Chapter 3Present Continuous Tense

Lecture by:

Sabiha Saleem

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

• Use to talk about actions that are happening right now

I am working.

He is carrying the boxes.

They are talking.

We are writing.

THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

is used for1. Actions which are happening at or

around the moment of speaking.• Now I’m doing the washing up.• She is working very hard

nowadays.

THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

At the moment I’m playing football.

play

WHAT IS SHE DOING?

draw

She is drawing a picture at the moment

WHAT IS TWEETY DOING?

IT’S FLYING

THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

He is running at the moment?

Present Continuous Verb Tense

• Use to talk about something that is happening these days, but not necessarily right now

She is studying at Preston University.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

2. Temporary situations.

• I’m staying with a friend at the moment.

They normally play tennis.

But this week they are skating.

The Present Continuous Tense is used for

4. Fixed arrangements in the near future.

• They are getting married next week.

They are celebrating a party next weekend.

THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

TIME EXPRESSIONS:

Now, at the moment, today, nowdays, this week.

They are throwing snowballs now

VERB + ing (spelling rules)

listen + ing = listening

die (-iey) + ing = dying

write + ing = writing

hop + p + ing = hopping

travel + l + ing = travelling

The table shows how we form the –ing form of a verb.

Most verbs

Verbs ending in e

Verbs ending in ie

Short verbs ending in a vowel + a consonant

+ ing

-e + ing

-ie + y + ing

Double the consonant + ing

walk walking

come coming

lie lying

run running

Make –ing forms of each verb given.

begin

rub

listen

lie

swim

study

happen

get

use

admit

try

decide

come

put

–ing forms

beginningrubbinglisteninglyingswimmingstudyinghappening

gettingusingadmittingtryingdecidingcomingputting

Spelling Rules for –ing verbs(present participles)

1. getrunplan

2. comereplaceintroduce

3. dietie

Spelling Rules for –ing verbs(present participles)

4. begin listen

admit offer

Rule #5:

Two syllable verb with final consonant + vowel + consonant and the last syllable is stressed, double final consonant + ing

When in doubt, consult a dictionary!!

Non-continuous verbs

More examples of exceptions

NO: This cake is tasting delicious.Should be: This cake …YES: I am tasting the ice cream, and it

tastes delicious!

NO: You are looking marvelous.Should be: You …YES: I am looking for my keys. I lost them!

To Form Present Continuous

Subject + to be + verb+ing

Negatives and Questions in the Present Continuous Tense

StatementYes/no

question Wh- question

I am eating. Am I eating? What am I eating?

You are crying. Are you crying? Why are you crying?

He is going. Is he going? Where is he going?

She is arriving. Is she arriving? When is she arriving?

It is sleeping. Is it sleeping? Why is it sleeping?

We are leaving. Are we leaving? When are we leaving?

They are arguing. Are they arguing? Why are they arguing?

Negative

I am not eating.

You are not crying.

He is not going.

She is not arriving.

It is not sleeping.

We are not leaving.

They are not arguing.

Questions and negatives

1. He is working.

Question:

2. The classmates are studying.

Question:

3. Everybody is listening.

Question:

1. He is working.

Negative:

2. The classmates are studying.

Negative:

3. Everybody is listening.

Negative:

Questions and Negatives

Questions:

To be + subject + verb + ing + ?

Negatives:

Subject + to be + not + verb + ing

We form the present continuous tense with the present tense of be and a verb ending in ing.

On the day of the Clean Beaches Campaign,

you took some photographs.Now you are writing descriptions

of the photos you took. Look at the picture

and the words on the following page and say what the peoplein the picture are doing.

What is Albert doing?He is eating.

What is Carol doing ?She is cooking.

What are Stephanie and Joeydoing ?

They are building sand castles.

What are Peter, Tonyand Michael doing ?

They are playing football.

What are Sam and Nancy doing ?They are swimming.

Game

• Take a card and read it silently.• Say to your team: “What am I doing?”• Do the action (no noises, no talking).• Team members need to guess what you are

doing. Team members say: “You are _________-ing.”

• First person to say the correct action is next.

Any Questions?

Write a paragraphWrite one paragraph describing this scene. Use a topic sentence, present continuous verbs to write about the actions of people in the picture, and a conclusion.

Expressions There is and There Are

Questions with the words

Prepositions

“To and From”

What’s the answer to this question?

Traffic can cause damage to the environment.

They borrowed money from the bank.