Present Continuous tense in English. Learn English online

Present Continuous Tense (or Present Progressive Tense) is translated from English as “present continuous tense”. In English speech it is used on a par with the Present Simple, with the same frequency, and occupies an important place in grammar.

When the Present Continuous is used - when it is necessary to emphasize the duration of an action in the present. The limits of “duration” can be different: an action can last indefinitely or occupy a certain period of time - all these are cases of using the Present Continuous.

Present Continuous - formation of sentences of different types

Statement

According to the rules of the English language, any sentence is constructed in a certain order. In affirmative sentences, the subject takes first place, the predicate - second. In the Present Continuous, the predicate is made up of the auxiliary verb to be and the main (semantic) verb, which expresses the action. To be takes the desired form (am, is, are) depending on the subject, and the main verb takes on the ending -ing.

1. Formula: I am + ing verb Example: I am singing - I sing.
2. Formula: He/She/It is + ing verb Examples: He is smiling - He smiles. She is dancing - She is dancing. It is shining - It shines.
3. Formula: We/You/They are + verb-ing Examples: We are listening - We are listening. You are reading - You are reading. They are swimming - They are swimming.

Adding the ending -ing to a verb is a general rule. However, adding an ending can transform the stem of some verbs when forming the Present Continuous.

1. Verb ends in -e Rule: the last letter is discarded Example: make - making (to do)
2. The verb ends in -ie Rule: -ie is replaced by -y Example: lie - lying (lie down)
3. Monosyllabic verb ending in a vowel and a consonant Rule: last consonant is doubled Example: get - getting

Negation

When the Present Continuous is used in negative sentences, the auxiliary and main verb are separated by the particle not.

1. Formula: I am not + ing verb Example: I am not singing - I don’t sing.
2. Formula: He/She/It is not + ing verb Examples: He is not smiling - He does not smile. She is not dancing - She doesn’t dance. It is not shining - It does not shine.
3. Formula: We/You/They are not + verb-ing Examples: We are not listening - We are not listening. You are not reading - You are not reading. They are not swimming - They do not swim.

Question

When the Present Continuous is used in interrogative sentences, the auxiliary verb takes first place, followed by the subject and then the main verb.

1. Formula: Am I + verb-ing Example: Am I singing? - I sing?
2. Formula: Is He/She/It + verb-ing Examples: Is he smiling? - He smiles? She is dancing? - She is dancing? Is it shining? - Is it shining?
3. Formula: Are We/You/They + verb-ing Examples: Are we listening? - We are listening? Are you reading? - You are reading? Are they swimming? - They are swimming?

Present Continuous - used in typical cases

1. The action is happening right now, at the time of speech. You can also use the Present construction

Continuous for several actions occurring simultaneously in the present. Marker words: now (now), at the moment (at the moment).

Example: She is eating apple while I am drinking juice - She eats an apple while I drink juice. (two actions are performed simultaneously)

2. The action is extended in time and occurs in the present, but is not limited to the present second. It started a while ago and will continue for some time. During this period of time, the designated action is performed.

Marker words: now (now), currently (now, now), these days (In these days, the other day).

Example: We are moving into a new house - We are moving to a new house. (We are busy with the process of moving and will continue it, but at the time of speaking we are not specifically engaged in this, we are simply in a state of moving)

3. The situation is temporary.

Marker words: until (not yet), for (during), during (during).

Example: He is staying in New York for three months - He lives in New York for three months. (in three months, for some reason, he will leave New York, his period of stay in this city will end; this situation is temporary, he permanently resides, for example, in Moscow, and is in New York for work or in connection with studies)

4. The action is developing or constantly changing, the sentence often contains specific verbs to indicate it. Describing the process of change is a case of using the Present Continuous. Marker words: get (become), change (change), rise (rise), fall (fall), grow (grow), become (become), start (begin), improve (improve), begin (begin). Example: Your English is getting better - Your English is getting better. (there is a gradual increase in your level of English)

Special cases of using the Present Continuous construction

1. The deed is planned and will definitely be done in the near future, often with a date, place or some other details indicated.

