Which tense do I need for CELPIP Speaking Task 3?

Use present continuous to describe a picture in real time, like "A man is crossing the street while two children are playing."

Are words like "want" or "know" ever used with -ing?

No — stative verbs such as know, understand, want, need, like, love, believe, own, and seem normally stay in the simple form, so you say "I want a coffee," not "I am wanting a coffee."

Where will I use present simple most on the test?

You'll use it constantly to describe your opinions and routines, especially in Speaking Task 7 and Writing surveys.

Grammar

Present Simple vs. Present Continuous

The difference between "I work" and "I am working" — habits and facts vs. things happening now. One of the most common CELPIP slips.

6 min read · Updated June 18, 2026 · By the Celpip.me editorial team · Free

Quick answer

Updated Sep 16, 2026

Use present simple for habits, routines, and permanent facts ("I take the bus to work"), and present continuous for things happening now or temporarily ("I am living with my cousin while I look for an apartment"). One frequent CELPIP error is dropping the third-person -s, as in "She work downtown" instead of "She works downtown" — a mistake raters spot easily.

Which tense do I need for CELPIP Speaking Task 3?: Use present continuous to describe a picture in real time, like "A man is crossing the street while two children are playing."
Are words like "want" or "know" ever used with -ing?: No — stative verbs such as know, understand, want, need, like, love, believe, own, and seem normally stay in the simple form, so you say "I want a coffee," not "I am wanting a coffee."
Where will I use present simple most on the test?: You'll use it constantly to describe your opinions and routines, especially in Speaking Task 7 and Writing surveys.

Practice this with the free full mock →

Key strategies

1.Present simple = habits, routines, and permanent facts: "I work in Calgary." "Water boils at 100C."
2.Present continuous = happening right now or a temporary situation: "I am studying for CELPIP this month."
3.Stative verbs (know, want, believe, like, need) normally do NOT take continuous: say "I know", not "I am knowing".
4.Remember the third-person -s in present simple: "He works", not "He work" — a frequent low-level error.

Two presents, two jobs

Present simple — for things that are generally or always true: habits, routines, facts.
- "I take the bus to work." (routine)
- "The store opens at nine." (fact)
Present continuous (am/is/are + -ing) — for things happening now or around now (temporary).
- "I am writing an email right now." (this moment)
- "I am living with my cousin while I look for an apartment." (temporary)

The third-person -s

In the present simple, he / she / it takes an -s:

✓ "She works downtown." ✗ "She work downtown."

Dropping this -s is one of the most common errors for test-takers and it is easy for a rater to spot.

Stative verbs stay simple

Some verbs describe states, not actions, and normally are not used in the continuous: know, understand, want, need, like, love, believe, own, seem.

✓ "I want a coffee." ✗ "I am wanting a coffee."

CELPIP application

You will use the present simple constantly to describe your opinions and routines (Speaking Task 7, Writing surveys), and the present continuous to describe a picture in real time (Speaking Task 3): "A man is crossing the street while two children are playing."

Check yourself

A quick self-check on this lesson — pick an answer, then see the explanation. Not graded.

1. Choose the correct sentence:

2. Describing a photo right now (Speaking Task 3): "A woman ___ a stroller."

3. Which is correct?

4. "The train ___ every morning at 7." (routine)

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