THE PRESENT

CONTINUOUS TENSE
 PRESENT CONTINUOUS

DEFINITION:
We use the present continuous when often the
action is happening at the time of speaking.

 Please be quiet. I´m working.

 Let´s go out now. It isn´t raining any more.
 I´m tired. I´m going to bed now. Good night!
 ´´Where´s Margaret?´´ ´´She´s having a bath.
´´
 PRESENT CONTINUOUS

But the action is not necessarily happening at the

time of speaking. We use the present continuous
when we talk about things happening in a period
around now (for example, today / this week /
this evening etc.):
 ´´You´re working hard today.´´
 ´´Is Susan working this week?´´ ´´No, she´s on holiday.´´

We use the present continuous when we talk about changes

happening around now, but maybe not at the moment of
speaking, things are temporary:
 The population of the world is rising very fast.
 Is your English getting better?
 PRESENT CONTINUOUS
AFFIRMATIVE

We make the Present Continuous with:

Subject + be +(not) + verb + ing
gerund

POSITIVE
I´m working at the moment.
You/We/They´re looking for a job.
He/She/It´s waiting for you.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
PRESENT CONTINUOUS NEGATIVE

NEGATIVE
I´m not driving very fast.
You/We/They aren´t watching TV.
He/She/It isn´t working now.

The children aren´t playing in the garden

now.
You can turn the television off. I´m not
watching it.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
INTERROGATIVE
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
INTERROGATIVE
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
INTERROGATIVE
 PRESENT CONTINUOUS INTERROGATIVE

QUESTION AUXILIARY SUBJECT VERB

WORD
PRESENT
CONTINUOUS
WHERE AM I GOING?

WHY IS SHE WATCHING

TV?
 Rules for spelling the gerund
(verb+ing)
SPELLING RULES:
1. Verbs that end in –e drop it: -e eing
Make making write writing
Come coming dance dancing

2. Verbs that end in –ie change it: -ie ying

Die dying tie tying
Lie lying
3. Verbs that end in a vowel + a consonant double
this consonant: p pp
Stop stopping sit sitting
Swim swimming run running
Exercises:
Exercises:
Exercises:
Exercises:
Exercises:
Exercises:
 PRESENT CONTINUOUS

We use continuous tenses only for actions

and happenings. Some verbs are not action
verbs, but they describe states (the
physical/mental condition of sb.)
The following verbs are not normally used in
continuous tenses, but in simple tenses:
Like, love, hate, want, need, prefer, know,
realise, suppose, mean, understand, believe,
remember, belong, contain, consist, depend,
seem
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
 PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Examples:

 I´m hungry. I want something to eat. (not

´I´m wanting´)
 Do you understand what I mean?
 Ann doesn´t seem very happy at the
moment.