English Grammar in Use:
⚡️Further uses of the Present Continuous Tense.⚡️
The Present Continuous is used when we talk about something which is happening now (or around now).
🌟 1. actions happening at the moment of speaking (now, at the moment)
♦️Peter is reading a book now
♦️She's listening to the radio.
🌟 2. fixed plans or arrangements in the near future
♦️She is going to Basel on Saturday.
🌟 3. temporary actions
♦️His father is working in Rome this month.
► Verbs that express states are normally not used with the Present Progressive. If they are used, watch the difference in meaning.
♦️They love being together. (They are not together now.)
♦️They are loving being together. (They are together now.)
🌟 4. actions happening around the moment of speaking (longer actions)
♦️My friend is preparing for his exams.
🌟 5. trends
♦️More and more people are using their computers to listen to music.
🌟 6. repeated actions which are irritating to the speaker (especially with always, constantly, forever)
♦️Andrew is always coming late. (I don't like this.)
⚡️Further reading on the uses of the Simple Present Tense⚡️
🌟 1. repeated actions (every day, always, often, sometimes, never)
♦️My friend often draws nice posters.
♦️I never drink orange juice.
🌟 2. things in general
♦️Honey is sweet.
♦️Cats drink milk.
🌟 3. fixed timetables, scheduled events
♦️The plane flies to London every Monday.
♦️We have English lessons on Tuesdays and Fridays.
🌟 4. sequence of actions in the present (first – then, after that) ♦️First I get up, then I have breakfast.
♦️After school I switch on my computer, then I check my emails and after that I play my favourite game.
🌟 5. instructions
♦️Open your books at page 34.
♦️Don't shout at me!
🌟 6. with special verbs – which are normally not used with the Present Progressive (These verbs express states, possessions, feelings etc.) be, believe, belong, hate, hear, like, love, mean, prefer, remain, realize, see, seem, smell, think, understand, want, wish
♦️He doesn't like fish.
♦️She believes in life after death.
🌟 7. In exclamatory sentences beginning with "here" and "there"
♦️Here goes your husband!
♦️Here comes the bus!
🌟 8. in broadcast commentaries
In broadcast commentaries on sporting events, the simple present tense is used instead of the present continuous tense to talk about activities in progress.
♦️He catches the ball.
⚡️Further reading on the uses of the Simple Present Tense⚡️
🌟We use the Present Simple Tense when we want to talk about fixed habits or routines – things that don’t change. (permenent situation)
♦️I live in the countryside. (Permanently / in general / all the time / this action/fact won't change or finish).
🌟We use the Present Continuous Tense to talk about actions which are happening at (or around) the present moment, but will soon finish. (temporary situation)
♦️I am living in the city. (Temporarily / currently / only for a period of time / this action/fact will change or finish soon).
⚡️Further reading on using adverbs of frequency with the Present Continuous⚡️
We can use "always / consntantly / continuously / continually / forever and other similar adverbs" with the Present Continuous to show our ANNOYANCE / ANGER / COMPLAINING because of something that happens regularly.
♦️She always comes late. (we are just stating a fact about her without telling what we feel about that habit)
♦️She is always coming late. (we are stating a fact about her and expressing our annoyance of this habit)
♦️Christina always leaves her dirty clothes on the floor. (this a fact about her / we have no emotions about that)
♦️Christina is always leaving her dirty clothes on the floor for me to pick up! Who does she think I am? Her maid? (We are very annoyed)
♦️Non-continuous Verbs♦️
Non-continuous verbs are verbs that we do not normally use with continuous tenses. These "stative" verbs are about state, not action, and they cannot express the continuous or progressive aspect. Here are some of the most common non-continuous verbs:
♦️Mental and Emotional States♦️
Believe - I believe what you say.
Dislike - She dislikes eating pizza.
Doubt - I doubt what you say is true.
Imagine - He imagines he needs some time off work.
Know - I know Tom very well.
Like - I like watching TV in the evening.
Love - They love to visit friends.
Hate - I hate to see him suffer.
Prefer - They prefer to take tests on Monday.
Realize - She realizes that it was her mistake.
Recognize - Peter recognizes his mistake.
Remember - I remember that day very well.
Suppose - I suppose you are right.
Understand - Tim understands the situation.
Want - I want to wish you well.
Wish - I wish life were easier.
♦️Sense♦️
Appear - It appears to be finished.
Feel - I feel cold now.
Hear - I hear what you are saying.
See - I see that it's difficult.
Seem - It seems rather simple to me.
Smell - It smells like a rat.
Sound - It sounds like a good idea.
Taste - It tastes like almonds.
♦️Communication♦️
Agree - I agree we need to finish the project.
Astonish - He astonishes me every time.
Deny - The criminal denies any wrong doing.
