Present Continuous or Present Continuous is one of the most common and beloved tenses by the English. How it is formed and when it is used - explain the rules of grammar. However, for all the importance and necessity of “strict” rules, examples of Present Continuous Tense sentences with translation are much more significant and available.
Present Continuous
In English, there is not one present tense, as in Russian, but a whole group. Depending on what kind of action we have in the present - repetitive, long-term or finished, there are four temporary forms: Present Simple (Simple Present), Present Continuous (Present Continuous), Present Perfect (Present Perfect), Present Perfect Continuous (Present Perfect Continuous).
As can be seen from the very name Present Continuous (Present Continuous), this temporary form describes the actions that occur at the moment of speaking, or emphasizes the duration of such actions.
It is interesting to note that this tense is translated into Russian using present tense verbs. And here a doubt may arise: after all, the time Present Simple (Simple Present) is also translated by the verb of the present tense. Vivid examples of Present Continuous in English will help to understand the features of use, education and avoid mistakes in the future.
affirmative sentences
|
Examples |
Translation |
|
Right now I am making an important choice in my life |
Right now I'm making the biggest choice of my life |
|
Now Ann is learning new French words |
Now Anna is learning new French words |
|
At this moment a young woman is experiencing a new feeling full of hope |
At the moment, a young girl is experiencing a new feeling, full of hope. |
|
My father is going to help me with my homework |
My father is going to help me with my homework. |
|
Tom is working as a driver until he enters the Institute |
Tom works as a driver until he goes to college |
|
The meeting is currently taking place in the center of the city |
The rally is currently taking place in the city center |
|
Today my friends are facing a new experience in their lives |
Today my friends face a new experience in their life |
These examples of using Present Continuous (Present Continuous) help to capture the essence of the formula for the formation of Present Continuous (Present Continuous): subject + to be + main verb + -ing . The auxiliary verb to be is not translated, but changes in persons and numbers: in the plural - are, for the first person singular (I - I) - am, for the 3rd person singular (he - he, she - she, it - it) - is. The invariable ending -ing is attached to the main verb and it carries the main semantic load.
Pay attention to the main time markers Present Continuous: right now - right now, now - now, at this moment - at the moment, currently - now, now, today - today. They indicate that the action is happening at the moment of speech or is planned for the near future.
Negation
|
Examples |
Translation |
|
Right now I am not making an important choice in my life |
Right now I'm not making the biggest choice of my life |
|
Now Ann isn't learning new French words |
Anna is not currently learning new French words. |
|
At this moment a young woman is not experiencing a new feeling full of hope |
At the moment, the young girl does not experience a new feeling full of hope |
|
My father is not going to help me with my homework |
My father is not going to help me with my homework. |
|
Tom is not working as a driver until he enters the Institute |
Tom doesn't work as a driver until he goes to college. |
|
The meeting is not currently taking place in the center of the city |
At the moment, the rally is not taking place in the city center |
|
Today my friends are not facing a new experience in their lives |
Today my friends do not face new experiences in their lives |
The proposed examples of negative sentences illustrate the position of the negative particle not (not) in the formula for the formation of Present Continuous (Present Continuous): subject + to be + not + main verb + -ing . As you can see, it stands between the auxiliary and main verbs. It can also merge with an auxiliary verb and form a short form: isn't, aren't.
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Interrogative sentences
|
Examples |
Translation |
|
Am I making an important choice in my life right now? |
Am I making the biggest choice of my life right now? |
|
Is Ann learning new French words now? |
Is Anna learning new French words now? |
|
Is a young woman experiencing a new feeling full of hope at this moment? |
At the moment, the young girl is experiencing a new feeling, full of hope? |
|
Is my father going to help me with my homework? |
Is my father going to help me with my homework? |
|
Is Tom is working as a driver until he enters the Institute |
Does Tom work as a driver until he goes to college? |
|
The meeting currently taking place in the center of the city? |
Is the rally taking place in the city center at the moment? |
|
Are my friends facing a new experience in their lives today? |
Today my friends face a new experience in their lives? |
Examples of questions in English with translation into Russian once again draw attention to the significant difference in the formation of interrogative sentences in two languages. The Russian language is characterized by a change in intonation and a question mark at the end, and for the language of Foggy Albion these “changes” are extremely insufficient: here the word order is completely changed. Therefore, the formula for constructing a question in Present Continuous (Present Continuous) looks like this: to be + subject + main verb + -ing?
