The Present Continuous

The Present Continuous

FORM:

Affirmative | S+ To Be (Present Simple Tense)+ V-ing | I am speaking. You/We/They are speaking.He/She/It is speaking. |

Negative | S+ To Be (Present Simple Tense)+ Not+ V-ing | I am not speaking. You/We/They are not speaking.He/She/It is not speaking. |

Interrogative | To Be (Present Simple Tense)+ S+ V-ing? | Am I speaking?Are you/we/they speaking?Is he/she/it speaking? |

Negative-Interrogative | To Be (Present Simple Tense)+ S+ Not+ V-ing? | 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 somebody’s 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...