The rule is present continuous tense. Present Continuous Tense - present continuous tense in English

Present is translated as “present” and tells us that the action is performed in at the moment. Continuous is translated as “long/long” and indicates that the action began some time ago and is still ongoing.

Present Continuous is a long time. We use it when we want to say that something is in progress. For example, I am swimming, that is, I am in the process of swimming. Present Simple it simply shows the fact of one or another action without a process. Let's look at examples.

1. Present Simple

I drive a car.
I drive a car.

2. Present Continuous

I am driving a car.
I'm driving.

In Russian, these two sentences are translated almost identically, n But in English they express completely different meanings:

1) the simple fact that I know how to drive a car: I have a license and I can drive it.

2) I'm driving: I've been driving a car for some time now and now I'm still driving the car, that is, I'm in the process of driving.

Now let's take a closer look at the exact cases in which we use Present Continuous.

Using Present Continuous Tense

The simple continuous tense is used in several cases.

1. When we talk about an action that is happening now (at the moment).

That is, the action began some time ago and is now still ongoing (in process).
Example: “She is dancing” - she is in the process of dancing; “Children play with toys” - they are in the process of playing.

2. An action that is currently being performed, but not necessarily at the moment.

By this we emphasize the process of its duration.
Example: “He is studying at the university” - he is in the process of studying; “She's working on a big project” - she's in the process of working on a project.

Affirmative sentences in Present Continuous Tense

An affirmative sentence is formed using the auxiliary verb to be in the present tense (am, are, is) and -ing endings, which is added to a verb denoting action.

The one about whom we're talking about+ am/are/is + verb + -ing.

I	am
You
We	are	playing
They		swimming
She		cooking
He	is
It

For example

They are watch ing TV.
They are watching TV.

I am drink ing tea
I'm drinking tea.

He is smoke ing now.
He smokes now.

Rules for adding the ending -ing

There are several things to consider when adding -ing endings to verbs.

If the verb ends in -e, then the letter e we remove and add to the verb -ing:

danc e- danc ing- dance;
mov e-mov ing-; move.

If the verb is short, we double the last consonant:

si t- si ting- sit;
ba n-ba nning- forbid.

Exceptions: verbs ending in -x And - w:

mi x-mi xing- mix;
flo w-flo wing- leak.

If the verb ends in -ie, then we replace this ending with -y:

l ie- l ying- lie;
t ie-t ying- bind.

Words indicating time

The following words can help us determine that this is the Present Continuous:

now - now;
at the moment - at the moment.

Let's look at examples.

They are running now.
They are running now.

I am eating now.
I'm eating now.

We are working at the moment.
We are working at the moment.

She is having a break at the moment.
She's on a break at the moment.

Verbs not used in Present Continuous Tense

Some English verbs are never used in this tense.

1. Verbs expressing feelings

The Present Continuous does not use verbs that are associated with the senses (sight, hearing, touch, etc.).

hear - to hear,
smell - smell,
feel - feel, etc.

2. Verbs expressing mental state

forget - forget,
know - to know
understand - to understand, etc.

3. Verbs expressing emotions and desires

love - to love,
want - want,
like - like, etc.

4. Verbs expressing possession of something

have - to have,
possess - to possess, etc.

Why aren't these verbs used in the Present Continuous?

As we have already seen, this tense is used to emphasize that the action is in progress: we started doing it some time ago, we are doing it now, but after some time we will finish doing it.

To be used in our continuous tense, a verb must be able to last. For example: to cook - you started cooking, you are cooking now, after some time you will finish.

Returning to our exception verbs. We cannot start smelling (smelling) or hearing (hearing) and finish this process after some time. This is what we do all the time. We are talking about the fact that we can smell and hear. Likewise, forgetting, understanding, or emotions cannot be processes, because otherwise it turns out that these processes began once, are now continuing, and will end someday.

Negative form in Present Continuous Tense

Negation is constructed like an affirmative sentence, only it is added to our verb to be negative particle not.

