The Present Continuous

(Also called the present progressive tense)

FORM: VERB TO BE + PRESENT PARTICIPLE: I am working, etc. USE: 1. Present Continuous indicates an activity in progress at the very moment of speaking, thus we use it for an action happening now.

Im working at the moment. Please call back we are eating dinner. Julie is sleeping. You are studying the present continuous. It is snowing. Why are you sitting at my desk? Do be uite ! I am trying to hear what the man is saying .

2. We can also use this tense for longer actions in progress ( actions happening around the time of speaking ut not necessarily at the moment of speaking!

In "nglish# $now$ can mean% this second# today# this month# this year# this century# and so on. I am reading a play by &haw. I am not reading any books right now. 're you working on any special pro(ects at work? 'ren)t you teaching at the uni*ersity now? &he is teaching "rench and learning #talian ( $he may not e doing either at the moment of speaking !

%. Present Continuous refers to the actions of limited duration &an activity is taking place in the present time period and will continue for a limited time. &hes staying with her +riend +or a week. Im li*ing in ,ondon +or a +ew months. Johns working in a bar until he +inds a (ob in his +ield. Im reading a really great book. - We can compare this with the present simple# which is used +or permanent situations that we +eel will continue +or a long time.. '. We can use the present continuous for ha its ut they have to e temporary or new ha its -+or normal habits that continue +or a long time# we use the present simple..

/es eating a lot these days. &hes swimming e*ery morning -she didnt used to do this.. Youre smoking too much. 0heyre working late e*ery night. 't 1 oclock I am usually dri*ing to work so phone me on my mobile .

(. )nother present continuous use is for annoying ha its, when we want to show that something happens too often and we don*t like it . This kind of action seems unreasona le to speaker. In this case we need to use ad*erbs like 2always 3 2+ore*er 3 2constantly).

Youre always losing your keys! &hes constantly missing the train. /es always sleeping in. 0heyre +ore*er being late. 0om is always going away +or weekend. - Imply that he goes away *ery o+ten # probably to o+ten in speakers opinion . 4ut it does not necessarily mean that he goes away e*ery weekend ..

+. The ne,t use is for definite future arrangements (with a future time word!. In this case we ha*e already made a plan and we are pretty sure that the e*ent

will happen in the +uture.

Im meeting my +ather tomorrow. Were going to the beach at the weekend. Im lea*ing at three. 0heyre coming to the party at the weekend. Im meeting with Peter tonight ./e is taking me to the theatre.

-. Present Continuous can e used in order to e,press certain trend.

5ore and more people are using their computers to listen to music.

.. #t is possi le to use the Present Continuous rather then Present $imple with the ver wonder if we wont to e especially friendly or polite particularly if we are unsure a out the other person/s feelings towards something or how they will react to what we say.

You said that there were only (0 ooks in the o,es. #/m 1ust wondering whether you counted them all .

2. Present Continuous has also collo3uial narrative and commentary use. The narrative use of present continuous is e,pressed in 1okes, where it is used instead of past continuous4

' man goes to see his psychiatrist. /e says he is ha*ing problems because he imagines hes pair o+ curtains.

)nd in sport commentaries, present continuous is used in commentaries for continuous and changing events4

'nd the two Italians are mo*ing up in the outside lane.

10.#t can refer also to a situation that is in the process of changing, with ver s such as change, get and ad1ectives like grow, increase etc.

6enice is +alling into the sea. 7omputers are changing all the time. Its getting dark. 0he number o+ cars on the road is increasing rapidly each year.

Im getting better at playing the piano. 0he weather is impro*ing.

11. #n e,planations and in the descriptions of situations, present continuous descri es something more temporary or something not always the case4

Pro+essor 0horne e8plains that some patients are eating too much because they are growing up in +amilies with poor eating habits.

12. With some ver s descri ing mental states (e.g. find reali5e, regret ,think understand! we can use the present continuous to emphasi5e that we have recently started to think a out something or that we are not sure a out something.

I am regretting my decision to gi*e her the (ob -Implies that the speaker is increasingly aware that it was the wrong decision.

1%. We know that we can/t use this tense (or any other continuous 6progressive tenses ! with state ver s nevertheless there are e,ceptions, ver s like attract, like, look, love, sound, elieve, consist of, dou t, own, etc. have the form of present participle when the intention is to emphasise that a situation is temporary or for a period of time around the present.

Jane ! wit" #! at t"e moment. T"e c"i$%ren are $o&ing "a&ing "er "ere.

The Present Continuous Tense and its e3uivalents in $er ian %

Present continuous is e8pressed as a re+erential present action in &erbian language. 0here are two e ui*alents that are used in &erbian language +or present continuous# and these are% &erbian present% 're you all listening to me care+ully? &lusate li me s*i pa9l(i*o? /is daughter is studying chemistry. : ;(ego*a cerka studira hemi(u. 0om is always +inding +ault with me. 0om mi u*ek nesto 9amera. 4ob and &ue are meeting tonight. 4ob i &ue se sasta(u *eceras. /e is making plans how to earn money. <n pra*i plano*e kako da 9aradi no*ac.

&erbian +uture% Were probably spending ne8t weekend at home. 5i cemo *ero*atno pro*esti sledeci *ikend kuci. Im going to meet 0om at the station at si8. 6idecu se sa 0omom *eceras na stanici u sest. /e is going to be a dentist when he grows up. <n ce biti 9ubar kad poraste. Im going to play you 4ach +ugue. <ds*iracu ti 4aho*u +ugu. 5y sister is going to ha*e a baby in 5arch. 5o(a sestra ce dobiti bebu u martu.

0hese sentences translated into &erbian +uture can be also translated with &erbian present.

Je$ena 'i$o!a&$(e&i) *+,-./ 0ragana 1o&a2e&i) 345-./