What have we learned?
Today, there were much more examples of sentences in Present Continuous (Present Continuous) than the rules for the formation and use of this time. They helped to understand how affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences are built.
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Present Continuous, or the present continuous (long) tense, serves to describe actions that are happening right now, that is, at the moment of speech, which can be observed in the following example:
| Jim is at school now. He is having a history lesson. Jim is standing in front of the class and answering the teacher's question. Jim is telling about the reign of Elisabeth I and the Golden Age of British Culture. He is answering with excitement. The teacher and Jim's classmates are listening to him very attentively. | Jim is at school now. He has a history lesson. Jim stands in front of the class and answers the teacher's question. Jim talks about Elizabeth's reign I and the Golden Age of British culture. He answers very enthusiastically. Jim's teacher and classmates listen to him very carefully. |
The above example does not talk about what Jim does regularly or constantly, but about what actions he performs at the same time that we talk about him, that is, now. All these actions are long-term, that is, they do not occur instantly.
How to build an affirmative sentence
To form the affirmative tense form Present Continuous, you need to use the appropriate form after the subject o be in present simple time, that is am/is/are and with the end –ing (Ving). The following table will help you choose the correct form of the verb to be :
| I am Ving = I'm Ving | I am driving home now. | Now I'm going home. |
| He is Ving = He's Ving
She is Ving = She's Ving It is Ving = It's Ving |
Jack is having a bath at the moment. Sarah is watching a new Star Wars film right now. My cat is sleeping. |
Jack is taking a bath at the moment. Sarah is watching the new Star Wars movie. My cat is sleeping. |
| You are Ving = You're Ving
We are Ving = We're Ving They are Ving = They're Ving |
Excuse me, you're standing on my foot. We are having a lot of fun here. Tom and Mary are getting married in the church at the moment. |
Excuse me, you are standing on my foot. We are having fun here. Tom and Mary are getting married in a church at the moment. |
However, adding an ending –ing to a semantic verb has its own specifics regarding the spelling of some verbs:
| if the verb ends in–e , then adding–ing , this letter disappears | to make (to do) to take (take) |
making |
| if the verb ends in–ie , then adding–ing , this spelling changes to-y | to lie (to lie) to die (to die) to tie (tie) |
lying |
| if the verb ends in-y , then adding–ing-y always saved | to cry (cry, scream) to stay (stay) to study (study) |
crying |
| if the verb consists of one syllable and ends in one vowel and one consonant, then the lastconsonant doubled (with the exception of-w ) | to stop (stop) to rob (rob) to plan (plan) |
stopping |
| if the verb isof two or more syllables , doubling only happens iffinal syllable stressed | to regret (regret) to permit to begin (begin) |
regretting |
| if the verb has two or more syllables and ends in— l , doubling occurs with any setting of stress | to cancel (cancel) to travel (travel) |
cancelling |
How to build a negative sentence
To form a negation in the present continuous tense, it is necessary to add directly to the auxiliary verb, which will result in the following combinations:
| I am not = I'm not | I'm not working at the moment. | I am not working at the moment. |
| You are not = You're not = You aren't | You aren't going to bed now, as I can see. | You're not going to bed now, I see. |
| He is not = He's not = He isn't | Tom isn't enjoying the party. | Tom doesn't like the party. |
| She is not = She's not = She isn't | My sister isn't listening to me. | My sister doesn't listen to me. |
| It is not = It's not = It isn't | It's not raining now. | It is not raining now. |
| We are not = We're not = We aren't | We aren't sitting in the garden. We are walking home. | We don't sit in the garden. We are going home. |
| They are not = They're not = They aren't | Tom and Ann aren't talking now. They are searching for something in their mobile phones. | Tom and Anna are not talking now. They are looking for something in their mobile phones. |
And of course, do not forget to put after the desired form of the verb to be semantic verb with ending –ing .
