English continuous tenses
Almost every second (if not every first) student of English with a shudder recalls the English times, because there are at least 12 of them! How do you know where and what to use?
The key to success is to accurately and clearly differentiate between types, for example, different present tenses. So, we have already considered and remembered that we use it to denote regular actions that occur AS A RULE. Our next tense is present continuous. The name itself suggests that we designate long, drawn-out actions with it. In the case of the present continuous, these are actions that are being performed NOW, at the moment.
So let's revisit the difference between simple(simple) and continuous(extended) time.
Rule for Present Simple. By simple tense, we denote regular, everyday activities.
Rule for Present Continuous. By extended time, we denote long-term single actions at a certain point in time. In the case of the present continuous, this point in time is now.
This difference can be depicted by the following dialog:
- Ann: What do you do every Monday? (Present Simple)
- Jane: I go to the university. (Present Simple)
- Ann: But today is Monday. Why aren't you there?
- Jane: I am still looking for my keys. (Present Continuous)
Therefore, marker words for the present continuous tense are:
NOW- now
AT THE MOMENT- At the moment
STILL- still.
The present continuous tense consists of two verbs. we talked about the fact that if two verbs are side by side, then the first of them is auxiliary.
I am still looking for my keys.- In this example, we have a verb in the present continuous tense. That is, the auxiliary is am (or is, are, depending on the pronoun), and the ending must be added to the main verb -ing (looking).
So, we made sure that for the present continuous tense we have an auxiliary verb am/ is/ are.
Consider examples:
I am looking for my keys now.
I am not looking for my keys now.
Are you looking for your keys now? - Yes, I am. / No I am not.
Table. Formation of the present continuous tense
|
Present continuous tense |
||
|
I+ am Ving* You+ are Ving He+ is Ving She+ is Ving It+ is Ving |
We+ are Ving You+ are Ving They+ are Ving |
|
|
Long actions now, at the moment. |
||
|
NOW- now AT THE MOMENT- At the moment STILL- still |
||
* Ving - verb ending -ing
You can add a couple more marker words, but they will mean something different. Therefore, without hurrying to enrich the vocabulary, let's first replenish our grammatical knowledge. So, Present Continuous is used to refer to the following actions:
- Actions now, at the moment:
We are looking for the keys now. - Current trends, action in development:
Nowadays the crisis is progressing. - (In the meaning of the future tense) plans for the future:
The Johnsons are buying a fridge this weekend. - Activities that annoy you *:
You are always dropping things!
* To express your annoyance, build a sentence like this:
- Put the verb in present continuous.
- Use always as an analogue of our Russian "forever".
- Put an exclamation mark at the end of the sentence.
They are always missing the classes!- They always miss class!
In accordance with the newly studied meanings of the present continuous tense, we can add more marker words to our list:
- PRESENTLY
- TODAY
- CURRENTLY
- NOWADAYS
You are currently reading this text. No, the author of the article does not fall into insanity, but simply used in the very first sentence what you have to translate into English in Continuous time. This is probably the simplest of all time. Because it is very easy to solve it: the verb in the form of Continuous / Progressive (long / continued) expresses only such an action that takes place in a certain period of time and has not yet ended.
For example: you are currently reading this sentence (Present Continuous). Yesterday, when you woke up, it was snowing outside (in the case of snow - Past Continuous). And in a couple of months you will be packing your suitcase for a trip to the sea (Future Continuous).
The only difficulty that only lazy people could find is the use of an auxiliary verb to form Continuous. And this verb to be . If you were a good student, then you have long known all its forms:
Am
(for yourself, beloved)
Is
(for someone else in the singular)
Are
(for someone else, plural)
was
(past tense for someone alone)
Were
(past tense for several)
will be
(in the future tense for everyone; you can also use shall for the first person)
Well, one more feature is the ing endings ( -ing). The so-called "ing" form - and there is Participle I.
1. Present Continuous(Present Continuous)
It is used to refer to an action that is taking place right now (at the moment of speech) or at the present time:
"Falling, falling, falling, falling leaves".