The one in question + am/are/is + not + verb + -ing.

I	am
You
We	are		playing
They		not	cooking
She			swimming
He	is
It

Examples

We are not do ing our homework now.
We don't homework Now.

She is not driv ing at the moment.
She is not driving at the moment.

I am not listen ing music now.
I don't listen to music now.

Question form in Present Continuous Tense

To ask if someone is doing something right now, we put the verb to be first.

Am/are/is + the one in question + verb + -ing?

Am	I
	you
Are	we	playing?
	they	cooking?
	she	swimming?
Is	he
	it

Statement

I am read ing the book.
I'm reading a book.

You are swimm ing in a pool.
You are swimming in the pool.

She is clean ing her room now.
She is cleaning the room now.

The question and a positive answer (our “yes”) will look like this:

Question	Short answer (contains the verb to be)	Full answer (constructed as an affirmative sentence)
Am I read ing the book? Am I reading a book?	Yes, I am. Yes, I read.	Yes, I am read ing the book. Yes, I'm reading a book.
Are you swimm ing in a pool? Do you swim in the pool?	Yes, you are. Yes, you are swimming.	Yes, you are swimm ing in a pool. Yes, you are swimming in the pool.
Is she clean ing her room now? Is she cleaning the room now?	Yes, she is. Yes, she cleans.	Yes, she is clean ing her room now. Yes, she is cleaning the room now.

Negative answers (our “no”) will look like this:

Question	Short answer (contains the verb to be + not)	Full answer (constructed as a negative sentence)
Am I read ing the book? Am I reading a book?	No, I amnot. No, I don't read.	No, I am not read ing the book. No, I'm not reading a book.
Are you swimm ing in a pool? Do you swim in the pool?	No, you arenot. No, you don't swim.	No, you are not swimm ing in a pool. No, you don't swim in the pool.
Is she clean ing her room now? Is she cleaning the room now?	No, she isnot. No, she doesn't clean.	No, she is not clean ing her room now. No, she's not cleaning the room now.

Examples

Are are they playing tennis?
Do they play tennis?

Yes, they are.
Yes, they are playing.

Are are they playing tennis?
Do they play tennis?

No, they are not.
No, they don't play.

Is he sleepingnow?
Is he sleeping now?

Yes, he is sleeping now.
Yes, he's sleeping now.

Is he sleeping now?
Is he sleeping now?

No, he is not sleeping now.
No, he's not sleeping now.

Special questions in Present Continuous Tense

When we ask a question with the following question words:

what - what;
where - where;
who - who;
which - which one;
why - why.

These words are placed first in the sentence, and the further order of words will be the same as in a regular question. The scheme is like this:

Question word + am/are/is + the person in question + verb + -ing?

	am	I
		you
What	are	they	reading?
Where		we	playing?
Why		she	cooking? Reinforcement task Now for some practice. Translate the following sentences into English. Be careful, hidden among them are sentences that belong to the Present Simple. 1. She is flying on a plane at the moment. 2. Are you studying now? Yes, I'm studying. 3. She walks to work. 4. It’s not raining now. 4. Do they go to school? No, they don't study. 5. I'm painting a picture now. 6. He doesn't fly by plane. 7. The cat is lying on the table. 8. What are they reading? They read new magazines. 9. My friend understands physics. As always, leave your answers in the comments below the article.

Present Continuous - present long-term tense of English verbs, which can also be called present progressive ( Present Progressive). A very common form of the verb, it has no analogue in Russian, but is not particularly difficult to understand.

Present Continuous, as a separate time, is not indicated in Russian, so at first it causes some confusion, however, you usually quickly get used to it, especially after several dozen exercises (see the end of the article).

First, a small digression from the topic to talk about the grammar textbook with which we will now study the present continuum. This textbook is considered the best of all time: "English Grammar in Use" Murphy. Anyone who has ever held this book in their hands understands this perfectly. The textbook was already so well and conveniently structured that I immediately wanted to study it English grammar. Now it has been released in its fourth edition, it has become even better, it is also now available online, it is much more convenient, since it is voiced.