How to build interrogative sentences
Different types of questions are formed in the present continuous tense according to the rules and patterns shown in the following table:
| question type | scheme | rule | example | example translation |
| general question | Am/Is/Are+ S + Ving…? | Required form of the auxiliary verb Am/Is/Are takes first place, after which the subject is put ( S) and the semantic verb in " ing new" form ( Ving); then come the rest of the sentence. The short answer also uses am/is/are(in the affirmative) or am not/isn't /aren't(in the negative answer). | Are you watching TV now? – Yes, I am. Is James driving to work now? - No, he isn't. |
Are you watching TV now? - Yes. Is James driving to work now? - Not. |
| special question | wh+ am/is/are + S + Ving…? | The question word takes the first place in the sentence ( wh), further the special question repeats the structure of the general question: am/is/are, subject to ( S), the verb in " ing new" form ( Ving) and everything else that needs to be used in this sentence. | What are you doing now? | What are you doing now? |
| question to subject | Who/What + is + Ving …? | Following the question word, which is Who (Who) or, less commonly, What (What), put the verb tobe in the shape of is(insofar as Who/ What imply 3rd person singular) with the ending – ing (V 2), followed by the rest of the sentence. The short answer often (but not always) uses am/is/are depending on the subject. | Who is listening to the radio? – I am. What is happening? – Nothing. Don't worry! |
Who listens to the radio? - I AM. What's happening? - Nothing. Do not worry! |
| alternative question | Am/Is/Are+ S + Ving …or …? | Such a question is formed in the same way as a general one, but it necessarily contains an alternative, expressed through the union or (or). It can no longer be answered with Yes/No. | Are you doing your homework or listening to music? | Do you do your homework or listen to music? |
| separated question | affirmative sentence,aren't/isn't+SP?
negative sentence,am/is/are +SP? |
The structure of the “tag question” is opposed to the structure of the main sentence, and if it is affirmative, then the question contains a negation, and if the negation is contained in the base sentence, then it will no longer be in the question. If with the pronouns you/we/they/he/she/it acting in such a question as a subject in the form of a personal pronoun ( SP) everything is more or less clear, then with the subject I in a negative question-label, atypical for him is used aren't (aren'tI ? ) or a rarer combination am I don't? In the affirmative form of the label question, am I? | Susan is working now, isn't she? Daniel and Paul aren't playing tennis at the moment, are they? I’m doing some progress in learning English, aren’t I (am I not)? I'm not making a mistake, am I? |
Susan is working now, isn't she? Daniel and Paul are not playing tennis at the moment, are they? I'm making some progress in learning English, aren't I? I don't make mistakes, do I? |
When to use Present Continuous tense
The areas of use of the present continuous tense include:
| 1) designation of an action that is happening right now, at the moment of speech | Please don't make noise. I'm working. | Please don't make noise. I work. |
| 2) the designation of a continuous action that is taking place now in the broad sense of the word (this week, this month, etc.), that is, a temporary action that has already begun, but not yet completed (right now, in the literal sense, a person can do not do this) | We are working on a very interesting project this week. I'm reading a scary novel about ghosts these days. |
We are working on a very interesting project this week. I'm reading a scary ghost story right now. |
| 3) designation of an action planned for the near future; and the fact that this is exactly what will happen is confirmed by something (ticket, doctor’s appointment, etc.) | I'm going to Moscow on business next Friday. Matthew is visiting a dentist tomorrow. |
I'm going to Moscow for work next Friday. Matthew is going to the dentist tomorrow. |
| 4) the designation of an action that occurs frequently, regularly, and irritating precisely with this frequency and regularity; Present Continuousserves to emotionally highlight such a predicate | You are always losing your key! This car is constantly breaking down! It's useless! |
You keep losing the key! This car is constantly breaking down! She's useless! |
When not to use Present Continuous
There are a number of verbs that are not used in the tenses of the Continuous group, and even if an action that is happening now is expressed, such a verb should be used in, and not in Present Continuous. Among these verbs:
love (love very much), like (to love), want (want), need (need), know (to know), understand (understand) and some others. The topic of verbs not used in Continuous requires a separate, more detailed coverage.
Present is translated as "present" and tells us that the action is being performed at the moment. Continuous is translated as "long / long" and says that the action began some time ago and is still going on.
