Every Day or Right Now? Present Simple and Present Continuous

About This Resource

A complete Grade 5 ESL lesson pack contrasting the present simple and the present continuous: habits and facts versus actions happening now, signal words such as usually and at the moment, forming questions and negatives, and stative verbs like like, want and know. Includes a lesson plan, worksheet, quiz, homework, A5 flashcards, a rubric, detailed slides with speaker notes, Word files and answer keys.

Overview

Students learn when to use each tense. The present simple describes habits, routines and facts (She plays the piano every day). The present continuous describes actions happening now or around now (She is playing the piano right now). Students use signal words to choose the tense, form negatives and questions, learn that stative verbs such as like, know and want are not usually used in the continuous, read a short text and write about their routines and what is happening at the moment.

Resource Details

Subject: ESL
Topic: Present Simple and Present Continuous
Category: Grammar
File Type: PDF
File Size: 322.5 KB
Published: 31 Oct 2026
Downloads: 0

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Grade 5 ESL (ages 10–11), A2–B1 55 minutes Grammar reading writing speaking

Learning Objectives

Choose between the present simple and the present continuous using meaning and signal words.
Form affirmative, negative and question forms of both tenses.
Recognize common stative verbs that do not usually take the continuous form.

How to Use This Resource

Show the slides and act out a contrast: "I usually drink tea, but right now I am drinking water."
Use the flashcards to sort signal words, then complete the worksheet.
Use the quiz to check learning and send the homework home; answers are in the answer keys.

Classroom Activity Ideas

Freeze frame: students mime an action; the class says what they are doing now and what they usually do instead.
Signal word sort: students sort cards (every day, now, often, at the moment, never, this week) into two tenses.
Picture compare: show a photo of a busy park; students describe what people are doing now and guess what they usually do.

Differentiation

Support: focus on affirmative sentences and give a signal word chart. Challenge: write a paragraph comparing a normal school day with what is happening on a special day.

Assessment

The worksheet and quiz check form and choice of tense (answer keys included). Use the rubric for the writing task.

Teacher Tips

Draw a timeline: the present simple covers past, present and future as a repeated pattern; the present continuous is a short box around now. Visuals help students see the difference.

What's Included

10-page printable PDF lesson pack: teacher lesson plan with timings, materials and differentiation
Key vocabulary list (7 words with meanings and examples)
Student worksheet (5 activities)
Quiz / assessment (3 parts)
Homework practice page
Printable flashcards: 7 A5 picture cards (separate PDF)
Assessment rubric (4 levels)
Lesson slides (editable PowerPoint)
Editable Word version of all student pages
Complete answer key (also as a separate PDF)