The use & example of Present Continuous Tense
THE AFFIRMATIVE FORMS
The verb in Present Continuous consists of two elements: appropriate auxiliary verb “to be” (I am, you are, etc.) and the main verb with the addition of the -ing ending.
TO BE + VERB + ING
My boyfriend is watching a football match at the moment.
Stop making such noise! I‘m trying to rest!
SPELLING RULES
By adding -ing to some verbs, you need to make some changes in their spelling:
change | example |
---|---|
in monosyllabic verbs containing a short (usually single in spelling) vowel, and at the same time, ending with a single consonant – this consonant is doubled | get – getting let – letting work – working (two consonants at the end of the verb) |
in longer verbs, if the last syllable is stressed and ends with a single consonant, we also double the last consonant | admit -admitting begin – beginning enter – entering (stress is put on the first syllable) |
in two – and more syllable verbs ending with -I (if preceded by a short vowel, we double the final -I: | travel – travelling signal – signalling |
If the verb ends in e, this vowel is omitted. There are some exceptions (verbs ending with –ee ) | have – having make – making prepare – preparing |
QUESTIONS AND NEGATIVE FORMS
Questions in Present Continuous are formed through an inversion – reversing the word order in a sentence.
Let’s compare:
I am working at the moment.
Am I working at the moment?
The negative sentence is formed by contradicting the auxiliary verb to be – that is, adding word not to the form of the conjugated verb:
It’s raining.
It‘s not raining/ It isn’t raining.
USAGE
Present Continuous expresses the actions happening in a given moment, when we talk about them:
Tom is hiding under the table.
Where are you going?
Look! it’s snowing again!
Present Continuous does not occur with verbs, such as: know, see, need, remember, forget, prefer, believe, seem, hear, belong etc. It should then be replaced by Present Simple Tense
TIME EXPRESSIONS
These are the most characteristic time expressions used in Present Continuous:
- at the moment
- at present
- this week/ month
- now
- today