Present Continuous is a long time. We use it when we want to say that something is in progress. For example, I am swimming, that is, I am in the process of swimming. Present Simple, on the other hand, simply shows the fact of this or that action without a process. Let's look at examples.
1. Present Simple
I drive a car.
I drive a car.
2. Present Continuous
I am driving a car.
I'm driving.
In Russian, these two sentences are translated almost identically, but but in English they express a completely different meaning:
1) just the fact that I can drive a car: I have a license and I can drive it.
2) I am driving: I have been driving a car for some time and now I am still driving, that is, I am in the process of driving.
Now let's take a closer look at exactly what cases we use present continuous.
Using Present Continuous Tense
The simple continuous tense is used in several cases.
1. When we talk about an action that is happening now (at the moment).
That is, the action began some time ago and is still ongoing (is in progress).
Example: “She is dancing” - she is in the process of dancing; "Children play with toys" - they are in the process of playing.
2. An action that is currently being performed, but not necessarily at the moment.
By this we emphasize the process of its duration.
Example: "He is studying at the university" - he is in the process of studying; "She's working on a big project" - She's in the process of working on a project.
Affirmative sentences in Present Continuous Tense
An affirmative sentence is formed by using the present tense auxiliary verb to be (am, are, is) and the ending -ing, which is added to the action verb.
The person in question + am/are/is + verb + -ing.
| I | am | |
| You | ||
| We | are | playing |
| They | swimming | |
| She | cooking | |
| He | is | |
| It |
for instance
They are watch ing TV.
They watch TV.
I am drink ing tea.
I'm drinking tea.
He is smok ing now.
He is smoking now.
Rules for adding the ending -ing
There are several peculiarities when adding the ending -ing to verbs.
- If the verb ends in -e, then the letter e we remove and add to the verb -ing:
dance e- dance ing- dance;
mov e-mov ing-; move.
- If the verb is short, we double the last consonant:
si t-si tting- sit;
ba n-ba nning- forbid.
Exceptions: verbs ending in -x and - w:
mi x- mi xing- to mix;
flo w- flo wings- flow.
- If the verb ends in -ie, then we replace this ending with -y:
l ie-l ying- lie;
t ie-t ying- bind.
Words indicating time
The following words can help us determine what exactly is Present Continuous in front of us:
- now - now;
- at the moment - at the moment.
Let's look at examples.
They are running now.
They are running now.
I am eating now.
I am eating now.
We are working at the moment.
We are working at the moment.
She is having a break at the moment.
She is on hiatus at the moment.
Verbs not used in Present Continuous Tense
Some English verbs are never used in this tense.
1. Verbs expressing feelings
Present Continuous does not use verbs that are associated with the senses (sight, hearing, touch, etc.).
- hear - to hear
- smell - to smell,
- feel - feel, etc.
2. Verbs expressing a mental state
- forget - forget,
- know - to know
- understand - understand, etc.
3. Verbs expressing emotions and desires
- love - to love,
- want - want
- like - like, etc.
4. Verbs expressing possession of something
- have - to have,
- possess - possess, etc.
Why are these verbs not used in Present Continuous?
As we have already discussed, this tense is used to emphasize that an action is in progress: we started doing it some time ago, we are doing it now, but after some time we will finish doing it.
To be used in our continuous tense, the verb must be able to last. For example: cook - you started cooking, cook now, finish after a while.
Returning to our exception verbs. We cannot start smell (sniff) or hear (hear) and end this process after some time. This is what we do all the time. We talk about what we can smell and hear. Likewise, forgetting, understanding or emotions cannot be processes, because otherwise it will turn out that these processes began sometime, now they last, and someday they will end.
Negative form in Present Continuous Tense
The negation is constructed as an affirmative sentence, only the negative particle not is added to our verb to be.
The one in question + am/are/is + not + verb + -ing.
| I | am | ||
| You | |||
| We | are | playing | |
| They | not | cooking | |
| She | swimming | ||
| He | is | ||
| It |
Examples
We are not do ing our homework now.
We are not doing homework now.
She is not drive ing at the moment.
She is not driving at the moment.
I am not listen ing music now.
I don't listen to music now.
