Verbs

Learning Japanese Forum - Ask a Tutor
1

Hi

I don’t understand the diference between “私 は 掃除 を し ます” and “私 は 掃除 を して い ます”
I tought shimasu it’s now, and shiteimasu, a habit, but i was wrong because in the same lesson i have "私 は 掃除 を し ます 。私 は 掃除 を して い ます 。 "

Can you explain me what is -te form?

2

As you say the “-te imasu” form can mean habitual action but that is not all.
Acording to about.com there are three meanings to -て います (Frequently Asked Questions in Introductory Japanese).

  1. Progressive - some action is ongoing (like English “-ing”)
    電話をしています。 - I am making a phone call
  2. Habitual - repeated action
    英語を教えています。 - I teach English (always do it, as a profession)
  3. Condition - some condition, situation, results of an action
    結婚しています - I am married

Some sentences may fit multiple cases so that the context determine the meaning.
For example, 英語を教えています (#1, or #2). In other cases, only one of them can make sense, like 結婚しています.

私は 掃除を して います will work best with the #1 case, meaning “I am cleaning (the room)”.
Gramatically I think it can fit #2 but not as well as #1.

I think the original meaning of います (いる) is the key here.
Since it means English “be”, it can have the meaning “am doing…”, “am (some profession/position)”, or “am married (condition/state)”, etc.