2.6. The Present Continuous Tense
S
Carlson is sitting on the floor. He is holding a jam jar.
He is eating some jam.
It means: He is eating jam now, at the time of speaking.
The action has not finished yet.
Revision 1: Study the table of the present tenses.
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Simple Tense (простий час) |
Continuous (тривалий) |
Perfect (здійснений) |
Perfect-Continuous |
|
Present (теперішній) |
+ I often play the piano. ? Do you play it well? - I don’t play it very well. |
+ He is reading now. ? Is he writing now? - He is not writing.
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Revision 2: Study grammar references first then the situations when the present continuous tense is used.
Study again with us:
+ He is driving a car at the moment.
? Is he driving a car now? – Yes, he is / No, he is not (isn’t.)
Revision 3: Spelling rules of the present continuous:
-Dance - dancing (he is dancing); smile – smiling (I am smiling).
- Run – running: a final consonant is doubled when one preceding to it vowel is stressed (we are not running now); sit – sitting (she is sitting). BUT: open – opening (‘n’ is not doubled because a letter ‘e’ is not stressed).
- Travel – travelling (we are travelling these days): final ‘l’ is always doubled in Continuous forms.
- Final ‘-ie’ are changed into ‘-y’: lie – lying (he is lying in bed); die – dying (he is dying).
BUT: try – trying.
Note:
There are verbs which are not used in continuous tenses. They are
called state
verbs
(compare with active
verbs: to
go, to work, to write, etc.):
Hear,
see, taste, smell,
etc.: verbs
of senses;
Like,
love, hate, enjoy, prefer,
etc.: verbs
of likes, dislikes;
Know,
remember, forget, understand, seem, think
(consider), see,
seem etc.: verbs
of perception; Be,
want, have (possess),
need,
etc.: some
other verbs.
Study Grammar reference first then the following sentences with state verbs:
I hear you. I see a picture. He is kind. I like this apple. I love you. He knows what to do now. I think he has left. Do you like his new car? Ann is positive. It looks as if it’s going to rain. I understand you very well. I have a family. I want to be a florist. He knows a lot about computers.
But some verbs can be used either as state or active ones. Study the examples:
I think (I consider) grammar is not so difficult if you practice it a lot. BUT: I am thinking about buying a car. He is thinking of my idea.
Tim has a car (he possesses it). BUT: He is having dinner now. I’m having a good time this moment. She is not having a bath at present.
OR: The food tastes delicious. BUT: I am tasting the soup now.
Help:
Temporary – тимчасовий
Fixed arrangement–раніше запланована дія
Happen - відбуватися
Too - занадто
Irritate – дратувати
Tonight – сьогодні увечері
State verb – дієслово стану
Sense – почуття
Consider – вважати
Perception – сприйняття
Possess – володіти
Practice – Grammar in use
Task 1: Match the present continuous tense to the correct description.
1 She is looking for a new job these days.
2 He is flying to Rome in an hour.
3 More and more people are using the Internet.
4 I am watching TV now.
5 You are always talking at my lessons!
a changing or developing situation
fixed arrangement for the near future
an action taking place now at the moment of speaking
a temporary action which is going on around now
an action happens too often and irritates us
Task 2: Write sentences (+, - ,?) using the present continuous tense.
e.g.: We / think of you (+) We are thinking of you.
1 what you / do now (?)
2 it / rain (-)
3 she / talk to her father at the moment (+)
4 the girl / painting a picture now (-)
5 you / make a big mistake (+)
6 where you / study at the moment (?)
7 she / play the violin very well (-)
8 you / talk too much (+)
Task 3: Open the brackets. Use the present simple or the present continuous tense.
He _________ (take) the train to work every morning.
Does he_________ (remember) how to use the Internet?
You can turn off the radio. I_________ (not / listen) to it.
When a child_________ (be) born, both parents care for him.
Our school__________ (be) criticized because it doesn’t prepare children for life.
We are__________ (not/have) a good time now.
They__________ (be) getting married in October.
Helen and I __________ (make) dinner at the moment.
Task 4: Underline the correct tense.
Vicky looks / is looking for a new flat at the moment.
She wants / is wanting to decorate the kitchen this week.
I am going / go to the gym this afternoon.
Steve thinks / is thinking about buying a new car.
Task 5: Complete the dialogue with the correct form of the verbs: the present simple or the present continuous.
Policeman: What _________ (do) here?
Josh: Nothing. Why?
Policeman: We ask questions here.
Josh: We_________ (wait) for our friend.
Policeman: Where__________ (live)?
Josh: 151, Churchill Road.
Policeman: What are your names?
Josh: I’m Josh and he’s my brother, Wayne. We __________ (not do) anything illegal, are we?
Policeman: __________ (have) any form of identification?
Josh: Yes. I __________(have) my driving licence. __________ you (want) to see it? Here!
Policeman: It __________ (say) Dean Allen on this licence.
Josh: Does it? Oh yes, it’s my dad’s.