The Present Continuous

The Present Continuous
FORM:
Affirmative
S+ To Be (Present
Simple Tense)+ V-ing
Negative
S+ To Be (Present
Simple Tense)+ Not+
V-ing
Interrogativ To Be (Present Simple
e
Tense)+ S+ V-ing?
NegativeTo Be (Present Simple
Interrogativ Tense)+ S+ Not+ Ve
ing?
I am speaking.
You/We/They are speaking.
He/She/It is speaking.
I am not speaking.
You/We/They are not speaking.
He/She/It is not speaking.
Am I speaking?
Are you/we/they speaking?
Is he/she/it speaking?
Am I not speaking?
Are you/we/they not speaking?
Is he/she/it not speaking?
USE:
1) To express an action in the progress at the moment of speaking.
The sun is shining in the sky now.
2) To express an temporary action happening about this time but not necessarily
at the moment of speaking.
I am reading a play by Shaw.
He usually teaches English but this semester he is teaching French.
3) To express a definite arrangements in the near future, to present somebodys
immediate plans (the time of the action must always be mentioned).
I am meeting Peter tomorrow.
4) To express frequently repeated actions which annoy the speaker. The verb is
usually combined with such adverbs as: always, constantly, continually, for ever.
He is always borrowing money from his friends but never gives it back.
He is always losing his keys.
5) To express an action simultaneous to an habitual/repeated action with
adverbs such as: when , whenever.
I always take my umbrella when it is raining.
6) To express a transition from a state to another, using to get or to grow.
It is getting dark.
Our parents are getting older and older.
VERBS NOT USED IN THE CONTINUOUS ASPECT

1) Verbs of perception: to feel, to taste, to notice, to see, to smell.
The hay smells nice today.
Do you see the birds now?
The soup tastes delicious.
2) Verbs expressing attitudes, feelings, emotional states: to admire, to abhor, to
adore, to dislike, to fear, to displease, to like, to please, to love, to hate, to
prefer, to value, to want, to wish, to detest.
She loves you now.
3) Verbs expressing mental activities: to agree, to assume, to believe, to
compare, to distrust, to doubt, to expect, to find, to foresee, to guess, to
imagine, to know, to mean, to mind, to perceive, to realize, to recall, to recollect,
to recognize, to regard, to remember, to suppose, to think, to trust, to

understand.
She knows what you mean.
Do you mind if I give her this book?
4) Verbs expressing possession: to belong, to have, to hold (=contain), to keep
(=continue), to owe, to own, to possess.
This book belongs to my friend.
5) Verbs expressing a state, a condition: to appear, to be, to consist of , to
contain, to differ, to deserve, to equal, to exist, to matter, to resemble, to seem,
to suit.
OBSERVATION
However, some verbs may be found in the continuous aspect when
1) they imply a voluntary action on the part of the subject
The cat is smelling the bush now. (is sniffing)
The doctor was feeling her pulse. (was touching)
Mother is tasting the soup.
2) they are used with meanings which are different from their basic ones.
A. TO SEE
1) To meet by appointment: I am seeing my doctor tomorrow.
2) To visit: Mary is seeing the sights now so she will be a little late.
4) To see to (to put right, to deal with): The mechanic is just seeing to the engine of our car.
5) To see somebody off/up/down/out: Tom is seeing his grandfather off at the railway
station.
6) To see hallucinations: I am seeing things.
B. TO HEAR
1) To receive news of/from: I am hearing interesting things about our neighbours.
2) To try (a judeca, a audia), when referring to legal cases:The judge is just hearing the
witnesses.
C. TO THINK
It is used in continuous aspect when no opinion is given or asked for.
What are you thinking about? I am thinking about our new teachers.
N.B. When an opinion is asked for, or when it means to imagine, the common aspect is
used.
What do you think (what is your opinion about) of the new prices?
D. TO EXPECT
It is used in the continuous aspect when it means to await.
I am expecting a letter.
She is expecting a baby in May.
E. TO ASSUME
It is used in the continuous aspect when it means accept as a starting point or to
assume power:
The government is assuming power at once.
SPELLING
1) When a verbs ends in a single e this e is dropped before ing.
Ex: argue-arguing, hate-hating, love-loving and verbs ending in ee: agree-agreeing, seeseeing
2) When a verb of one syllable has one vowel and ends in a single consonant this
consonant in doubled before ing. Ex: hit-hitting, run-running, stop-stopping
3) Verbs of two or more syllables whose last syllable contains one vowel and ends in a
single consonant, double this consonant if the stress falls on the last syllable. Ex: admitadmitting, begin-beginning, prefer-preferring, budget-budgeting, enter-entering (stress not
on the last syllable)
4) The final l is always doubled: Ex: signal-signalling, travel-travelling, except American
English.
5) ing can be added to a verb ending in y without affecting the spelling of the verb.
Ex: carry-carrying, enjoy-enjoying, hurry-hurrying.

The Present Continuous

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The Present Continuous

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The Present Continuous

VERBS NOT USED IN THE CONTINUOUS ASPECT

to recognize, to regard, to remember, to suppose, to think, to trust, to

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