There are also video lessons, one of which, on the topic of present continuum, we will now watch. Then you can follow the link at the end of the video and try studying the textbook online - there is a free trial period. Everything is very clear and convenient.

By the way, a special edition has been published for tablets and smartphones. free application. So you can learn English grammar anytime and anywhere. Learn from the best materials, you are wasting your precious time, you need to spend it efficiently.

Rules for using Present continuus

Present continuous tense present continuos (Present Continuos) in Anna’s explanation in English (in Russian, see Sentences (examples)):

Formation table Present Continuous

In order to understand well new material we sometimes need an explanation from different people. In addition, we are all so different that everyone generally needs to find their own personal best explanation.

So watch another lesson Irina Shipilova- this young girl has amazing energy, such infectious lessons, I think that she is the one who will best explain the Present Continuous to someone.

Suggestions (examples) of using Present Continuous

1. The action is happening right now at the moment of conversation, it is not finished (activity in progress).

Don't interrupt me. I'm working.
Why aren't you working?
Alice is writing a book.
We are going for a walk.
He is not drinking.
I'm stressing about my test.
She is texting a message.

2. Temporary activity

We are living in a hotel until we can find a house to buy.
You are being very silly today. Usually you are so sensitive.

3. Possibly incomplete activity.

Sometimes the present continuum is used if no action occurs at the moment of conversation, but it is implied that it occurs in principle. This is well explained by the example with a book: you started reading a book, now you’re not specifically reading it, but since you haven’t finished it yet, you will continue reading it, so feel free to say

I'm reading the book.
We are building the house.
They are studying languages.

4. Present Continuous is used with words like: today, this week, this year:

You are working hard today/ this week/ this year

Exceptions.

There are four groups of stative verbs that are rarely used in the present continuum because they have the idea of permanence and completeness.

These are state of mind verbs: believe, think, assume, consider, understand, suppose, expect, agree, know, remember, forget
Verbs of emotions: like, love, detest, envy, hate, hope, prefer, wish, want
Verbs of belonging and being: belong, own, depend, contain, cost, seem, apper, need, have
Verbs of feelings: see, hear, taste, smell

However, if these verbs express activity rather than state, they can be used in the present continuum, for example:

I’m seeing Polly this afternoon (“see” means “meet”)
I’m tasting the pasta to see if it needs more salt (express an activity)
She is expecting a baby (she is pregnant)

And if you want to explain Present Continuous to your kids, show them this funny cartoon, and at the same time practice yourself, there are many examples of use here

As a gift for the material studied

with the use of Present Continuous for you. Well, below are the exercises - check how much you know the material.

Comprehension exercises (tests)

1. Present continuum (elementary level) 10 questions

Choose the correct answer

Start Quiz

For a long time. Forms sentences using auxiliary verb to be (in English translated as “to be”) in the form of the present tense and the fourth form of the main semantic verb (with the suffix -ing characteristic of the long tense).

Let's consider use of present continuouse. Example sentences:

You are having dinner. - You are having dinner (right now).

I am waiting for you. - I'm waiting for you.

They are traveling in the west. - They travel to the west.

She is writing a letter right know. - She is writing a letter right now.

We are speaking English now. - We speak English now.

They are reading this boring book now. - They are reading this boring book now.

For reference:

In colloquial English, the word "dinner" means dinner, and "supper" means a late dinner in a homely family setting.

Formation of question and negation

When forming an interrogative sentence in the present continuous tense, the words in it change places. As in any other case of English.

The verb to be moves to the first place - before the subject (pronoun, noun or proper name) in sentences with the present continuous. Example sentences:

Is she reading this boring book now? - Is she reading this boring book now?

Are we speaking English right now? -Are we speaking English right now?

Is she writing the letter now? - Is she writing this letter right now?

When forming a negative sentence between the form of the auxiliary and the semantic verb, not is added along with the semantic verb in the present continuous. Example sentences:

He is not writing. - He doesn't write.

