can imply or hint that something is long-term or temporary by using either the present simple or present continuous tense.
Compare the following examples.
Present simple:
"I work for the government."
This implies the job is long term. (I would like to retire from this company.)
Present continuous:
"I'm working for the government."
This implies the job is short term. (I'm not sure if I want to work here for the rest of my life.)
Present simple:
"I live in Australia."
This implies a sense of permanency. (This is where I call home.)
Present continuous:
"I'm living in Australia."
This implies a temporary situation. (I'm here for a few years.)
Temporary situations - Plan or feeling?
When it comes to using the present continuous tense, the listener may not always know if the temporary situation is a plan or a feeling.
Temporary situation:
"I'm working for the government at the moment."
Plan:
"I'm working for the government at the moment, but I'm moving to Japan to teach English next year."
Feeling:
"I'm working for the government at the moment, but I'm not sure what the future holds for me."