Marker words: this/next week (this/next week), tonight (in the evening), today (today), tomorrow (tomorrow), this/next year (this/next year), this/next weekend (in these /next weekend).

Example: Next week we are buying a new car - Next week we are buying a new car. (we have not just decided, but have already chosen the brand of car and the car dealership where the purchase will be made)

2. We are talking about action in the present, affecting the near future, using verbs denoting movement.

Marker words: go (go), move (move), leave (leave), start (start), come (come), return (return).

Example: I'm tired. I am going to bed. - I'm tired. I am going to sleep. (right now I feel tired and will go to sleep right after I report this)

3. The speech is emotionally charged, the speaker is dissatisfied, annoyed or outraged by something that constantly happens.

Marker words: all the time (all the time), always (always), constantly (constantly)

Example: You are always interrupting me! - You constantly interrupt me! (you do this all the time and it annoys me)

4. Present Continuous - cases of use with state verbs.

According to the rules, such verbs in English are not used in the present tense, since they denote feelings and mental processes that have no time limits - these verbs express a state rather than an action.

However, if the meaning of such a verb you need is a specific action that has a beginning and an end, then the phrase can be constructed using the Present Continuous formula.

Marker words: to love, to feel, to wish, to think, to see, to look, to smell, to have ) and others

Examples: The steak tastes good. - This steak tastes great. (steak prepared according to this recipe is always delicious) The chef is tasting the steak. - The cook tastes the steak. (he's doing it right now)

Using the Present Continuous in difficult cases

1. We are talking about something new with a contrast to the old.

Example: He has left university, now he is working with his friend - He left the university and is now working with his friend.

2. We are talking about the unusual behavior of a certain person, he suddenly began to behave differently than before.

Example: She is eating too much - She eats too much. (before this she did not have such a good appetite)

3. Present Continuous is used in subordinate clauses after conjunctions. The sentence speaks of two actions, one of which is single or “short” (Present Simple), the second long (Present Continuous). For an action that occurs “in the background,” the Present Continuous is used, and for an event that interrupts it, the Present Simple is used.

Marker words: as long as (yet), when (when), in case (if), if (if), while (while), unless (not yet).

Example: I try not to make noise in case my daughter is reading her book - I try not to make noise when my daughter reads.

Here you can take a lesson on the topic: Present Continuous Tense in English. Present Continuous Tense.

In this lesson we will learn about another frequently used tense in English called Present Continuous(Present continuous). The Present Continuous is usually used for naming actions currently taking place. Additionally, this time can be characterized as unfinished and visual.

English verbs take on a special form to express the present continuous tense, namely the verb to be in the appropriate form is combined with a verb ending in the suffix -ing (Ving). Thus, the formula of verbs in the Present Continuous is as follows: to be + Ving. For example:

He is watching football on TV. - He watches football on TV. (action takes place at the moment)

To better understand what verbs look like in the Present Continuous, consider the conjugation of the verb work using personal pronouns as an example:

I am working (I"m working) - I am working
you are working (you"re working) - you are working / You are working
he is working (he"s working) - he is working
she is working (she"s working) - she is working
it is working (it "s working) - he/she works (inanimate)
we are working (we"re working) - we are working
they are working (they"re working) - they are working

As can be seen from the conjugation, there are also shortened forms. Moreover, they are preferable.

An interesting feature of verbs ending in -ing is their pronunciation. As a rule, the last letter (g) in the ending is not read, and a deep nasal sound /ŋ/ is produced. For example:

dancing /"da:nsiŋ/
singing /"siŋiŋ/ (especially difficult to pronounce due to the double nasal sound)
reading /"ri:diŋ/
listening /"lisəniŋ/
writing /"raitiŋ/

There are also several spelling rules verbs to which the ending -ing is added:

1. So, for example, to verbs ending in the letter -e, when adding the ending -ing, the letter -e disappears. For example:

change - changing (change - changes)
arrive - arriving (arrive - arrives)
dance - dancing (dance - dances)

2. In monosyllabic verbs ending in one vowel and one consonant, when adding the suffix -ing The consonant is doubled. For example:

swim - swimming (swim - floats)
run - running (run - runs)
sit - sitting (sit - sitting)

3. If the verb ends in a combination of letters -ie, then when adding the ending -ing, this combination is replaced by the letter -y. For example:

lie - lying (to lie - lies)
die - dying (die - dies)
tie - tying (to tie - ties)

There is a category of verbs to which the ending -ing is not added. These verbs are called static verbs. These primarily include verbs of all feelings (for example: like, love, hate, smell, see, hear, etc.), verbs of thought processes (for example: think, know, understand, believe, etc. .), and all modal verbs.

I. As already noted, the Present Continuous tense is closely connected with the present, namely with actions at the moment. For this reason, very often in sentences expressed in the present continuous tense there are marker words: now, at the moment. Let's look at an example:

I am reading a book now. - I'm reading a book now.
They are fishing now. - They are fishing now.
Claude is watching a cartoon at the moment. - Claude is watching a cartoon at the moment.

Looking at the examples, we can conclude that in affirmative sentences in Present Continuous time are of great importance subject and transformed predicate, and the circumstance (now, at the moment) and the addition, depending on the context, may be omitted. As a rule, even without the words now or at the moment, the formula to be+Ving in a sentence means that the action is happening right now. Let's look at a few more examples:

The baby's (is) crying. - The child is crying (now, at the moment).
They"re having a party. - They are having a party (now, at the moment).
The dogs are barking. - The dogs are barking (now, at the moment).
She "s playing the violin. - She plays the violin (now, at the moment).
They "re moving furniture. - They move (rearrange) furniture (now, at the moment).

II. Negative sentences in time, the Present Continuous is formed by adding the particle “not” to the verb to be in the appropriate form. Let's look at the example of conjugating the verb talk with personal pronouns:

I am not talking (I"m not talking) - I don’t speak
you are not talking (you aren't talking) - you don't talk / You don't talk
he is not talking (he isn't talking) - he doesn't speak
she is not talking (he isn't talking) - she doesn't speak
it is not talking (it isn't talking) - he/she does not speak (inanimate; may also apply to babies and any animals)
we are not talking (we aren't talking) - we don't talk
they are not talking (they aren't talking) - they don't talk

The examples show that abbreviations are also possible. In most cases they are preferable. Let's look at some proposals:

He isn't watching football, he's reading a magazine. - He doesn't watch football, he reads a magazine.
They aren't eating cookies, they're eating ice-cream. - They don't eat cookies, they eat ice cream.
The baby isn't crying, it is sleeping. - The baby is not crying, he is sleeping.

III. IN interrogative sentences in the Present Continuous tense, the verb to be is brought forward and the following word order is obtained:

To be - Subject - Ving - (Object) - (Adverbial modifier - now, at the moment)?

Let's look at a few examples:

Are you looking at the tower? -Are you looking at the tower?
Is he listening to the radio now? - Is he listening to the radio now?
Are the dogs barking? -Do dogs bark?
Are you laughing? - You're laughing?
Is she writing a letter at the moment? - Is she writing a letter at the moment?

These examples refer to general questions and require short answers: yes or no. And short answers in the Present Continuous repeat the verb to be in the question. For example:

Is he watching a film at the moment? -Yes, he is. -No, he isn't. - Is he watching TV at the moment? - Yes. - No.
Are Jill and Erica arguing now? - Yes, they are. -No, they aren't." - Are Gil and Erica quarreling now? - Yes. - No.

For education special issues In the Present Continuous you need to use a question word (who, what, where, etc.) before the verb to be. For example:

What are you doing now? - What are you doing now?
Where is she going? - Where is she going?
Who are they looking for? - Who are you looking for?
Why are they crying? - Why are they crying?

Thus, we examined the basic rules for the formation of different types of sentences in the present continuous tense, as well as some stylistic and phonetic features of this tense. For practice, it is recommended to construct as many sentences as possible about the actions taking place around you at the moment, and this will be a good language exercise.