I am not speaking. - I don't talk.

We are not waiting. - We're not waiting.

They are not studying. - They don't study.

She is not asking. - She doesn't ask.

At the same time, such full forms negatives are rarely used. In colloquial language abbreviations are used: isn't in singular or aren't in the plural.

Important rules for using this time

Using Present continuous. Rules of use:

1. The specified tense is used to express a specific action occurring at the present moment or period, that is, right now. This is what the temporary additions to the sentences specifically indicate:

now - now;

at the moment - at this (this) moment.

But these words are not always present in the sentence. They can only be implied.

He is reading his diploma. - He is reading his diploma (that is, right now).

2. It is usually not used with verbs that denote the state of an object rather than its action:

to want - to want;

to feel - to feel;

to love - to love;

to think - to think;

to like - to like, love;

to be - to be;

to live - to live;

to hate - to hate;

to stay - to stay;

to hear - to hear;

to remember - remember;

to see - see and some other English verbs.

But sometimes these verbs of state are still used to emphasize the temporary state in the present continuous. Example sentences:

I know I am being a baby but I can't help it. - I know that I'm like a child, but I can't do anything about it (that is, I'm only acting like a child now).

She is wanting to stay at this house and I can't help it. - She wants to stay in this house and I can’t help (that is, she just wants to stay now).

3. When a sentence conveys the intention to perform an action, the present continuous is sometimes used to indicate the future tense. Example sentences:

We are going to the cinema tonight. - We are going to go to the cinema this evening.

She is leaving by seven-o"clock train. - She is leaving by seven o'clock train.

Present Perfect Continuous Forms

Or, as it is also called, progressive in English are peculiar derivatives of the present continuous tense.

You can get it using the verb to be (to be) in the form of the present perfect tense (have been or has been in the 3rd person singular) and an auxiliary verb in the continuous tense (with the ending -ing).

Present perfect continuous- example sentences:

1) Used to denote an action that began in the past at a certain point in time, continued for some time and continues at the present moment:

I have been walking since 8 o"clock in the morning. - I have been walking since 8 o'clock in the morning.

He has been living in Moscow for six years. - He has been living in Moscow for six years.

2) An ordinary and constantly occurring action, indicating the time period for the continuation of the action. Moreover, if it is not indicated how long (time period) the action lasts, then the present continuous tense is used.

It has been raining for three days. - It has been raining for two days.

It has raining. - It's raining.

He has been studying English for seven years. - He has been studying English for seven years.

He is studying English. - He is studying English (that is, right now).

3) Constructions of the present perfect continuous tense are also used to indicate the duration of an action. At the same time, if the fact of the completion of an action is indicated, then another tense is used - the present perfect.

I have been living here since 1956. - I have been living here since 1956 (that is, my residence here has continued all this time).

I have lived here since 1956. - I have lived here since 1956 (that is, an episode of an action that has already occurred is emphasized).

4) The present perfect continuous tense, like the present continuous tense, is not used with English verbs, denoting the state of an object, not its action. That is, verbs - to love - to love, to feel - to feel and others similar to them indicated above (present continuous rules).

5) This time is also used in interrogative sentences to indicate the period that precedes the moment of speech (a given point in time). In this case, the use of appropriate question words and constructions is typical - how long - how long, how long; since when - since what time, since when.

How long have they been living here? - How long (how long) do they live here?

Since when has she been sitting there? - Since when (since when) has she been sitting there?

Present continuous passive

The passive voice form of the present continuous tense shows the action in its development, that is, how it continues. This construction is formed as follows:

verb to be (am, is, are) + being (that is, an indication of the continuous tense) + the second form of the semantic verb.

Let's look at the present continuous passive, example sentences:

New railway stations are being built. - New railway stations are being built (that is, they are being built right now).

Delicious supper is being cooked. - Delicious dinner It's getting ready now.

