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Is it possible to say or write ?

Now, I am wearing my contact lenses from time to time.

or is it better to use present simple

Now, I wear my contact lenses from time to time.

I've chosen continuous because it is a new habit before I wore them full time.

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  • The phrase is "from time to time" - it is always singular.
    – stangdon
    Apr 7, 2018 at 8:12

2 Answers 2

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We use Present Progressive if we want to emphasise that an activity...

1. is happening at now.

He is watching TV now.

2. differs from what is expected or usual (PS - PP)

He usually gets up at 7, but this week he is getting up at 8.

3. is disliked by the speaker or evokes ambivalent feelings.

He is always listening to that stupid disco record!

If you try to fit your sentence into these rules, you'll find out that it would be possible to use it in PP, but there's an adverb of time in the sentence (from time to time) that is a synonym for sometimes and that AoT usually goes with Present Simple.

On the other hand, now and from time to time in the same sentence are a bit erroneous. Please consider the following alternatives:

Now I am wearing my contact lenses. (Now I am having to because I would not see anything but vaguely otherwise.)

I wear my contact lenses from time to time. (I wear them, even though I don't need them day in day out.)

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  • But if I want to say that there is a change can I say Before I always wore my contact lenses but now I am wearing them less and less
    – Yves Lefol
    Apr 7, 2018 at 9:15
  • Then you should say Even if I always wore my contact lenses, now I wear them less and less.
    – user68840
    Apr 7, 2018 at 9:28
  • so I can not use the continuous why ? It differs from what is usual because it will be a new habit ,Is it because this new habit is definitive
    – Yves Lefol
    Apr 7, 2018 at 9:41
  • If you want to describe an action as a new trend (or an annoying habit), then you can use Present Continuous. Consider the following: Are you still working for the same company? More and more people are becoming vegetarian. You also use PC if you want to express annoyance at repeated actions: Why are you always asking me questions?
    – user68840
    Apr 7, 2018 at 10:51
  • ok but how to formulate that Now I am not wearing my contact lenses as I used to do before (without any adverb of time ) correct in that way
    – Yves Lefol
    Apr 7, 2018 at 11:01
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You can use the present continuous with expressions like "these days", "at the moment" or "currently". I used to wear glasses but at the moment I am wearing contact lenses. Here you emphasize the fact that something has changed.

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