why is NOT using the ~ている form wrong in this instance?


In a Japanese class, we were given a sentence to modify it into a conveying
speech. So for example,

> 天気予報によると明日は雨が降る。ー＞ 天気予報によると明日は雨が降るそうです。

Now, we were given this sentence.

> 田中さんによると鈴木さんは今銀行に勤める。

Our instructor emphasized that the correct way to modify this sentence into a
conveying speech is to change the verb 勤める into a ~ている form such that

> 田中さんによると鈴木さんは今銀行に勤めているそうです。

But I cannot really see the difference with the above sentence, and the
sentence below.

> 田中さんによると鈴木さんは今銀行に勤めるそうです。

Where the latter just uses the normal form of the verb. But here, the
instructor explicitly said this usage is incorrect. Why?




勤めている means "to (currently) be employed at/by". Simply using 勤める would imply
that 鈴木 _will_ be employed at/by the bank in the future. But because the
sentence uses 今, we must use the ～ている form.

If the 今 were omitted, then either would be fine, and the meaning would depend
on the context, and what the context is trying to get say.

> According to Tanaka, Suzuki (is currently/will be) (hearsay-ingly) employed
> by the bank.