Interrogative form in Present Continuous Tense
To ask if someone is doing something right now, the verb to be comes first.
Am/are/is + the one in question + verb + -ing?
| Am | I | |
| you | ||
| Are | we | playing? |
| they | cooking? | |
| she | swimming? | |
| Is | he | |
| it |
Statement
I am read ing the book.
I am reading a book.
You are swimm ing in a pool.
You swim in the pool.
She is clean ing her room now.
She is cleaning the room now.
A question and a positive answer (our “yes”) would look like this:
| Question | Short answer (contains the verb to be) | Full answer (built as an affirmative sentence) |
| Am I read ing the book? I am reading a book? |
Yes, I am. |
Yes, I am read ing the book. Yes, I am reading a book. |
| Are you swimm ing in a pool? Do you swim in the pool? |
Yes, you are. |
Yes, you are swimm ing in a pool. |
| Is she clean ing her room now? Is she cleaning the room now? |
Yes, she is. |
Yes, she is clean ing her room now. Yes, she is cleaning the room now. |
Negative answers (our “no”) would look like this:
| Question | Short answer (contains the verb to be + not) | Full answer (formed as a negative sentence) |
| Am I read ing the book? I am reading a book? |
no, I amnot. |
no, I am not read ing the book. No, I am not reading a book. |
| Are you swimm ing in a pool? Do you swim in the pool? |
No, you arenot. |
No, you are not swimm ing in a pool. No, you don't swim in the pool. |
| Is she clean ing her room now? Is she cleaning the room now? |
No, she isnot. |
No, she is not clean ing her room now. No, she is not cleaning the room now. |
Examples
Are are they playing tennis?
They are playing tennis?
Yes, they are.
Yes, they are playing.
Are are they playing tennis?
They are playing tennis?
No, they are not.
No, they don't play.
Is he sleeping now
He is sleeping now?
Yes, he is sleeping now.
Yes, he is sleeping now.
Is he sleeping now?
He is sleeping now?
No, he is not sleeping now.
No, he is not sleeping now.
Special questions in Present Continuous Tense
When we ask a question with the following question words:
- what - what;
- where - where;
- who - who;
- which - which one;
- why - why.
These words are put in the first place in the sentence, and the further word order will be the same as in a regular question. The scheme is this:
Interrogative word + am/are/is + the one in question + verb + -ing?
| am | I | ||
| you | |||
| What | are | they | reading? |
| Where | we | playing? | |
| why | she | cooking? Reinforcement taskNow for some practice. Translate the following sentences into English. Be careful, among them are hidden sentences that relate to Present Simple. 1. She is flying in an airplane at the moment. As always, leave your answers in the comments below the article. |
If we manage with simple times more or less successfully, then Present Continuous with its rules of use begins to bring a little confusion into our heads.
Let's start with the suggestions: "Kate is playing the chello". “Kate plays the chello” according to the rules of the Russian language, they are translated in exactly the same way - "Katya plays the cello".
So what's the deal? How to figure out these tricks?
It turns out that the first sentence describes the action taking place at the moment of speech, and literally translates "Katya is playing the cello." The second is literally translated in quite Russian: "Katya plays the cello."
The confusion when using the Present Continuous time comes from the fact that it is necessary to use the auxiliary verb be in the present tense forms (am, is, are), as well as the main verb with the ending -ing (feeding, swimming, bringing).
To understand an American or an Englishman, one must try to understand how he thinks. This is where a literal translation will help us, which will make us look at English grammar with different eyes. Here, for example, "you are reading this article now":
You are reading this article now.
If you ask an Englishman reading a book: "Do you read a book?" - he will remain perplexed.
Now remember, when rules and examples are not given to you in Present Continuous, try to understand how he thinks.
And now the main requirements for the present continuous (as this time is translated into Russian):
- Somebody is doing something:
John is pushing a cart. John is pushing the cart.
I am watering a bed of carrots. I'm watering the garden with carrots.
They are running around the hill. They run around the hill.
In negative and interrogative forms of sentences in the Present Continuous form, examples of sentences look like this:
Steven is not fishing. Stephen doesn't fish.
Is April cooking? Is April cooking?