If the present tense in such a voice changes to the past, then in the sentences, since there is no indication of the time frame, only the form of the verb to be changes. It is put in the past tense was - in the singular and were - in the plural.

All the information we absorb not only finds a place in our head and memory, but is also transformed into images. To make this process faster and more efficient, you can use tables and diagrams.

Paying attention to what is happening now, at the time of conversation or close to it, helps present time Continuous. You can perceive information both in text and in tables. Which method is right for you, decide for yourself. Let's structure all the information about the present continuous tense and try to “push” it into a table.

Education

A clearly presented table will help you understand and compare the features education this time. In order not to clutter up the space and not to scatter attention, let’s consider construction of various proposals in the present continuous table using the example of to swim. Denial and questions at this time are quite easy to understand and remember.

Declarative sentence	Negative sentence	Interrogative sentence
I am swimming now.	I am not swimming now.	Am I swimming now?
He is swimming now.	He is not swimming now.	Is he now swimming?
She is swimming now.	She is not swimming now.	Is he now swimming?
It is swimming now.	It is not now swimming.	Is it now swimming?
We are swimming now.	We are not swimming now.	Are we swimming now?
You are swimming now.	You are not now swimming.	Are you swimming now?
They are swimming now.	They are not swimming now.	Are they swimming now?

Use

How and when to use these forms poses the greatest challenge. Everything can be structured and understood. Table present continuous according to application cases time in speech.

№	Cases of use	Time indicators	Examples
1	The action occurs at the moment of speech (in the present moment)	now at this moment at present moment	My mother is reading a book now, don’t bother her.
2	The action takes place in an unfinished period of time, an unfinished long-term action	currently these days at the time	She is living in the rented house these days.
3	Action in development	—	The climate is getting warmer.The solution of the air is getting worse.
4	In subordinate clauses conditions and tenses	if when as soon as till untill before	Try not to worry when you are singing.
5	To express actions that are repeated too often, causing irritation, reproach	always too often all the time constantly	He is always losing something.
6	For planned actions for the near future	tonight tomorrow	I am having a party tonight.

But not everything is so rosy and simple, many verbs in the Present Continuous go beyond the usual ones. Exceptions are:

verbs perception	verbs mental activity	verbs emotional action	verbs belonging, possession
to see - to see to hear - to hear to notice - to notice to smell - to smell to feel - to feel to recognize - to recognize to listen - listen to watch - to watch	to understand - to understand to know - to know to remember - remember to believe - to believe to expect - to expect to suppose - to believe to recollect - remember to trust - to believe	to want - to want to desire - to wish to refuse - refuse to forgive - forgive to wish - to wish to hate - to hate to like - to like to love - to love	to own - to possess to belong - to belong to possess - to possess to seem - to seem to signify - to express to appear - to appear to contain - contain to consist - consist to keep - store to concern - worry to matter - mean

Some of these verbs have special uses, which you can read about in more detail in our other page.

Having studied all this material and done a bunch of exercises, you can move on to understanding the passive voice. Present Continuous Passive is built according to the following scheme:

Scheme	Example
I + am + being + V3 (Ved)	I am being shown - They show me.
You + are + being + V3 (Ved)	You are being shown. - They show you.
He + is + being + V3 (Ved)	He is being shown. - They show him.
She + is + being + V3 (Ved)	She is being shown. - They show her.
It + is + being + V3 (Ved)	It is being shown. - They show it.
We + are + being + V3 (Ved)	We are being shown. - They show us.
They + are + being + V3 (Ved)	They are being shown. - They are shown.

Passive voice requires additional, more careful study. And this table will be a support, a cheat sheet for the formation of the passive voice in the present continuous tense.

The easy, concise and accessible material presented in the table will help you quickly master all the material.

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 (to 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 time Present Continuous great value have subject and transformed predicate, and the circumstance (now, at the moment) and the addition, depending on the context, can 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 time Present Continuous 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? -Are you 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 it before the verb to be question word(who, what, where, etc.) 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 have examined the basic rules of education different types 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.