Present Continuous- present continuous tense of English. Used to indicate a process that is happening right now. Below are the rules and formula for forming the Present Continuous tense in affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences, auxiliary words and examples of using tense.

Education Present Continuous

In an affirmative sentence, the Present Continuous is formed by adding the auxiliary verb am / is / are (one of the forms of the verb to be) and adding an ing ending (-ing) to the verb in the first form.

It should be remembered that:

1) the auxiliary verb am is used with the 1st person singular (I); it can merge with the pronoun to form I’m.
2) the auxiliary verb is is used with the 3rd person singular (he / she / it)
3) the auxiliary verb are is used with the 2nd person singular, 1st and 3rd person plural (you, we, they)

Present Continuous formation formula:

Noun + am / is / are + verb in 1st form with the ending -ing added to it

Examples of affirmative sentences:

I am playing football right now. — I'm playing football now.

Sally is doing her homework at the moment. — Sally (she) is doing her homework now.

They are fishing now. - They are fishing now.

A negative sentence in the Present Continuous is formed by adding not to the auxiliary verb am / is / are, and verbs in the ing ending (-ing). Formula:

Noun + am / is / are + not + verb in 1st form with the ending -ing added to it

The auxiliary verb and the particle not can merge at the request of the one who writes or speaks. Examples of using negative sentences in the Present Continuous:

I'm not watching TV at the moment. — I don't watch TV now.

He is not working on his project right now. — He is not working on his project now

They are not going to the school now. — They don’t go to school now.

To form an interrogative sentence in the Present Continuous, the auxiliary verb must be placed at the beginning of the sentence. rule:

AM / is / are + noun + verb in 1st form with the ending -ing added to it

Examples of interrogative sentences:

Are you doing your homework? - You are doing your homework?

Is she walking on the street right now? — Is she walking outside now?

Are they playing in the club at the moment? — Are they playing in the club now?

Auxiliary words Present Continuous

Typically, when the Present Continuous tense is used, the following marker words are used:

Cases, V which usedPresent Continuous

It is not enough to know the rules of tense formation; you need to know where it is appropriate to use the Present Continuous. Below are examples of using the present continuous tense in everyday life.
Use case I: the action is happening now

Most often, the Present Continuous is used to describe an action that is not happening right at this moment in time. In this case, auxiliary words are also often used - right now, now, at the moment and others. examples:

You are learning English now. — You are learning English now.

They are not watching television. — They are not watching TV (at the moment).

Are you sleeping? — You are sleeping (at the moment).

Use case II: long-term actions in the present tense

Longer Actions in Progress Now

The word now in English can also have a figurative meaning: this week, this month, etc., as in Ukrainian. Therefore, the Present Continuous can be used to denote long-term actions that have already been taking place for some period and have not yet been completed. examples:

I am studying to become a doctor. — I'm studying to become a doctor.

I am not studying to become a dentist. — I’m not studying to be a dentist.

Are you working on any special projects at work? —Are you working on some project at work?

Use case III: near future

Sometimes the Present Continuous is used to denote agreements or actions that may or may not take place in the near future. In this case, it is necessary to indicate the time of the event. examples:

I am meeting some friends after work. — I meet with friends after work.

I am not going to the party tonight. — I'm not going to today's party.

Is he visiting his parents next weekend? — Or will he visit his parents next week?

IV use case: repeating actions that have a negative connotation

Repetition and Irritation

Like the Past Continuous, the Present Continuous can be used by the interlocutor in cases where he wants to express his negative attitude towards those repeating in the present tense. In this case, it is typical to use the words always and constantly between the auxiliary verb and the verb with an ing (-ing) ending. examples:

She is always coming to class late. — She is always late.

He is constantly talking. I wish he would shut up. — He talks constantly. I wish he would shut up.

I do not like them because they are always complaining. — I don’t like them because they constantly complain.

Remember, at school, in the third grade, the English teacher showed you pictures in which people were busy with various useful things, and asked in English: “What is he doing?” And you answered: “He reads,” “He helps his mother,” or “He builds a birdhouse.” This is where acquaintance with the Present Continuous ended for many of us.