Markers:
now, still, at present, at the moment, while, meanwhile.
The affirmative form is formed with the help of a verb to be+ main verb with ending -ing:
I am reading. He is reading. You are reading.
Negative form: to be + not+ verb with -ing.
They are not reading.
Interrogative form:
Are they reading?
2. Past Continuous(Past Continuous)
Used to refer to an action that took place at a specific time in the past:
"The reeds rustled, the trees bent."
Markers:
still, while, during, for 3 hours/days/weeks, all day long yesterday, from … till …
Affirmative form: was/were+ verb with -ing.
I was eating all day long.
Negative form: was/were + not+ verb with -ing.
They were not playing.
Interrogative form: Was she playing?
3. Future Continuous(future continuous tense)
Denotes an action that will be performed at a certain period of time or moment in the future: "I will ride the bike for a long time."
Markers:
still, from … to …, meanwhile, for 3 hours/days/years, during.
Affirmative form: will/shall + be+ verb with -ing.
They will be laughing.
Negative form: will/shall + not+be+ verb with -ing.
I will not be crying.
Interrogative form: Will it be raining?
There are, of course, some more nuances of using Present Continuous, but by and large, on the little things, you can collect information for a couple more grammar volumes. For a start, what is described in this article is enough. To consolidate the material, we strongly recommend that you start polishing your knowledge by listening to a lesson about lasting times in a musically entertaining and exciting way. The most sophisticated music lovers and English lovers will like it!
Continuous Time Meaning and Translation:
The tenses of the Continuous group denote actions that are taking place (have been taking place, will be taking place) at exactly the specified time - the present, the past and the future. Additional characteristics of such actions are their incompleteness, dynamism, visibility. This can be seen from the comparison of infinitives:
To work - work (Indefinite)
To be working - literally be working (Continuous), that is, it shows the process as unfinished, ongoing.
For example, you can say. Our children read and Our children are reading. Both sentences are translated as: Our children read.
But in the first case, Present Indefinite gives only the most general idea: Our children read in the sense that they know how and love to read. At the moment of pronouncing these words, children may not dance, but learn lessons, play, dance.
But the sentence Our children are reading paints a concrete picture of children reading: They are reading now.
The formation of the Continuous form is due to the auxiliary verb to be.
Present Continuous (Present Continuous)
Present Continuous (Present Continuous) is formed using the auxiliary verb to be in the present tense and the 4th main form of the verb.
| affirmative form | Interrogative form | negative form |
|---|---|---|
| I am reading |
Am I reading? I am reading? |
I am not reading |
|
He, she, it is reading |
Is he, she, it reading? Does he, she, it read? |
He, she, it is not reading |
|
We are reading |
Are we reading? We reading? |
We are not reading |
|
You are reading |
Are you reading? You read? |
You are not reading |
|
They are working |
Are they reading? They are reading |
They are not working |
Note 1:
Note that the singular and plural forms are the same.
You are asking. You ask.
You're asking.
Note 2:
In colloquial English, short forms are usually used instead of full forms: isn't, aren't
Present Continuous (Present Continuous) is used in the following cases:
1. To express an action, an event taking place at the present time or at the moment of speech. Indicates that the action currently taking place began before this moment and will continue after it.
An indication of time like now (now), at the moment (at the moment) can be either expressed or implied.
She is answering (at this moment). She is in charge (currently)
She is studying at school (now). She is now in school.
He is writing a letter. He is now writing a letter.
I'm sitting in the park. I am sitting in the park.
Young woman is reading a book. A young woman is reading a book.
2. To express a future action (similar to in Russian), when there is an intention to perform an action or confidence in its commission.
In this case, the adverb indicates the future: soon (soon), tomorrow (tomorrow), next week (next week).
Liza is arriving in Moscow soon. Liza will soon arrive in Moscow.
They are leaving London tonight. Today they leave London.
Note:
With state verbs:
To love (to love);
- to think (think);
- to want (want);
- to live (live);
- to be (everyday life, to be);
- to feel (feel);
- to see (see);
- to know (to know);
- to remember (remember);
- to hear (to hear);
- to stay (to stay);
Present Continuous (Present Continuous) is not used.
