Photo by Ivan Shilov on Unsplash

These two sentences might look like twins, but in the eyes of a native English speaker, their “Soul” and “Vibe” are completely different!

Simply put:

• Is it getting better? is asking about “Trend” —— like looking at a stock K-line chart, asking if it is climbing “up” right now?
• Does it get better? is asking about “Result/Nature” —— like asking about the ending of a movie, or the philosophy of life.

Let’s break it down for you with the most authentic life scenarios!

Is it getting better? (Present Continuous)

Keywords: Process, Present, Progress Bar

This sentence uses Present Continuous. When using -ing, what’s in mind is “the change happening right at this moment”.

• Scenario: Your friend has a high fever and has been in bed for three days. You visit him today and ask:

  “Is it getting better?” (Is your cold getting a bit better now?)

• Mindset: We are concerned about the “progress of the illness”.

• Scenario: Taipei’s traffic is always congested, and the government has implemented a new policy. After a month, everyone is discussing:

  “Is the traffic getting better?” (Is the traffic congestion improving now?)

• Illustration: Imagine a curve graph, you are asking if this line is going up right now.

Does it get better? (Simple Present)

Keywords: Normality, Future, Hope, Survival in Despair

This sentence uses Simple Present. In English, this is usually used to discuss “Truth”, “Fact”, or “Normality”. When asked like this, it usually carries strong emotion (could be boredom, pain, or despair), asking “Will the nature of this thing become good?” or “Is there hope for the future?”

• Scenario: You are watching a US TV series that everyone says is good, but after three episodes you find it super boring. You ask a friend:

  “I’m on episode 3 and I’m falling asleep. Does it get better?” (I’m almost asleep by episode 3. Will this show become good later? Or does it just suck?)

• Mindset: This isn’t asking about the present, it’s asking about “the nature of the show” or “the plot later on”.

• Scenario: (This is the most classic cultural scenario) A young person who has just suffered a breakup, feels life is hopeless, or is suffering in a new job, asks a senior:

  “I feel terrible every day. Does it get better?” (Will life be a bit easier later? Or is life just this bitter?)

• Cultural Note: There is a very famous anti-bullying movement in the US called the “It Gets Better Project”, telling those bullied teenagers: “Hang in there, the world after growing up will get better (this is a truth).”

Cultural Scenario Showdown

Let’s compare using the very visual example of “Eating Super Spicy Hot Pot”:

Conclusion

• If you want to care about “Changes right now” (like illness, weather, traffic, economic status), please use “Is it getting better?”.
• If you want to ask about “Hope for the future” or “Whether this thing is worth persisting in” (like a lousy job, lousy movie, painful life stage), please use “Does it get better?”.

Oh my! This is a very intuitive choice, but if you want to precisely convey “Is this a phase that will pass (bitterness ends, sweetness begins)?”, actually “Does it get better?” would be more authentic!

Why is “Does it get better?” better?

The “Is it getting better?” you chose is grammatically completely correct, but it means:

“Is it getting better?” = "(Compared to last week) Is my finger less painful now?"

• Scenario: You are confirming “Current Progress”. The teacher might reply: “Hmm, I see the redness and swelling on your finger has gone down a bit.”

However, if you want to ask “Learning guitar, will it stop being so painful after practicing for a long time?” (seeking a future guarantee, a truth), then native English speakers would say:

“Does it get better?” = “Will this pain pass? Will it become easier later?”

• Scenario: You are asking about “The nature of this thing”. The teacher will reply: “Yes! Once you develop calluses, you will never feel pain again, and you will enjoy it very much!”

Vibe Filter

• Is it getting better?
  • Like asking a Doctor: “Doctor, after taking medicine for three days, is my wound improving?” (Focus on Progress)
• Does it get better?
  • Like asking a Fortune Teller or Senior: “Master, my life is so bitter now, will it improve later?” (Focus on Hope/Nature)

Typhoons, heavy rain, even colds, these are all “States currently happening”. When you ask this sentence, your mind is actually looking at a Live Dynamic Update:

• Is the rain getting smaller?
• Is the wind weakening?
• Is the situation currently going in a good direction?

This is the essence of Present Continuous —— “Change happening at this moment”.

Simply Put

To make sure you never forget this in your life, here is a final “Mindset Card”: