Present Continuous (Progressive). Present continuous tense

English verb tenses, as a rule, fill all students with sacred horror. Still - there are as many as 16 of them! But the devil is not as scary as he is painted. We will try to explain it to you as simply as possible, especially since for starters you can limit yourself to 4 times. In today's post we will look at the Present Continuous Tense.

• To better understand English verb tenses, it is not necessary to remember their name. It will be enough to clearly know three things: 1) when the action occurs; 2) how the desired form of the verb is formed; 3) what is the auxiliary verb.

The Present Continuous Tense - Present Continuous Tense

As mentioned above, there are three main things you need to know.

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1. When does the action take place? The Present Continuous Tense denotes an action that is happening at the moment of speech, directly Now. That is, the action is indicated in the process, so this tense is also sometimes called Present Progressive Tense.

2. How is it formed? The form of the verb in the Present Continuous Tense is formed using the verb to be (in the present tense) and. Simply put, am/is/are + verb ending in ing.

Let's look at the example of the sentence “I am writing a letter.” Before us is a sentence, the action of which is taking place at the moment - “I am writing a letter now.” The predicate verb is the word “I am writing”, and it is this that we must put in the Present Continuous Tense. Since the subject is “I,” we take the form of the verb “am” and add the ending ing to the predicate verb write. As a result, we get the sentence I am writing a letter.

3. What is the auxiliary verb? An auxiliary verb is needed to form the interrogative (?) and negative (-) forms of all tenses of the English verb and to form the affirmative (+) form of some tenses of the English verb. For the Present Continuous Tense, the auxiliary verb is to be, or rather its forms am/is/are.

In the interrogative form, the auxiliary verb comes first (Are you eating now?). In the negative form, not is “attached” specifically to the auxiliary verb (He isn’t sleeping now).

For clarity, let’s conjugate our sentence “I am writing a letter” by person in the affirmative, interrogative and negative form.

Please note that only the forms of the verb to be change depending on the person of the subject; the present participle (ING form of the verb) does not change.

Here is a translation of several sentences in the present continuous tense:

• We are drinking tea now – We are drinking tea now
• I am not reading now – I am not reading now
• Are you working now? – are you working now?
• Is he playing now? – is he playing now?
• She is not drinking coffee now – She is not drinking coffee now

Note: There are several English verbs that are not used in the present continuous tense, these are the so-called verbs of feeling and perception:

With these verbs, even if the action is happening at the moment, we use:

• I'm tired. I want to go home.
• Do you know that girl? - Yes, but I don’t remember her name.
• You are speaking too fast. I don't understand.

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.

Continuous Tenses, "to continue"- continue, last. The very name of this group of tenses indicates that their main grammatical meaning is duration, the process of action.

Band times Continuous also called Progressive Tenses , and in Russian they are called continuous or long time. Verb used in the form Continuous means that an action is taking place at some specific moment. This point may be clear from the context or is often indicated by additional words - an exact indication of the time (hour), another action, etc. somehow concretizing this moment. Depending on the duration of the action, they are distinguished:

Present Continuous- present continuous (present continuous),

Past Continuous- past continuous (past continuous),

Future Continuous- future continuous (future continuous).

Scene 1 discusses examples of the use of tense The Present Continuous Tense.
Scene 5 contains examples of the use The Past Continuous Tense.
In scene 29 comparison in the use of tenses Future And Future Continuous.

Continuous Tense formed by an auxiliary verb "to be" and the fourth main form of the verb (present participle - Present Participle). The only part of the predicate that can be modified is the auxiliary verb. "to be".

Conventions used in the table:

Ving- The fourth form of the verb. Present participle ( Present Participle or Participle I) and gerund ( Gerund).

to be + Ving- “to be a doer”

In order to better understand the grammatical essence of continuous tenses, let's use the literal translation of each component:

I am working
I am working
I am working

Not working
He is working
It works

We are working
We are working
We are working

She was working
She was working
She worked

They were working
They were working
They worked

I shall be working
I'll be working
I will work

You will be working
You will be working
You will work

From these examples it is clear that the second component of continuous tenses - the present participle - gives the entire verb a sign of duration of action. It is on the basis of the duration of action that these times are contrasted to the times of the group Indefinite. Latest used to express ordinary, repeatedly repeated actions. Compare:

Where is Ivanov?
Where is Ivanov?