The exception is the case when they want to show that this state is temporary.
How are you feeling? - Great. How do you feel? - Fabulous.
I know I'm being a stupid. But I don't know to do. I know that I'm acting stupid. But I don't know what to do.
Past Continuous (Past Continuous)
Past Continuous (Past Continuous) is formed using the auxiliary verb to be in the past tense and the 4th main form of the verb.
| affirmative form | Interrogative form | negative form |
|---|---|---|
| I was asking |
Was I asking? I asked? |
I was not asking |
|
He, she, it was asking |
Was he, she, asking? He, she asked? |
He, she, it was not asking |
|
We were asking |
Were we asking? Did we ask? |
We were not asking |
|
You were asking |
Were you asking? Did you ask? |
You were not asking |
|
They were asking |
Were they asking? Did they ask? |
They were not asking |
Past Continuous (Past Continuous) is used in the following cases:
1. To express an action that took place (lasted) at a certain moment in the past, which is indicated either by a circumstance of time or by another action in the past. However, neither the beginning nor the end of the long-term action is known.
You were reading a book at 5 o'clock. You were reading a book at five o'clock.
You were reading a book when they came. I was reading a book when they arrived.
At the weekend I was preparing for my exams. At the weekend I was preparing for my exams.
2. To express a long-term action that took place at a certain period of time in the past (from five to six, all day long, the whole day yesterday)
I was writing letters the whole day yesterday. I wrote letters all day yesterday.
Important!
In this case, the beginning and end of the action are unknown, the only important thing is that it lasted the entire specified period of time.
In both cases, 1 and 2 Past Continuous is used when it is necessary to emphasize the process of action itself, its duration.
If only the fact of the action is important, then Past Indefinite is used.
In addition, Past Continuous can be used to express simultaneous actions that took place in the past at the same moment.
The children were playing in the yard while their mother was watching TV. The children were playing in the garden while the mother was watching TV.
As I was taking a shower, my girlfriend was cooking breakfast. While I was taking a shower, my girlfriend was preparing breakfast.
3. Past Continuous (Past continuous) is used with verbs of motion to express a future action that is planned in the past and is considered from the point of view of the past.
My mom was glad that I was leaving for Moscow. My mother was glad that I was going to Moscow.
They said that I was returning the next week. They said I'm coming back next week.
She wrote she was arriving on Sunday. She wrote that she was coming on Sunday.
Note 1:
The Past Continuous, like the Present Continuous, is usually not used with state verbs. State verbs are used in the Past Continuous only when it is emphasized that this state is temporary.
Note 2:
Past Continuous sometimes expresses someone's constant characteristic in the past. In the sentence in this case there are adverbs always, constantly.
He was always coming and staying for hours giving pointless advice and asking endless questions.
He always came and sat for hours giving useless advice and asking endless questions.
Future Continuous (Future Continued)
Future Continuous (Future Continuous) expresses a future action in the process of its completion, i.e. an unfinished long-term action. Formed with the help of the auxiliary verb to be in the future tense and the 4th main form of the verb.
| affirmative form | Interrogative form | negative form |
|---|---|---|
| I shall be speaking. I will speak. |
Shall I be speaking. I will speak? |
I shall not be speaking. I will not speak. |
|
He, she, it will be speaking. She, she, it will speak. |
Will he, she, be speaking? She, she, it will speak? |
He, she, it will not be speaking. She, she, it won't speak. |
|
You will be speaking. You will speak. |
Will you be speaking? Will you speak? |
You will not be speaking. You won't speak. |
|
We shall be speaking. We will talk. |
Shall we be speaking? We will talk? |
We shall not be speaking. We won't talk. |
|
They will be speaking. They will speak. |
Will they be speaking? Will they speak? |
They will not be speaking. They won't speak. |
Future Continuous (Future Continuous) is used:
1. To express a long-term action that will begin up to a certain moment in the future and will still continue, last at this moment. This may be indicated by the circumstance of time (at that moment, at six o'clock, at midnight)
At seven o'clock tomorrow she will be having an exam. Tomorrow at seven o'clock she will take the exam.