Present Continuous, or present continuous tense, one of the basic tenses of the English language, starting from which you will build your system of tenses.

First we will look at how the forms of this time are formed.

To form a statement, we need two components: auxiliary to be (am/ is / are - depending on the subject) and ending verb-ING.

* information question with the word When? is not given in Present Continuous, since the form itself to be +Ving indicates that the action occurs at the moment of speech, therefore, the question about time does not make sense.

At all times of the group Continuous and in all types of utterances there is an auxiliary verb to be and a semantic verb with the ending -ING.

How an ending is added -ING to verbs? When this ending is added to a verb, the spelling of the verb changes. There are several rules that you have to remember:

Now let's look at the use cases Present Continuous.

1. Action that occurs at the moment of speech. (Action in progress at the moment of speaking)

The Present Continuous is used to express an action that occurs at the moment of speech, often before our eyes, that is, we can observe the process.

At the moment of speaking the following are indicated: time indicators: now(Now), at the moment(at present), still(still). Time indicators now And at the moment may not be used, because the form itself to be + Ving indicates that the action is happening right now, at the time of speech.

In addition, words that serve to attract attention (look, listen, be careful, etc.), indicate that the action is taking place at the moment of speech.

Look! She is dancing! - Look! She is dancing!
Jim is still doing his homework. - Jim is still doing his homework.
Be careful! The ladder is falling! - Carefully! The stairs are falling!

2. Temporary actions and states

States are those actions that seem to be in process at the moment of speech, but we cannot see them. For example: live, work, study.

By using the Present Continuous in this sense, you are saying: “I’m doing it now, but it’s temporary, I don’t usually do it. When the action is completed, everything will return to its place.".

Pointers: today, this week, these days, tonight, at present.

I’m living at my friend’s while my flat is being redecorated. - I’m staying with a friend while my apartment is being renovated. (This is a temporary action, the repairs will be completed and I will return to my apartment)

He likes science fiction but this month he is reading historical novels as it’s the topic of this month. - He loves science fiction, but this month he is reading historical novels because that is the theme of this month. (The action is temporary, the topic will end and he will read science fiction again)

She is working as a secretary these days. - Currently she works as a secretary. (This is not a permanent job)

3. Changing or developing situations

If you are observing a process and see changes taking place, then you should use Present Continuous. Often used with paired comparative adjectives: more and more, better and better.

It is becoming colder and colder. - It's getting colder and colder.
The flowers are becoming more and more beautiful. - The flowers are becoming more and more beautiful.
It is getting hotter. I will have a break. - It's getting hotter. I'll take a break.

4. Plans and agreements. (Arrangements)

The Present Continuous also has a future meaning. It can denote personal plans and arrangements for the near future. Often with place and time indicators. In Russian, we use the present tense in the same way to express a future action that we have planned:

Mr. Smith is leaving tomorrow at 11.00. - Mr. Smith leaves tomorrow at 11.00.
I am taking my exam tomorrow so I am studying tonight. - I'm taking an exam tomorrow, so I'm studying tonight.
We are meeting the manager tomorrow at 10 o’clock. - We are meeting with the manager tomorrow at 10 o'clock.

5. At the beginning of the story to create atmosphere. (Setting the scene)

If you are going to tell a story, you can use the Present Continuous to create the setting, to allow the listener to imagine the situation. You can use the word Imagine(Imagine).

Present Simple is used to describe main events.

He is walking through the dark forest. It is raining and the wind is blowing. - He walks through the dark forest. It's raining and the wind is blowing.
Imagine: you are in the garden. The sun is shining and the birds are singing. - Imagine: you are in the garden. The sun is shining and the birds are singing.

6. Frequently repeated actions to convey irritation or surprise (Annoying or surprising actions)

Always is considered a typical Present Simple indicator, but this adverb can be used with the Present Continuous to express an action that is repeated too often: constantly, all the time. Such actions either irritate us or surprise us.

Except always, can be used constantly And continuously.

