DrillKit is an AI-powered tool that turns your online lesson chat from Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, or Microsoft Teams into professional, print-ready ESL lessons in under 30 seconds. It automatically extracts vocabulary, generates exercises (gap-fill, error correction, vocab match, word formation, and more), and produces beautiful PDFs tailored to the student's CEFR level and native language.

Does DrillKit support Zoom chats?

Yes! Simply copy the chat text from your Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, or Microsoft Teams lesson and paste it directly into the input area. You can also paste vocabulary lists or handwritten notes. DrillKit's AI strips out timestamps, sender names, and other noise automatically.

Can I export lessons to PDF?

Absolutely. Every lesson is generated as a high-quality, print-ready PDF. Pro users can also export to Google Docs and customize branding with their school logo and accent colors.

Which languages are supported?

DrillKit supports translations in 11 languages: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Arabic, Turkish, and Russian. The AI auto-detects the student's native language from the chat transcript.

What exercise types can DrillKit generate?

DrillKit generates 11 exercise types: Gap Fill, Vocab Match, Error Correction, Sentence Completion, Multiple Choice, Word Scramble, Sentence Reorder, Translation, Word Formation (Cambridge Part 3), Key Word Transformation (Cambridge Part 4), and Dialogue Builder.

How does the AI extract vocabulary from chat transcripts?

The AI scans your pasted chat transcript, strips out noise (timestamps, reactions, media placeholders), identifies teachable vocabulary, phrasal verbs, idioms, and student errors, then scores each item by relevance. You review and select the best items before generating exercises.

Is DrillKit free to use?

Yes! The free plan includes 20 generations per month with full access to all 13 exercise types, all lesson styles, and custom branding. The Pro plan ($4.99/month or $3.33/month billed yearly) unlocks unlimited generations and priority AI processing.

Can I customize the lesson with my school branding?

Pro users can add their school or institution name, choose custom accent colors, select from 5 lesson styles (Standard, Classic, Modern, Playful, Academic), and add footer text to every generated lesson.

Teaching Present Simple vs Continuous in ESL: Activities & Tips

The Tense Students Think They Know

Present simple vs present continuous is typically introduced at A1-A2 — the very first grammar contrast most ESL students encounter. By B1, they 'know' it. By B2, they still make errors with it. The problem is that the initial distinction ('present simple = habits, present continuous = now') is a useful simplification that becomes misleading as contexts grow more nuanced. 'I live in London' (permanent situation — simple) vs 'I'm living in London' (temporary — continuous). 'What do you do?' (job — simple) vs 'What are you doing?' (right now — continuous). 'I think it's great' (opinion/stative — simple, NEVER continuous). The rules interact with verb type, permanence, and register in ways that A2 explanations don't cover.

The Core Distinction: Permanent vs Temporary

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Present Simple = Permanent / General

Facts: 'Water boils at 100 degrees.' Routines: 'I wake up at 7am.' Fixed states: 'She works as a doctor.' Opinions: 'I love chocolate.' These are stable, unchanging truths about the world or the speaker.

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Present Continuous = Temporary / In Progress

'I'm reading a great book' (currently, will finish). 'She's working from home this week' (temporary change). 'It's raining' (right now, will stop). 'I'm living with my parents' (for now, not permanently).

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Stative Verbs = Simple Only (Usually)

Mental states: know, believe, understand, remember. Emotions: love, hate, want, need, prefer. Senses: see, hear, smell, taste. Possession: have, own, belong. These describe states, not actions — they don't take continuous form ('I'm knowing' = WRONG).

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Teacher Tip

“Many students think present continuous ONLY means 'at this exact second.' Correct this early. 'I'm reading a book by Stephen King' doesn't mean you're reading it THIS SECOND — it means 'currently, in this period of my life, this is an ongoing activity.' Use the contrast: 'I read a lot' (general habit, always true) vs 'I'm reading a great book' (current, temporary project). Draw two circles on the board: a big circle for 'your life in general' (present simple) and a small circle inside it for 'right now / this period' (present continuous).”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between present simple and present continuous?

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Present simple describes permanent situations, habits, facts, and routines ('I work in a bank,' 'She plays tennis every Saturday'). Present continuous describes temporary situations and actions in progress ('I'm working from home today,' 'She's playing tennis right now'). The core distinction is permanent/general vs. temporary/current.

What are stative verbs and why can't they be continuous?

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Stative verbs describe states, not actions: know, believe, love, hate, want, need, own, belong, see, hear. You can't 'be knowing' something because knowing isn't an activity you perform — it's a state you're in. Some verbs are both stative and dynamic with different meanings: 'I have a car' (possession, stative) vs 'I'm having dinner' (eating, dynamic).

How do I teach present simple vs continuous to beginners?

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Start with clear contrasts using daily routines: 'I usually eat rice for dinner' (simple = habit) vs 'Today I'm eating pasta' (continuous = different from usual). Use 'What do you usually do on Saturday?' vs 'What are you doing this Saturday?' to show the same question in both tenses. Physical TPR works well: students mime habits (simple) then switch to what they're doing now (continuous).

Present Simple vs Present Continuous: The Foundation That Many Students Never Master