If you ring him up at midnight, she won't answer. She will be sleeping. If you call her at midnight, she won't answer. She will sleep.
2. To express a long-term action that will be performed at a certain period of time in the future.
Don't call my friend tonight between 7 and 11. She will be wring a letter. Don't call my friend between 7 and 11 o'clock. She will write a letter.
I shall be reading the whole day tomorrow. I will be reading all day tomorrow.
3. To express the intention to perform an action in the future or confidence in its commission.
I shall be reading tonight. I'm going to read tonight.
She will be visiting me tomorrow. Tomorrow she is going to visit me.
Present continuous (Present Continuous) - present prolonged tense of English verbs, which can also be called present progressive (Present Progressive). A very common form of the verb, has no analogue in Russian, but is not particularly difficult to understand.
Present Continuous, as a separate tense, is not indicated in Russian, so at first it causes some embarrassment, however, they usually quickly get used to it, especially after several dozen exercises (see at the end of the article).
First, a small digression from the topic to talk about the grammar textbook, according to which we will now study the present continius. This tutorial is recognized as the best of all time: English Grammar in Use » Murphy. Anyone who has ever held this book in their hands understands this very well. The textbook was already so well, conveniently structured that I immediately wanted to do English grammar. Now it has been released in the fourth edition, it has become even better, it is also now online, it is much more convenient, since it is voiced.
There are also video tutorials, one of which, on the topic of present continius, we will now see. Then you can follow the link at the end of the video and try to study the textbook online - there is a free trial period. Everything is very clear and convenient.
By the way, a special free application has been published for tablets and smartphones. So you can learn English grammar anytime, anywhere. Learn from the best materials, you are wasting your precious time, you need to spend it efficiently.
Rules for using Present continius
Present continuous present (Present Continuos) in Anna's explanation in English (in Russian, see Sentences (examples)):
Formation Table Present Continuous (Present Continuous)
In order to understand new material well, we sometimes need to get explanations 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 contagious lessons, I think that she will best explain to someone the present continius (Present Continuous)
Sentences (examples) of using Present Continuous
1. The action is happening right now at the moment of the 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 sensible.
3. Possibly incomplete activity.
Sometimes the present continuum is used when an action is not taking place at the moment of speaking, but it is understood that it is taking place in principle. This explains the book example well: you started reading a book, you are not specifically reading it now, but since you have not finished it yet, you will continue to read, so feel free to say
I'm reading the book.
We are building the house.
They are studying languages.
4. Present continuous (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 state verbs that are rarely used in the present continuum, as they have the idea of permanence and finality.
- These are state of mind verbs: believe, think, assume, consider, understand, suppose, expect, agree, know, remember, forget
- Emotion verbs: like, love, detest, envy, hate, hope, prefer, wish, want
- Verbs of belonging and being: belong, own, depend, contain, cost, seem, apper, need, have
- Feeling verbs: see, hear, taste, smell
However, if these verbs express an activity rather than a 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, at the same time practice yourself, there are many examples of use
As a gift for the studied material
with the use of Present Continuous (Present Continuous) for you. Well, below are the exercises - check how you know the material.
Exercises (tests) for understanding
1. Present continius (elementary level) 10 questions
Choose the correct answer
Start QuizPresent Progressive - Present Progressive is quite common in English. Pronounced in Russian [present progressive] - English transcription. After studying the article, you can easily find Present Continuous in the text, conjugate verbs, learn how to use all three forms of sentences, and learn the various rules for using this tense.
At the end of the article are exercises that will help you master the language skills. Beginners may be confused with Present Progressive, as these two tenses are used in the present form. Here, we presented a detailed explanation on the topic - Present Continuous.
Read the story on Present Progressive. Be sure to pay attention to the underlined verbs.