Disagree - I disagree with what you say.
Impress - He impresses his teachers at school.
Mean - I mean that very honestly.
Please - She pleases her students every day in class.
Promise - I promise I'm not telling a lie.
Satisfy - She satisfies all the requirements.
Surprise - It surprises me every time.
♦️Other States♦️
Be - I'm a teacher.
Belong - It belongs to Tom.
Concern - It concerns all of us.
Consist - It consists of chocolate, cream and cookies.
Contain - The letter contains a threat.
Cost - The jeans cost $100.
Depend - It depends on how you look at it.
Deserve - You deserve much better.
Dit - That doesn't fit my schedule.
Include - The vacation includes all meals.
Involve - The job involves lots of travel.
Lack - It lacks any meaning.
Matter - It doesn't matter what you think.
Need - I need some time off.
Owe - He owes you a lot of money.
Own - I own a Porsche.
Possess - Jack possesses all the right skills.
⚡️Further reading on the uses of the Simple Past Tense⚡️
♦️1. actions finished in the past:
a. I visited Berlin last week.
b. Tom graduated last year.
♦️2. past habits or routines (repeated actions in the past):
a. I drank milk every morning when I was a child.
b. She watched TV in the evening when she was a child.
♦️3. series of completed actions in the past (successive actions):
a. On Sunday, my brother and I went to a nice lake. There, we met our friends. We swam in the warm water and played volleyball in the afternoon. Too bad that we had to go home in the evening. We didn't want to go to school on Monday.
♦️4. duration in the Past (especially with "for" and "all"):
a. I lived in Brazil for two years.
b. He worked for Microsoft for seven years.
♦️5. past facts or generalizations:
a. She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.
b. He didn't use to like pizza before he tried it at McDonalds.
♦️6. in the second conditional, to express unreal or imaginary situations that may not happen:
a. If I were rich, I would travel abroad.
b. If I won the lottery, I would buy a car.
♦️7. together with the Past Progressive/Continuous – the Simple Past interrupted an action which was in progress in the past:
(While past continuous, past simple)
(When past simple, past continuous)
a. While they were having dinner, I arrived home.
b. When I arrived home, they were having dinner.
1st action → Past Progressive → were playing
2nd action → Simple Past → arrived
♦️8. when a sentence contains two clauses in the past simple, REMEMBER that the "when-clause" happened first before the second clause:
a. When I arrived, the teacher started the lesson. (I arrived first, then the teacher started the lesson)
b. I arrived when the lesson finished. (First, the lesson was finished, then I arrived).
These are all the uses of the Simple Past Tense.
Enjoy it! Good Luck!
⚡️Further reading on the uses of the Past Continuous Tense⚡️
♦️1. an action GOING ON at some time in the past (the time of the action may or may not be indicated):
a. It was getting darker.
b. They were watching TV all evening.
♦️2. to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted by a shorter action. The older and longer action is in the past continuous and the newer and shorter one is in the past simple. (Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time):
a. I was watching TV when she called.
b. The light went out while I was reading.
♦️3. for persistent habits in the past (to concentrate more on the continuity of the habits that they were more than usual):
a. She was always watching TV.
b. They were always arriving late.
♦️4. Parallel Actions: (When you use the past continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions were happening at the same time or simultaneously):
a. I was studying while my mother was making lunch.
b. They were eating dinner, discussing their plans, and having a good time.
♦️5. Atmosphere or Background actions (We often use the past continuous to describe the atmosphere or background actions at a particular time in the past):
a. The sun was shining when I went out.
b. When I walked into the office, several people were busily typing, some were talking on the phones, the boss was yelling directions, and customers were waiting to be helped.
♦️6. Repetition and Irritation with "Always": (The past continuous with words such as "always" or "constantly" expresses the idea that something irritating or shocking often happened in the past. The concept is very similar to the expression "used to" but with negative emotion) (See also: using "always" with the Present Continuous):
a. She was always coming to class late.
b. He was constantly talking. He annoyed everyone.
⚡️Further reading on the uses of the Present Perfect Tense⚡️
♦️1. to indicate completed actions in the very recent or immediate past:
a. She has just gone out. (She is out now, not at home!)
b. I have just eaten. (I don't feel hungry now. I have just finished eating!)
♦️2. an action completed in the past whose effect lingers in the present (Here, we usually concentrate on the effect (which can be still noticed in the present) more than the action itself (which happened in the past):
a. Oh! I have cut my finger. (S/He may be bleeding now! A cut can clearly be seen in the finger)
b. She has not tidied her room yet. (Her room is not tidied. The room is totally messed up)
♦️3. We can also use the present perfect to talk about something that happened recently, even if there isn't a clear result in the present. (This is common when we want to introduce news or new information. (We often use the words 'just / yet / already / recently'.) However, the past simple is also correct in these cases, especially in American English:
a. The Queen has given a speech.
b. The Mayor has announced a new plan for the railways.