My sister is always leaving her dirty dishes on the table. - My sister always leaves dirty dishes on the table.
You are constantly interrupting me! - You interrupt me all the time!
I am always meeting you in this shop. - I meet you in this store all the time.

Comparative characteristics Present Simple And Present Continuous you will find .

Learn English with Enginform and keep making progress!

Subscribe to our communities at

It turns out that the British have their own favorite times. Present Continuous tense or Present Continuous tense is one of them. Today we are talking about how the Present Continuous is formed and when it is used.

General information

In Russian you can find sentences of the following type:

• There's no need to rush! The store is still open!
• She is now choosing a new dress.
• They are currently discussing new issues.

As can be seen from the examples, we are talking about long-term actions, about processes that occur at the very moment when they are spoken about. In Russian, this is indicated by words such as “now”, “at the moment”, “yet”. Verbs are used in the present tense. The situation is different in English. To express duration, only adverbs of time are not enough. The main expression of duration in the language of Foggy Albion is the temporary form Present Continuous:

• Don't hurry! The shop is still working!
• Now she is choosing a new dress.
• At this moment they are discussing new questions.

Education

Sentences in English are constructed according to direct word order. The subjects come first, the predicate comes second. Affirmative sentences in the Present Continuous are no exception. Only the predicate is expressed by two verbs: auxiliary to be and the main one with the addition of an ending to its basis - ing. The following table shows how the formula works in practice “subjects + to be + main verb + -ing”:

When adding the ending -ing to the stem of a semantic verb, you must pay attention to the final vowel or consonant:

• if the verb ends with a silent vowel -e, then it is omitted ( to bake - baking, to blame - blaming);
• if the verb ends in -ie, then this combination is replaced with -y ( to die - dying);
• if the verb consists of one syllable and ends in a vowel + consonant, then the final consonant is doubled ( to cut - cutting, to put - putting).

Negative sentences

Negation in English is constructed using the negative particle not (not). In the Present Continuous form, it stands between the auxiliary and main verbs: subjects + to be + not + main verb + -ing.

TOP 3 articleswho are reading along with this

Question

A characteristic feature of English interrogative sentences is the reverse word order, when the auxiliary verb comes first. In the Present Continuous, questions are constructed according to the following formula: to be + subjects + main verb + -ing?

Cases of use

The answer to the question of when the Present Continuous is used lies on the surface - in the very name of the time. The word Present indicates that the action is taking place in the present, and Continuous emphasizes the duration of the ongoing event. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Hidden under the dark water are other nuances of using this tense:

• To illustrate an action that is happening at the moment of speech. In this case, it is possible to use such time markers as at this moment (at the moment), now (now):

My father is not smoking now. He is speaking to our neighbor - My father doesn’t smoke now. He's talking to our neighbor.

• To describe an action that extends over time: it is happening now and will continue for some time. In order to emphasize this “extension”, the time indicators these days (the other day), currently (now) are used:

My grandmother is currently sewing a new shirt for me - My grandmother is now sewing a new shirt for me (she started sewing even before now and will continue to do this for some time)

• To illustrate temporary situations, events. In these sentences you can find words such as until (not yet), for (during), during (during):

Ann is working as a teacher until she moves to another city - Anna works as a teacher until she moves to another city (her job is not permanent, but temporary).

• To describe events that do not “stand in one place,” they develop and change. As a rule, in these cases the verbs to change (change), to get (become), to begin (begin), to improve (improve), to become (become) are used:

His skills are getting better – His skills are getting better.

• To describe planned actions, as well as events that are expected to happen in the near future:

Tonight they are organizing New Year party - Tonight they are preparing a New Year's party.

The stable expression to be going to (getting ready) is used to mean the future (We are going to visit a doctor - We are going to visit a doctor).

What have we learned?

The discussed rules and examples of Present Continuous for children explain in detail how this temporary form is formed, when a consonant is doubled and what exceptions there are when adding the ending -ing to the main verb. Complex cases of using time were also explained for beginners.

Test on the topic

Article rating

Average rating: 4.6. Total ratings received: 274.