Right now, it's Friday evening. Sindy and Ron are at home. They are sitting on the sofa. They are eating dinner. At this moment, Sindy is drinking water. She is eating chocolate. She is sitting next to Ron. She is talking to Ron. Ron is Sindy's husband. He is sitting on the sofa with Sindy. He is also drinking water. Ron is listening to Sindy. After dinner, Ron and Sindy are visiting their friends.
Cases of using Present Progressive tense (Continuous)
There are several cases where only the Present Continuous is used, and not some other. Below are sample sentences to help you understand the topic.
- 1. Actions that are happening at the moment, right now:
Example (for example):
— My boss is having dinner with his sister now - The boss is now having lunch with his sister.
— My brother is having a shower at the moment - My brother is taking a shower at the moment.
— I'm practicing Italian grammar - I practice Italian grammar.
- 2. Actions are happening now, but not necessarily happening at this moment. That is, when the action has started but not yet ended:
Example (for example):
— my friend is preparing for his exam - My friend is preparing for the exam. (This means that it is being prepared, but not at the moment).
— I'm reading a great book - I am reading a wonderful book. (Optional at this point. I've started reading but haven't finished yet.)
— My mother is writing a book - My mother is writing a book.
— She is looking for a new apartment - She is looking for a new apartment.
- 3. If you have a photograph or a painting and you want to describe it to someone, then we also use the Present Continuous:
Example:
— They are sitting on the bench. The two women on the left are drinking water. Some of them are eating apples - They are sitting on a bench. The two women on the left are drinking water. Some of them eat apples.
It doesn't matter if the photo was just taken or a few years ago, we still use our long time.
- 4. When there are 2 actions, one of which is in progress, and the other is a habitual action, the first is expressed by Present Count., the second:
Example:
— you never close your mouth while you are eating You never close your mouth while eating. (close - stands in, since this is a human habit, and the second is a process, which is why Present Progressive is used).
— I never sleep while I' m working I never sleep while I work.
- 5. Actions that only happen temporarily:
Compare two examples:
(Comparison and Present Progressive)
—She lives
— She is living with her grandparents - She lives with her grandparents.
What do you think is the difference?
In the first sentence, she lives permanently with her grandparents. Secondly, this is a temporary situation.
More examples:
— His father works in Amsterdam - His father works in Amsterdam.
— His father is working in Amsterdam this month - His father is working in Amsterdam this month.
- 6. Constant repetitive actions with ever, always, forever, constantly which express irritation and criticism:
example:
— Terry is constantly touching my books! Terry touches my books all the time!
— They are always causing trouble! They always create problems!
— He is such a boring man, who's always making fuss about nothing! – He is such a boring person who always quarrels about nothing!
Pay attention to the following example:
— The earth is always moving- The earth is always moving.
In this sentence, the Earth moves in the literal sense of the word, and this is true. This is an ongoing process. Therefore, we use the present continuous tense.
- 7. Planned actions, events in the near future:
example:
— I' m my family tonight - in the evening I will visit my family (everything is planned).
— They are gettin g married next week - They will get married next week.
— My husband is picking me up at 7 o'clock tonight - My husband will pick me up at seven o'clock.
- 8. Changing or evolving situations:
example:
— The climate is getting warmer - The climate is getting warmer.
— The price of gold is increasing- The price of gold is rising.
— Your English and German are getting better - Your English and German are improving.
- 9. Physical condition:
We can use Present Progressive (Continuous) to express physical state.
example:
— How are you feeling? - How do you feel?
But we can also say:
— How do you feel?
With Present Indefinite, the meaning is the same.
— My back is hurting- My back hurts.
— My back hurts
The two options in Present Continuous and (Present Simple) are absolutely correct.
- 10. Trends:
example:
— More and more people are using their computers to watch films - More and more people are using computers to watch movies.
- 11. Another moment when we use the Present Progressive is when you have the feeling that you are starting to realize something:
example:
— I find
— I'm finding it is difficult to live with him - It is difficult for me to live with him.
- In the first version, these feelings are not new for you.
- In the second option, when you use the present continuous tense, then these feelings are new for you. I mean, you've only just started thinking about it.
A common mistake is to use this form to describe what a company sells or makes. In general, a company sells something on a regular basis, so you need to use the present simple tense, not the present continuous.
