Present Continuous Tense

PRESENT CONTINUOUS USE

  • Use present continuous:
    • to talk about actions and situation that are in progress or happening at the time of speaking
      • I am sitting in the lounge room at the moment and my parents are cooking dinner in the kitchen.
    • to talk about actions and situations that are going on around the time of speaking
      • This year, I am applying for a job at three companies.
  • Common time expressions in present continuous:
    • right now
    • at the moment
    • today
    • at present
    • this year
    • this month
    • this week
    • these days

PRESENT CONTINUOUS FORM

POSITIVE

I am studying.

You are studying.

(He/She/It) is studying.

We are studying.

They are studying.

NEGATIVE

I do not studying.

You are not studying.

(He/She/It) is not studying.

We are not studying.

They are not studying.

QUESTION

Am I studying?

Are you studying?

Is (she/he/it) studying?

Are we studying?

Are they studying?

ANSWERS

Yes, I am.

No, I’m not.

Yes, you are.

No, you aren’t.

Yes, she/he/it is.

No she/he/it isn’t.

Yes, we are.

No, we aren’t.

Yes, they are.

No, they aren’t.

SIMPLE PRESENT VS. PRESENT CONTINUOUS

  • Simple Present Use
    • to talk about events or actions that regularly happen and repeated.
    • to talk about permanent or habitual situations.
      • Tom walks his dog twice a day.
  • Present Continuous Use
    • to talk about events or actions that are already going on at the time of speaking or around the time of speaking.
    • to talk about temporary situations.
      • Tom is walking his dog right now.
      • Tom is walking his dog more often because he wants to be healthy.

STATIVE VERBS

  • Some verbs cannot use present continuous. There are stative verbs because they talk about states that do not change. They are not talking about an action.
    • He likes rock music, but hates pop music. NOT: He is loving me, but he is hating my cats.
    • I know about accounting. NOT: I am knowing your sister.
  • Common stative verbs are:
    • Emotion
      • love
      • like
      • hate
      • appreciate
      • prefer
      • want
      • dislike
    • Perception
      • see
      • hear
      • taste
      • smell
    • Cognition
      • think
      • believe
      • know
      • understand
    • Possession
      • have
      • own
      • belong
    • Other
      • be
      • seem
      • exist
      • need
      • weigh
      • owe
      • cost