LEARN ENGLISH | Lesson 3

LEARN ENGLISH | Lesson 2

LESSON 3

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE(ACTIVE VOICE)

The present continuous (also known as the present progressive) is a very common English verb form used to describe actions that are happening right now or during this period of time. Many English learners confuse it with the simple present tense. About 5% of verbs in spoken English are in the present continuous tense.

Just to be clear, present continuous and present progressive are just different names of the same meaning. In some countries, one term is more common than the other, but continuous is more common overall.

Present continuous tense is used to describe continued or on-going action of the present . These actions are occurring exactly at the time of speaking. It is called progressive tense because it refers to actions which are currently in progress at the time of speaking.

For example a girl says. “I am watching television.”  This means that the action of “watching television”  is being done exactly at the time of speaking.

The following is the formula for Present Continuous tense

PRONOUN + AUXILIARY + VERB(CONT)

Whereby

Pronoun = I, we, you, she, he, it, they

AUXILIARY = am, is and are

VERB(CONT) is like cooking, drinking, eating, speaking, going, giving and so on

Consider the following illustration to see how am, is and are how can be used to compose a sentence in Present Continuous Tense.

Pronoun/Subject	Auxiliary	Verb(Cont)
I	am	going
You	are	eating
They		writing
We		painting
She	is	dancing
He		Jumping
It		running

For example

I am going to school now.

She is coming.

They are taking.

We are asking a question

We are washing our clothes.

NEGATIVE SENTENCE

Don’t forget that all the time when we want to have a negative sentence we must add the word “not” in front of the auxiliary as

PRONOUN + AUXILIARY + NOT+VERB(CONT)?

For example

1.     I am not going

2.   They are not speaking the truth.

3.     He is not taking

INTERROGATIVE SENTENCE(QUESTION)

Generally, when you want ask a question you must start with an auxiliary as.

Formula

AUXILIARY + PRONOUN + VERB(CONT)?

For example

1.     Are you going?.

2.     Are they taking ?.

3.   Is he coming now?.

WHEN NOT TO USE THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

Do not use the present continuous tense with stative verbs. Stative verbs show a state of being that does not show qualities of change. These verbs can stay in the simple present. For example,

Aunt Christine is preferring the maple walnut pancakes over the banana peanut butter ones that Scott loves.

Aunt Christine prefers the maple walnut pancakes over the banana peanut butter ones that Scott loves.

Here, the stative verb to prefer shows opinion, and therefore should not be conjugated into the present continuous. Stative verb categories include emotion (to love), possession (to belong), and thoughts (to recognize), and none of these should use the present continuous form.

THE EXCEPTION TO THE RULE

Some verbs can be both dynamic and stative! Think about the verbs to be and to think. In its dynamic form, the verb to be can show action:

Sarah, Scott’s little sister, is being bold by ordering the jalapeno-chipotle pancakes.

But in its stative form, the verb to be is awkward if conjugated in the present continuous.

Sarah is being a tall teenager, who loves her food spicy and her sports dangerous.

Sarah is a tall teenageer, who loves her food spicy and her sports dangerous.

Here are some more examples:

The waiter thinks Scott should save room for pumpkin pie. (Stative and in the simple present)

The waiter is thinking about getting a new job that requires less human interaction, like a veterinarian. (Dynamic and in the present continuous)

IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS AND STYLE

English can be confusing; what is grammatically correct isn’t always what you might hear in music, in advertisements, or during regular conversations. The present continuous is often used incorrectly. Consider the the popular slogan for McDonald’s: “I’m Lovin’ It.” This is a grammatically incorrect sentence because to love is a stative verb, so why would McDonald’s use it in their advertisements?

This marks the difference between grammar and style. Using the present continuous as a means to exaggerate is a stylistic trend, and as such, it would not be surprising to hear this conversation:

Scott, glazed with a chocolate mustache, looks over to his aunt and says, “I’m lovin’ me some of these chocolate peanut butter banana pancakes!” “I’m hearing what you’re saying!” she replies, sprinkling powdered sugar atop the stacks on her plate.

Here Scott and his Aunt display their excitement in a silly way, emphasizing their feelings. On the other hand, you would never hear a native speaker say these sentences:

Scott is loving his Aunt Christine, a self-proclaimed pancake connoisseur. (People would simply say “Scott loves his Aunt Christine . . .”)

Sarah is hearing the music from their table-top juke box and resists the urge to dance on the table. (Sarah hears the music. . .)

CONCLUSION

If you are teaching English or learning it, I recommend simply sticking to grammatically correct constructions and leaving the idiomatic expressions to the creators of advertisements and song lyrics. In formal writing, the experts recommend that when you can use fewer words to express a thought, you should, so use the present continuous sparingly—short and sweet can’t be beat!

IN SWAHILI