Simple present vs. present progressive

[Torsten]

Hi, can you please tell me the difference between the simple present and the present progressive in the following sentences. They were taken from a TOEIC prep book by KAPLAN. These sentences describe what you see (or don't see) in a picture:

a) They are balancing the company's books.
b) The woman waits while the man looks.
c) The man and woman review the schedule.
d) The woman watches the man prepare the invoice.

I mean, why is sentence a) in the present progressive and the rest in the present simple?

Thanks,
Torsten

TOEIC listening, question-response: How should we pay for the shipment?

[Skrej]

Hi Torsten,

I can't really think of a particular reason to use the present progressive over the simple present in that first sentence. Either would work to describe the picture.

Maybe it was just a random choice? You'd think they'd keep them all the same, or an even mix of the two.

My first thought was that 'are balancing' is more clearly descriptive of the accounting definition of 'balance', but after a second thought, I don't think somebody unfamiliar with the meaning of 'to balance' in an accounting sense would get any better context from 'are balancing' than 'balance'.

I think it just has to be a random choice.
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[Torsten]

Hi Skrej,

So if I understand you correctly it wouldn't make any difference if you said 'The man and woman are reviewing the schedule' to describe what you see in the picture?

TOEIC listening, question-response: Are you sure you won't have an appetizer?

[Skrej]

In terms of the task being to describe the picture, I can't see any difference between "The man and woman review the schedule" versus "The man and woman are reviewing the schedule", no.

I can't really see any importance in referencing the exact time frame to describe a static picture.
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Plan to be spontaneous tomorrow.
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Did you hear they arrested the Energizer Bunny on battery charges?
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[Torsten]

Hi Skrej,

That's quite interesting because many grammar books use 'static pictures' to illustrate the difference between the present progressive and the simple present.

TOEIC listening, question-response: Would you prefer an aisle seat or a window seat?

[Alan]

Hi Torsten,

This list of sentences in both P C and P S seems to be quite subtle (whether intended or not). In the first one (a) there is a sort of implication along the lines of: Now look, do you see what they are doing? They are balancing the books. The other three (b) (c) and (d) are more along the lines of the dramatic present where the facts are just presented as stark statements. It's rather similar to: I am walking along the street and what do you think? This man comes up to me and says he's a police officer and asks me for my identity card and I show it to him and then he walks away......

Just a thought.

Alan
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[Skrej]

[Torsten]

Hi Alan and Skrej,

Thanks a lot for your explanations which make perfect sense. Now, if you look at the photo below would you say it makes a difference whether I say "Some of people are playing the guitar" and 'Some of people probably play the guitar"?



TOEIC listening, talks: Traffic situation report on TV

[Skrej]

To me, there's a difference, yes. One states that people are actually playing the guitar at the moment of the snapshot, which they technically aren't, while the other clues me in to the fact that there must be some guitars in the picture, which aren't actually being played at the moment.

If I didn't have the picture, and you said "Some people probably play the guitar", I'd wonder why you thought they played the guitar, unless you followed up with another statement about the presence of the guitars.

If you say "Some people are playing the guitar", even without the picture it's completely clear what you mean.

Choose a different verb, though (say 'hold"), and it makes no difference.

"Some people are holding guitars" versus "Some people hold guitars", and it makes no difference in the description.
_________________
Plan to be spontaneous tomorrow.
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Did you hear they arrested the Energizer Bunny on battery charges?
***

[Phem]

The letter a is on present progressive tense because the act is taking place at present and no definite time when it will be end. Unlike the b to d, it is present tense because the actions are taking place at the present and has a definite time when will be end. Another thing you will notice at letter a sentence, the verb use ends at ing it means that the action is in present progressive tense not unlike other sentences that use a simple verb. I hope my ideas make sense to you. Thank you.