Business English B2 · Lesson 2A

Grammar Bank

The rules behind this lesson — form, use, model sentences and the mistakes to avoid.

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Grammar focus of this lesson

Present simple vs. present continuous for updates

1 structure

Present tenses for updates & agendas
Choosing tenses that make a status update sound professional.
I've got this
Rules & form
- ›Present simple for standing facts and agenda items: The report covers Q3.
- ›Present continuous for work in progress: We're finalising the numbers.
- ›Present perfect for completed steps: We've closed the audit.
- ›Present perfect continuous for effort so far: We've been chasing the vendor.
Examples
- “Today's call covers three items.”
- “We're currently piloting it with two accounts.”
- “We've already resolved 80% of the tickets.”
Watch out · Don't narrate progress in the past simple — it sounds finished and disconnected.
Your own example