♦️4. unspecified time before now (We use the present perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time before now. (The exact time is not important)
a. I have never known him to be angry.
b. I have been to the USA twice.
(Notice: You CANNOT use the present perfect with specific time expressions such as: yesterday, ago, last week, or when I was a child, etc. But we CAN use the present perfect with unspecific expressions such as: ever, never, once, many times, several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.
♦️5. long actions which started in the near past and went on until very recently. (whether they are finished or unfinished actions, states or even habits (we usually use stative verbs in this case and "since" & "for" are often needed):
a. He has lived here since 2002. (long action)
b. I have known her for 10 years. (stative verb)
♦️6. life experience or accomplishments. These are actions or events that happened sometime during a person's life. We don't say when the experience exactly happened, and the person needs to be alive now. (We often use the words 'ever' and 'never' here):
a. He has done a lot of interesting things in his life. (He is still alive)
a. He did a lot of interesting things in his life. (He is dead)
b. I have never seen a real lion.
♦️7. with an unfinished time word/phrase (this month, this week, today). The period of time is still continuing:
a. I have not had any coffee this morning. (It is still morning)
a. I did not have any coffee this morning. (Maybe it's afternoon or evening now, but not morning)
♦️8. change over time:
a. The government has become more interested in recycling resources.
b. Every country has developed its code of laws over hundreds or thousands of years.
♦️9. multiple actions at different times (We also use the present perfect to talk about several different actions which have occurred in the past at different times. Present perfect suggests the process is not complete and more actions are possible).
a. The army has attacked that city five times.
b. She has talked to several specialists about her problem, but nobody knows why she is sick.
⚡️Further reading on the uses of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense⚡️
♦️1. Unfinished Actions with concentrating on the Duration from the Past Until Now:
(We use the present perfect continuous to show that something started in the past and has continued up until now. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Tuesday" are all durations which can be used with the present perfect continuous.):
a. We have been waiting here for two hours!
b. She has been working for that company for three years.
♦️2. Finished actions:
(Actions which have recently stopped (though the whole action can be unfinished) and have a result, which we can often see, hear, or feel, in the present. We don't use a time word here.):
a. I've been running, so I'm really hot.
b. It's been raining so the pavement is wet.
♦️3. Recently, Lately:
(We can also use the present perfect continuous WITHOUT a duration such as "for two weeks". Without the duration, the tense has a more general meaning of "lately." We often use the words "lately" or "recently" to emphasize this meaning.):
a. Recently, I have been feeling really tired.
b. She has been watching too much television lately.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Remember that the present perfect continuous has the meaning of "lately" or "recently." So, f you use the present perfect continuous in a question such as "Have you been feeling alright?", it can suggest that the person looks sick or unhealthy. A question such as "Have you been smoking?" can suggest that you smell the smoke on the person.
Using this tense in a question suggests you can see, smell, hear or feel the results of the action.
♦️4. Repeated Actions:
(We use the Present Perfect Continuous Tense for repeated actions to say for how long the action has been occurring i.e. with mentioning the duration of repetition):
a. I have been getting this magazine every week for a year.
b. She has been going to school every morning for two months.
♦️5. Action Continuity rather than Action Completeness:
(Present perfect continuous is used to focus on the action and not on the completion of the action. The Present Perfect Simple, on the other hand, focuses on the completion and result of the action):
a. She has been writing a book. (focusing on the action of writing - the book may (not) have been finished)
a. She has written a book. (focusing on the result - the book has been finished)
b. They’ve been negotiating the contract. (focusing on the action, it’s not important if it’s finished or not)
b. They’ve negotiated the contract. (focusing on the result, the negotiation has been finished)
♦️6. Temporary Actions:
(When the action/event is more temporary we often use present perfect continuous. When it is more permanent we often use present perfect simple.):
a. They’ve lived in Italy for many years. (Present perfect simple)
b. I’ve been living here for a month. (Present perfect continuous)
⚡️Further reading on the differences between the Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Continuous Tenses⚡️
Let's consider these two sentences:
1- I have played tennis for five years.
2- I have been playing tennis for five years.
Both sentences are correct and ALMOST mean the same thing. The only difference is that we use:
1- The Present Perfect (Simple)
"I have played tennis for five years."
to put emphasis on the action, and we use:
2- The Present Perfect Continuous
"I have been playing tennis for five years."
to put an emphasis on the duration of the activity.
Remember!
(Present Perfect Continuous is used to focus on the action and not on the completion of the action. The Present Perfect Simple, on the other hand, focuses on the completion and result of the action).