In all the cases described, the present continuous tense indicators can be used. Most often these are the words now or at the moment. Examples:
Are they sleeping at the moment? Are they sleeping at the moment?
People are not walking along the beach now. People don't walk along the beach now.
Sometimes the adverb of time can be placed at the beginning of the sentence:
Now, I am painting the fence. Now I'm painting the fence.
Do not forget about shortened forms of auxiliary verbs and the word not:
He isn't playing.
Here we have joined the words is and not together, and put an apostrophe instead of the letter 'o'.
You're singing = You are singing.
I'm hiking = I am hiking
Also, short answers to questions are often used here, where the words are also shortened.
Is she trying to finish her housework? Yes, she is. Or, No, she isn't.
Speaking of Present Continuous time, one cannot fail to mention the construction (am, is, are) going to. Although it is most often used in the future tense, it is in the form of the present continuous:
I am going to meet her at the theatre. I'm going to meet her at the theatre.
You can also use Present Continuous in the meaning of the future, if the described action is agreed in advance:
They are playing the third game tomorrow. They will play the third game tomorrow.
For Present continuous tense the table looks like this:
Statement
Negation
Question
Lisa is cooking lunch now.
Dick is not diving in the river.
Are they flying the kite?
Fill in the table for memory, use examples from the Internet, invent them yourself. In order to work out Present Continuous to automatism, you need to work hard.
Present continuous tense (Present Progressive Tense) is the present continuous tense. In speech, it occurs as often as in present simple. The main thing to know about Present Continuous, - this time shows the duration of the action in the present. Duration can manifest itself in different ways: the action can last for a short time, or it can take a long period of time. At Present Continuous there are many functions, so this time occupies an important place in the grammar of the English language.
How is Present Continuous Tense Formed?
Statement
As in any English sentence, the subject comes first and the verb comes second. Predicate in Present Continuous consists of an auxiliary verb to be and main verb. to be v Present Continuous changes, so we need to remember its forms: am, is, are. The main verb has a particle to and the ending appears ing.
As a general rule, we add to the verb - ing. But with some verbs, slight transformations occur with the advent of this ending, for example:
- e
, leaving the final vowel: com e
– com ing
(come),
Mak e – Mak ing (make), write e – write ing (write). - For verbs ending in - ie , vowels - ie are replaced by - y : l ie –l ying (lie), t ie – t ying (tie up) d ie – d ying (die).
- If a short verb ends in a vowel with a consonant, then that consonant is doubled:
swi m – swi mm ing(to swim), sto p – sto pp ing(stop), ge t – ge tt ing(receive).
Negation
A negative sentence differs from an affirmative one only in that a particle appears between the auxiliary verb and the main verb not. That is, the predicate looks like this: first to be, after it the particle not and then the main verb.
Question
To ask a question in Present Continuous, we take out to be in first place, then put the subject and after it the main verb.
For your convenience, we have divided the time functions Present Continuous into 3 groups: entry-level material (green frame), intermediate level (yellow) and high-level (red). If you are just starting to study this topic, then it will be enough for you to know the functions of the green box, since these are the basic rules for Present Continuous. If you need more advanced grammar, then study the yellow table. And for the most sophisticated English connoisseurs, the rules from the red table are suitable.
Using Present Continuous
First level
- Present Continuous illustrates an action that is happening now, at the moment of speech. There may be clarifying words here: now(now), at the moment(Currently). Also, we can use this time for two actions that occur simultaneously in the present.
– What is he doing now? – What he is doing now?
– He is talking to his friend. - He is talking with friend. (at the moment he is standing and talking to a friend)She is eating chocolate ice cream while I am drinking water. - She eats chocolate ice cream while i drink water
- Present Continuous is used when the action takes place in the present, but not at a specific moment of speech. In this case, we want to show that the action is extended in time: it could have started yesterday or two days ago, but now it continues and will continue for some time. Throughout this long period of time, we periodically perform this action.
I am reading an interesting book. - I AM I read interesting book. (I started reading it before the speech and will read it for some time, but right now I'm not busy reading)
We are moving into a new house. - We moving to a new house. (we have begun to collect and transport things, but we are not busy with this activity at the moment of speech)
In this function, we may encounter words such as now(now), these days(these days, these days) currently(now, now).