Let's look at examples:
- Wrong: We are producing plastic pipes.
- That's right: We produce plastic pipes - We produce plastic pipes.
Marker words (satellites) Present Progressive (Continuous)
The English language uses pointer words, they tell you which tense you should use. In the present continuous tense, these words are used in situations that occur during a conversation or making plans for the near future.
Actions taking place at the moment of speaking (now):
look!
Listen!
At present
Now
just now
At the moment
right now
Activities for the near future:
In the morning etc.
Tomorrow
Next/next week
Tonight
Today
This afternoon
Always
Still
Nowadays
Examples of sentences for hint words (markers):
look! The sun is rising - Look! The sun rises.
I'm looking after June's dog this week I am looking after June's dog this week.
She is staying with parents in Rome at present He is currently with his parents in Rome.
Present Progressive (Continuous) sentence forms
Let's look at how sentence forms are used in the present continuous tense in English.
Affirmative sentences (Positive Sentences)
As always, an affirmative sentence begins with a subject (subject), followed by an auxiliary verb to be, which changes. Therefore, we need to repeat the conjugation of the verb to be (I am, They are, He is etc). The ending -ing is added to the semantic verb, and the to particle is not used.
The formula is very simple:
Subject + to be + main Verb + ing(participle Participle I)
Subject + verb to be + semantic verb + -ing form.
Table of the affirmative form of Present Continuous Tense:
| Who? Who? | Form of verb (verb form) | Examples (examples) |
| I (I) | am+ verb + ing | I am training now |
| He/She/It (he, she, it) | is+ verb + ing | He is clapping now She is singing now It is working now |
| You (you, you) | are+ verb + ing | You are typing now |
| We (we) | are+ verb + ing | We are talking now |
| They (they) | are+ verb + ing | They are kissing now |
Native speakers very often abbreviate the pronoun and to be:
I am - I'm having a good time in these woods.
You are - You're holding my handbag.
You can also safely abbreviate pronouns for fast speech.
Negative sentence form Present Progressive (Negative Sentences)
The construction of negative sentences is the same as in Russian. You need to add the particle ‘not’ (not) after to be. Everything else is in place. To simplify, let's look at the table:
| Who? Who? | Form of verb (verb form) | Examples (examples) |
| I (I) | am + not+ verb + ing | I am not training now |
| He/She/It (he, she, it) | is + not+ verb + ing | He is not clapping now She is not cooking now It is not working now |
| You (you, you) | are + not+ verb + ing | You are not running now |
| We (we) | are + not+ verb + ing | We are not having a shower now |
| They (they) | are + not+ verb + ing | They are not kissing now |
Abbreviated form of negative sentences:
They aren't jumping or they're not...
He isn't phoning or He's not…
Etc.
Interrogative form of sentences Present Progressive (Interrogative or question sentences)
To form an interrogative sentence, you will need:
Verb to be (verb to be) - takes 1st place
Subject (subject) - takes 2nd place
Main verb (semantic verb) - takes 3rd place
Table of the interrogative form of the sentence:
| verb to be | Who? Who? | Form of verb (verb form) | Form of verb (verb form) |
| Am | I (I) | verb + ing | Am I sitting now? |
| Is | He/She/It (he, she, it) | verb + ing | Is he walking now? Is she crying now? Is it cracking now? |
| Are | You (you, you) | verb + ing | Are you training now? |
| Are | We (we) | verb + ing | Are we boxing now? |
| Are | They (they) | verb + ing | Are they diving now? |
Do you know that there is also an interrogative-negative form? Let's look at an example right now:
—Is she not studying?
The abbreviated form can also be used without hesitation in such sentences:
— Isn't she studying?
