2. PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE The present continuous tense is formed from the present tense of the verb be and the present participle (-ing form) of a verb: Use 1. We use the present continuous tense to talk about the present: *for something that is happening at the moment of speaking: I’m just leaving work. I’ll be home in an hour. Please be quiet. The children are sleeping. *for something which is happening before and after a given time: At eight o’clock we are usually having breakfast. When I get home the children are doing their homework. *for something which we think is temporary: Michael is at university. He’s studying history. I’m working in London for the next two weeks. *for something which is new and contrasts with a previous state: These days most people are using email instead of writing letters. What sort of clothes are teenagers wearing nowadays? What sort of music are they listening to? *to show that something is changing, growing or developing: The children are growing quickly. The climate is changing rapidly. Your English is improving. *for something which happens again and again: It’s always raining in London. They are always arguing. George is great. He’s always laughing. Note: We normally use always with this use. 2. We use the present continuous tense to talk about the future: *for something which has been arranged or planned: Mary is going to a new school next term. What are you doing next week? 3. We can use the present continuous to talk about the past: *When we are telling a story: *When we are summarising the story from a book, film or play etc.
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 06:59:54 +0000
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