This play is currently running at the theatre. - This play goes now in the theatre.
- We want to show that the situation is temporary, that is, we know, suspect or feel that the action will not last long. In such cases, there are words that specify the time period, such as for(during), during(during), until(not yet).
He is staying in New York for three months. - He remains in New York City on the three months. (in three months his stay will end and he will return home)
He is working as a waiter until he finds a better job. - He working waiter bye won't find a better job. (he temporarily works as a waiter)
- We are talking about an action that is slowly developing or changing. Such an action can show the words get(become), change(change), become(become), rise(get up), fall(fall), grow(grow), improve(improve), begin(start off), start(start off).
Your English is getting better. – Your English becomes it is better. (English didn't get better overnight, but gradually it improves)
The weather is improving. – Weather getting better. (the weather was bad for a while, now it's getting better)
When else is the Present Continuous used?
Average level
- When we talk about a planned action that we will take in the near future. We use Present Continuous only with those actions that have already firmly decided to perform.
Here you can use the words: this/next week(this/next week) this/next weekend(this/next weekend) this/next year(this/next year) today(in the evening), today(today), tomorrow(tomorrow).
next week we are buying a new car. - Next week we buy new car. (we firmly decided to buy a car, we have already chosen a model and a store where we will buy it)
I am having a business meeting tomorrow. - I have a business meeting tomorrow. (the meeting has already been scheduled and will definitely take place)
- When we talk about the near future using verbs of motion such as go(go), leave(leave), come(come), move(move), return(come back), start(start off).
I'm tired. I am going to bed. - I'm tired. I AM I'm going sleep. (I felt tired, so I decided to go to sleep)
This film is too boring. I am leaving. This movie is too boring I'm leaving. (I don’t like the film, so I leave the session without waiting for the end)
- When we want to show discontent, indignation, irritation. In these cases, we use the words always(always), constantly(constantly), all the time(all the time) to show that the person regularly does things we don't like.
You are always interrupting me! - You constantly me interrupting! (I really don't like it)
He is coming late all the time! - He late all the time! (the speaker is unhappy with this)
- Present continuous tense with state verbs.
Usually, the present continuous tense in English is not used with state verbs ( state verbs or state verbs). - these are verbs that convey the state of a person: his feelings, relationships, mental processes. These verbs denote actions, but these actions take place inside our consciousness, and we cannot watch how they proceed ( to feel- feel, to think- think, to love- be in love, to wish- wish to need- need). Therefore, we cannot use them in tenses continuous, since this aspect shows the duration.
However, there are a few cases where state verbs used with Present Continuous. This happens when the verb has several meanings and one of them shows action, and also when we want to show that the situation is temporary.
The steak tastes good. This steak tastes great. (steak is always so delicious)
The chef is tasting the steak. - Cook tries steak to taste. (he is trying it now)
Difficult cases of using Present Continuous
High level
- Present Continuous used when we are talking about something new, especially if this new is opposed to something old.
He has left university, now he is working with his friend. He dropped out of university and now working With my friend.
These days most people are spending time in front of computer screens instead of reading books. - Most people today holds time at the computer instead of reading books.
- Present Continuous used when we are talking about unusual behavior. We want to show that a person does something that is not characteristic of him, behaves differently than usual.
She is eating too much these days. – She is too much is eating Last few days. (she didn't eat that much before)
He is being nervous recently. - He became nervous lately. (he has always been calm, but recently his behavior has changed)
- Present Continuous occurs in subordinate clauses of time after conjunctions when(when), if(if), unless(not yet) in case(if), as long as(bye), while(while). In such sentences there is a long action that stands in Present Continuous, and the singular, which is expressed present simple. Usually these sentences show familiar situations where a single action takes place against the backdrop of a long one.
I try not to make noise in case my daughter is doing her homework. - I try not to make noise when, if my daughter does homework.
I never talk on the phone when I am eating. - I never talk on the phone when I eat.
Present Continuous- one of the most favorite times of the British. As you can see, in English Present Continuous used in many situations, which means that it often occurs in speech. To better remember how to use Present Continuous, we recommend taking the following test and downloading our plate.
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Test
Use of Present Continuous