Learn more about question sentences:
Tag questions - Tag questions
General questions - Yes/No questions
Alternative questions - Alternative questions
Special or WH-questions
Rules for the formation of Present Continuous (Progressive) tense in English. Rules for adding the ending -ing to verbs
When -ing form is added to a verb, some of them change in spelling:
- 1. Verbs on - e, when adding -ing form, the letter is e out:
- Have - having
Verbs ending in a long sound e, then add -ing from without changing the spelling:
See-seeing
-Agree-agreeing
- 2. Verbs on - ie, when adding -ing form, then the letter changes to - y:
- 3. Verbs on - y, when adding -ing form, the letter is preserved:
- Cry - crying
- 4. If the verb consists of one syllable and ends in (consonant + vowel + consonant), then the last consonant is doubled:
— Plan — planning
Win-winning
- 5. When the verb ends in (С + Г + С) and has two or more syllables, and if the final syllable is stressed, then the last consonant is doubled:
-forget-forgetting
-regret-regretting
Note (note):
below are verbs ending in (С + Г + С). However, the consonant is not doubled, as they end in w, x or y:
-Row-rowing
- stay - staying
The spelling of the word Travel can be written in two ways:
Traveling - American version / American English 
Traveling - British/British English 
General Table of Education of the Present Continuous - Present Progressive
| Offer types | Present continuous |
| Affirmative sentence | I + am + v-ing(verb in -ing form) We/you/they + are + v-ing He/she/it + is + v-ing |
| Negative sentence | I + am not + v-ing We/you/they + are not(aren't) + V-ing He/she/it + is not(isnt) + V-ing |
| Interrogative sentence | Am+ I + V-ing…? Are+ we/you/they + V-ing Is+ he/she/it + V-ing |
| Special question | WH + am/is/are + S + V-ing WH-question word, S subject- subject, V-verb. WH Why, when, where, etc. |
Present Progressive (Continuous) - Present Continuous: Exercises with Translation and Answers
Do the exercises to master the material.
Exercise 1(an exercise). Put the verb into Present Continuous and translate the sentences.
1. Tom (eat) an apple.
2. My granddad (wear) a nice coat.
3. Sarah and Rob (talk) to father.
4. Jim (do) the washing-up right now.
5. Peter (sit) on the bench.
6. My mum (prepare) brunch now.
7. Ben (pack) the picnic basket.
8. Listen! Stan (come) home.
9. We (collect) our son from school.
10. I (not wash) my hair.
answers. Answers to the exercise:
1. Is eating
2. Are wearing
3. Are talking
4. Is doing
5. Is sitting
6. Is preparing
7.Is packing
8. Is coming
9. Are collecting
10. Am not washing
Exercise 2. Put the sentences into interrogative form using the Present Progressive.
1. __ I ___ (wear) a warm sweater?
2. __ he ___ (read) the magazine?
3. __ the President ___ (make) the right decision?
4. ___ we ___ (read) a lot of books?
5. __ my sisters ___ (come) to the concert with us?
answers. Answers to the exercise:
1. Am I wearing…?
2. Is he reading…?
3. Is the President making…?
4. Are we reading…?
5. Are my sisters coming…?
Exercise 3. Put the verbs in the -ing form and sort them into a table.
Rob, listen, lie, use, die, cry, come, travel, put, bring, run, tie, dive, hope, go.
| + -ing | -ie Changes to y + -ing | -ie Changes to y + -ing | Double consonant + -ing |
answers. Answers to the exercise:
1. Robbing
2. Lying
3.Using
4. Bringing
5. Running
6. Tying
7. Hoping
8 Going
9. Crying
10. Coming
11. Putting
Exercise 4. An exercise on the differences between Present Simple and Present Progressive.
1. I (work) from 8 to 6 every day.
2. She (watch) TV right now.
3. My brother always (play) soccer on Saturday.
4. Can your father (speak) Chinese?
5. What do you (do)? I'm drinking a cup of tea.
6. He (write) a letter to his girlfriend now.
7. We need an umbrella because it (rain) outside.
8. Be quite because my baby (sleep).
9. John (visit) his parents twice a week.
10. They always (go) to university from Monday to Friday.
answers. Answers to the exercise:
1. Work
2. Is watching
3. Plays
4. Speak
5. Are you doing
6. Is writing
7. Is raining
8. Is sleeping
9. Visits
10 Go
