PRESENT CONTINUOUS / PROGRESSIVE

Reglas (Spelling rules for –ing)

 Regla 1. A la mayoría de los verbos se les agrega –ing. Al final del verbo.

Ejemplo: The elephant is (play + ing = playing) the water.

 Regla 2. Cuando un verbo termina en consonante + vocal + constante (solo

una vocal), se debe duplicar la última consonante y se agrega ing.

Ejemplo: The jaguar is (run + ing = running)

 Regla 3. Si el verbo termina en e muda (una sola e), se elimina esta letra y
se coloca -ing.

Ejemplo: They are (danc + ing= dancing) cumbias.

 Regla 4. Los verbos que terminan en doble e conservan esta terminación y

agregan al final –ing.

Ejemplo: I am seeing my lawyer next Monday.

 Regla 5. Verbos terminados en –ie colocan en su lugar una y + ing.

Ejemplo: He is (lie + ing= lying) to his boss.

I am
he
she is
it
we
you are
they
 I ´m
he
she ´s
it
we
you ´re
they

Cómo formar el Present Continuous (Structure)

AFFIRMATIVE FORM
PRONOUN TO BE VERB (Gerund) COMPLEMENT

I am listening to music

She is walking to school

We are watching a movie

NEGATIVE FORM
PRONOUN TO BE / NOT VERB (Gerund) COMPLEMENT

I am not baking a cake

She is not / isn´t studying In this school

We are not / aren´t watching a movie

 INTERROGATIVE FORM
TO BE PRONOUN VERB (Gerund) COMPLEMENT + ?

am I listening to music

is he walking to school

are you watching a movie

Existen dos tipos de preguntas, Yes/No Questions y Open Questions Y a la vez

Existen dos tipos de respuestas Short / Long Answer

Yes/No Questions: is Sonia buying a new red dress?

Short Answer: Yes, She is / No, She is not

Long Answer: Yes, She is buying a new dress / No, She isn´t buying a new dress

Open Question: Who is knocking on the door?

Answer: It is Pablo / It isn´t anyone.

 ORDER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS INTO THE CORRECT FORM
YOU / LISTENING / ME? / TO / ARE

YOU? / GOING / SALLY / IS / WITH / HOLIDAY / ON

I / GETTING / MONTH? / PAY RISE / NEXT / A / AM

IN / CHILDREN / THE / GARDEN? / PLAYING / ARE / THE

YOU / ARE / TALKING / ABOUT? / WHAT

IS / SO / SAD? / WHY / LOOKING / PEDRO

RESTAURANT / GOING / THE / TONIGHT / WHAT TIME / WE / TO / ARE

ARE / WHICH / ORDERING? / MAIN COURSE / YOU

Los cinco usos principales del Present Continuous:

1. Describir acciones que ocurren en el momento exacto en que se habla o

escribe
Ejemplo: You are studying English.
2. Establecer contextos. Hablar de situaciones generales, personales o
sociales, que ocurren en la actualidad. En estos casos, se puede acompañar
por adverbios como currently, lately o these days, entre otros.
Ejemplo: She is working a lot lately.

3. Adelantar hechos, citas, eventos o acciones que ocurrirán en el futuro. Quien

habla debe estar seguro de que ocurrirán.

Ejemplo: They are going to the zoo next Saturday.

4. Mencionar hechos temporales.

Ejemplo: Today is snowing, but yesterday was sunny.

5. Describir acciones que ocurren constantemente. En estos casos la oración se

refuerza con adverbios como always, forever, constantly, entre otros.

Ejemplo: The birds are always singing since sunrise

Excepciones
La naturaleza de algunos verbos impide su conjugación en presente continuo en
inglés, por lo que no suelen tener terminación -ing. Estos verbos son conocidos
como “de estado” o stative verbs. Estos verbos señalan estados emocionales o
mentales, sensaciones, comunicación y otros.Aquí algunos ejemplos:
We normally use the simple instead:
I understand you. (NOT I am understanding you.)
This cake tastes wonderful. (NOT This cake is tasting wonderful.)
Level: intermediate
We also use the present continuous to talk about:

 something which is happening before and after a specific time:

At eight o'clock we are usually having breakfast.

When I get home the children are doing their homework.

 something which we think is temporary:

Michael is at university. He's studying history.

I'm working in London for the next two weeks.

 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?

 something which is changing, growing or developing:

The children are growing up quickly.

The climate is changing rapidly.
Your English is improving.

 something which happens again and again:

It's always raining in London.

They are always arguing.
George is great. He's always laughing.
Note that we normally use always with this use.

Level: advanced
We can use the present continuous to talk about the past when we are:

 telling a story:

The other day I'm just walking down the street when suddenly this man comes up
to me and asks me to lend him some money. Well, he's carrying a big stick and
he looks a bit dangerous, so I'm wondering what to do …
  summarising a book, film or play:

Harry Potter is a pupil at Hogwarts school. One day when he is playing Quidditch
he sees a strange object in the sky. He wonders what is happening …

Pero hay casos especiales cuya conjugación en presente continuo depende del
significado. En esta tabla puedes conocerlos:

Stative verbs: casos especiales

Verbo Significado sin Ejemplo Significado con Ejemplo

terminación - terminación -
ing ing

Appear Parecer / It appears Presentarse (en My band is

Asemejar to be an un escenario) / appearing at
UFO Actuar his party
tonight

Feel Opinar I feel you Sentir She is feeling

deserve pain in her
more chest

Look Parecer It looks too Ver They are

weird to me looking at the
puppies

See Entender He can’t see Visitar He is seeing

your point his couch
again

Think Opinar She thinks Pensar I am thinking

you are her about your
best teacher offer