Not is working in his study now.
He is now working in his office.

Ivanov usually works in his study.
Ivanov usually works in his office.

Forms in Russian Continuous translated by verbs of the imperfect form of the present, past or future tense (according to the tense of the auxiliary verb).

The interrogative and negative forms of continuous tenses are formed according to the rule of the verb "to be":

I am working.
Am I working?

He was working.
Was he working?

He was not working.

Verbs that do not represent action as a process are not used in the form Continuous.

The main ones are: to accept, to belong, to contain, to consist, to depend on, to deserve, to hope, to hear, to know, to like, to mind, to please, to possess, to prefer, to resemble, to recognize, to result, to see, to understand:

I understand what you are saying.
I understand what you are saying.

I see your drawing and I like it.
I see your drawing and I like it.

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.

Present Progressive (Present Continuous) tense- present continuous tense. In most cases, this tense indicates that the action is happening right now. For us Russians, Present Continuous may seem too difficult to understand at first. This is not surprising, because in Russian there are no such verb tenses. For example, the sentence “I play the balalaika” in Russian can mean that I am playing now or that I am playing at all (I know how to play). In English these are two different sentences. However, we also use some verbs differently in different situations.

In general terms: if we want to say that the action is happening right now, then we use the Present Continuous (Present Progressive) form. But this is not the only case of using this temporary form. But more on this later. First, let's answer the question - How is Present Progressive (Continuous) formed?

Formation of Present Continuous: elementary rules and examples

The Present Progressive is formed quite simply: we take the verb to be, put it in the appropriate form for the subject (we change it in accordance with the subject - I am, he is, my mother is and so on) and add the corresponding verb with the ending ing, which is “attached” to its base.

Too difficult? Let's look at a diagram illustrating this process.

Still not clear? Okay, let's look at examples. To do this, let's take the verb to think- think. Since it ends in a consonant, when adding ing nothing will be discarded, that is, we get - thinking. If we want to say “I am thinking” (about something at the moment), then we will succeed - I am thinking. Now with other people:

Negative and interrogative forms are formed very simply:

Rules for using the Present Continuous and examples

Forming the Present Continuous form is quite simple. The most difficult thing is the correct use of this form. The point is that there are several cases when it is necessary to use the Present Continuous tense and not some other tense. Briefly, all these cases are indicated using a diagram:

This scheme is not yet entirely clear to us, but it will be useful in order to quickly remember the main cases of using the present progressive.

So, Present Continuous is used:

1. Designation of what is happening or not happening now, at the moment (now, at the moment).

• I’m studying the present continuous . - I have been studying the present for a long time.
• I'm not watching TV at the moment. — I’m not watching TV at the moment.
• I'm sitting now.- I'm sitting now.
• I'm using the Internet. — I use the Internet.
• We're talking about life. — We talk about life.
• She's not listening to me. — She doesn’t listen to me (now).

2. Designation of what is happening now in the broad sense of the word - today, this month, this year, and so on. Temporary situations that we feel or know will not last.

• I am studying to become a teacher. — I am studying to become a teacher (for example, 5 years).
• Are you working on any special projects at work? — Are you (now) working on some kind of work project?
• I’m living in Moscow for a few months. — I’ve been living in Moscow for several months.
• I'm reading a great book. — I am reading a wonderful book (Now, these days. Reading a book is a long process).
• He’s living with his mother until he finds an apartment. — He lives with his mother until he finds an apartment.

3. New or temporary habits that have not always existed.

• My father is smoking too much . (He used to smoke less or not at all).
• My cat’s eating a lot these days . (She never ate so much before).

4. Repetitive, annoying actions, habits using always, constantly, forever:

• I don’t like him because he is always complaining.
• They're forever being late.
• My sister is always losing her keys.

5. Plans for the near future

• I’m leaving at 5 am. — I leave at 5 am.
• Are you visiting your parents next weekend? — Will you visit your parents next weekend?
• I am not going to the party tonight. — I won't go to the party today.

6. Situation change (usually slow) - little by little, gradually etc.

• My son is getting better at playing the guitar.
• The weather is improving.

These were all the rules for the formation and use of the present continuous (the present progressive).