Present Continuous Tense

present continuous tenseI am singing

We often use the present continuous tense in English. It is very different from the simple present tense, both in structure and in use.

In this lesson we look the structure and use of the present continuous tense.

How do we make the Present Continuous Tense?

The structure of the present continuous tense is:

subject + auxiliary verb + main verb
------------.------be -----------base + ing

Look at these examples:

----subject-------- auxiliary verb --------------------------main verb
+ ----I -------------------am ------------------------------------speaking ----.....---to you.
+ ----You ---------------are ------------------------------------reading -----.....----this.
- ----She ----------------is -------------------not -------------staying ---......------in London.
- ----We -----------.----are ------------------not --.----------playing -----.....----football.
? ----Is --------.--------.he -------------------------------------watching ----.....---TV?
? ----Are ---------------they -----------------------------------waiting ----.....-----for John?

How do we use the Present Continuous Tense?

We use the present continuous tense to talk about:

•action happening now
•action in the future
Present continuous tense for action happening now
a) for action happening exactly now

I am eating my lunch.
past -------------------------present -------------------------future
The action is happening now.

For example: Right now you are looking at this screen and at the same time...
may be you are listening music etc.......

b) for action happening around now

The action may not be happening exactly now, but it is happening just before and just after now, and it is not permanent or habitual.

John is going out with Mary.
past --------------------------present --------------------------future

The action is happening around now.

Look at these examples:

•Muriel is learning to drive.
•I am living with my sister until I find an apartment.

Present continuous tense for the future

We can also use the present continuous tense to talk about the future - if we add a future word!! We must add (or understand from the context) a future word. "Future words" include, for example, tomorrow, next year, in June, at Christmas etc. We only use the present continuous tense to talk about the future when we have planned to do something before we speak. We have already made a decision and a plan before speaking.

I am taking my exam next month.
past -------------------------------------present -------------------------------------future

-------------------------------.......---------A firm plan or programme ------.......-.-----The action is in

------------------------..............------------------exists now-------......---------------- the future.

Look at these examples:

•We're eating in a restaurant tonight. We've already booked the table..
•They can play tennis with you tomorrow. They're not working.
•When are you starting your new job?

In these examples, we have a firm plan or programme before speaking. The decision and plan were made before speaking.

How do we spell the Present Continuous Tense?

We make the present continuous tense by adding -ing to the base verb. Normally it's simple - we just add -ing. But sometimes we have to change the word a little. Perhaps we double the last letter, or we drop a letter. Here are the rules to help you know how to spell the present continuous tense.

Basic rule - Just add -ing to the base verb:

work > ..........working
play > ..........playing
assist > ..........assisting
see > ..........seeing
be > ..........being

.

Exception 1 - If the base verb ends in consonant + stressed vowel + consonant, double the last letter:

--------------s --------------------t -------------------o -------------------p
------------------.......----consonant ---.....-stressed --------consonant
--------------------------------......................vowel
(vowels = a, e, i, o, u)

stop > ..........stopping
run > ..........running
begin > ..........beginning

Note that this exception does not apply when the last syllable of the base verb is not stressed:

open > ..........opening

Exception 2 - If the base verb ends in ie, change the ie to y:

lie > ..........lying
die > ..........dying

Exception 3 - If the base verb ends in vowel + consonant + e, omit the e:

come > ..........coming
mistake > ..........mistaking

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

I have been singing

How do we make the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

The structure of the present perfect continuous tense is:

subject --+-- auxiliary verb --+-- auxiliary verb-- + --main verb---------------------have
---------------------has -------------------been ---------------base + ing

Here are some examples of the present perfect continuous tense:

----subject ----auxiliary verb ---------------auxiliary verb ----------main verb

+ ---I ----..--------have --------------------------been ----------------------waiting --------for one hour.
+ ---You --..------have --------------------------been ----------------------talking -----.---too much.
- ---It ------..-----has ----------------not -------been ----------------------raining.
- ---We -------.---have --------------not------- been ----------------------playing ---------football.
? ---Have ----.----you --------------------.-------been ----------------------seeing ---------her?
? ---Have ----.----they --------------------.------been ----------------------.doing ---------their homework?

Contractions

When we use the present perfect continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and the first auxiliary. We also sometimes do this in informal writing.

I have been .............................. I've been
You have been .......................... You've been
He has been ............................. He's been
She has been ............................ She's been
It has been ............................... It's been
John has been ........................... John's been
The car has been ....................... The car's been
We have been ........................... We've been
They have been ........................ They've been

Here are some examples:

•I've been reading.
•The car's been giving trouble.
•We've been playing tennis for two hours.

How do we use the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

This tense is called the present perfect continuous tense. There is usually a connection with the present or now. There are basically two uses for the present perfect continuous tense:

1. An action that has just stopped or recently stopped

We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action that started in the past and stopped recently. There is usually a result now.

__________________________________________________
I'm tired because I've been running.

..............................past .....................present .....................future

------------------------Recent action. -----------Result now.

•I'm tired [now] because I've been running.
•Why is the grass wet [now]? Has it been raining?
•You don't understand [now] because you haven't been listening.

2. An action continuing up to now

We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action that started in the past and is continuing now. This is often used with for or since.

______________________________________________________________________________
I have been reading for 2 hours.
past -------------..........-------present ----------..........----------future

---------Action started in past. ---...--Action is continuing now.

______________________________________________________________________________

•I have been reading for 2 hours. [I am still reading now.]
•We've been studying since 9 o'clock. [We're still studying now.]
•How long have you been learning English? [You are still learning now.]
•We have not been smoking. [And we are not smoking now.]

For and Since with Present Perfect Continuous Tense

We often use for and since with the present perfect tense.

•We use for to talk about a period of time - 5 minutes, 2 weeks, 6 years.
•We use since to talk about a point in past time - 9 o'clock, 1st January, Monday.

_____________________________________----------for--------......--------------since

a period of time ------------a point in past time

20 minutes ----------------------6.15pm
three days -----------------------Monday
6 months ------------------------January
4 years ------------------.--------1994
2 centuries ----------------------1800
a long time ----------------------I left school
ever --------------------..---------the beginning of time
etc-----------------------...------- etc

Here are some examples:

•I have been studying for 3 hours.
•I have been watching TV since 7pm.
•Tara hasn't been feeling well for 2 weeks.
•Tara hasn't been visiting us since March.
•He has been playing football for a long time.
•He has been living in Bangkok since he left school.

For can be used with all tenses. Since is usually used with perfect tenses only.