I know you usually use ています to describe things that are ongoing.But do you
also use the ています form to say things like: "School starts at 6 o'clock every
day" or "School usually ends at 3pm" since it’s something that happens
everyday and therefore is ongoing?
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2022-11-14T16:13:23.997
97201
2022-11-15T10:30:21.937
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question
grammar
When to use the ています form
It is a little too broad a question to give an answer, but let me just give
some ideas specific to starting/ending.

Roughly, when the verb is instantaneous ています sounds "have happened" rather
than ongoing or habitual.

* * *

  * 学校は毎日9時に始まります _School starts at 9 o'clock every day._ (btw isn't 6 o'clock too early?)

始まっています means "has started". So used in a sentence like

  * 学校はもう始まっています _School has already started (say, now it's 10 o'clock)._

Same for finishing.

  * 授業は3時に終わります _Class ends at three._
  * 授業はもう終わっています _Class is already finished._

For sunrise, it can be ongoing as a process. So

  * 日がのぼっています

is, strictly speaking, ambiguous between _The sun has risen already_ and _The
sun is rising (now)_ , but I think it is more like to mean 1.

* * *

For other non-instantaneous verbs, ています may mean it is habitual or ongoing.

  * 最近村上春樹を読んでいます _These days I read Haruki Murakami('s works)_. It is possible to say 最近村上春樹をよみます.
  * 今、村上春樹を読んでいます _I'm reding Haruki Murakami._ 今、村上春樹を読みます would mean (a bit unnatural but) _I'm going to read Haruki Murakami now_.
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2022-11-15T10:30:21.937
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2022-11-15T10:30:21.937
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answer