Present Continuous Tense
What is the past continuous tense with examples? How do you form past continuous? What is the difference between past simple and past continuous?
The Present Continuous Tense
Introduction
1) We use the present continuous when we talk about something which is happening at the time of speaking, or actions happening ‘around now’, even though not at the moment of speaking. The present continuous also has some future meanings.
Hey, what are you doing? – I am working on my thesis. I am graduating this semester.
2) The present continuous is formed with the auxiliary verb to be and the -ing form of the main verb.
This is contracted in speech and informal writing. Questions are formed by inverting the subject and the auxiliary verb to be. Negatives are formed with the verb to be + not. This is also contracted in speech and informal writing.
(+) He is sleeping on the couch in the living room./He’s sleeping there.
(-) He is not sleeping on the couch in the living room./He isn’t sleeping there.
(?) Where is he? Is he sleeping?
Verbs ending in -e drop -e and add -ing.
like – liking, write – writing
Verbs with one syllable, ending in one vowel and one consonant, double the consonant and add -ing.
sit – sitting, swim – swimming
Verbs ending -ie change -ie to -y and add -ing.
lie – lying, die – dying
Some time markers can show that we talk about something which is happening at the time of speaking, or actions happening ‘around now’. These time markers are now, right now, at the moment, today, this week etc.
I’m quite busy this year as I’m trying to start my small business.
We also use the present continuous when we talk about changing situations.
The population of the world increases very fast. The population of the world is increasing very fast.
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