Put the sentences in the present continuous tense. Present Continuous. Example sentences with translation. The shortest way

There are more tense forms in English than in Russian, which is why learning foreign speech can be so difficult for our compatriots. In the great and mighty there is no such thing as the present continuus, in other words, the present continuous tense. But don't be afraid. If you understand this issue well, then no difficulties will arise.

Features of use

Present Continuous can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from Present Simple. Both of these temporary forms describe the present, but the present simple is used when we are talking about constantly repeating actions, and the continuum - about those that are happening right now.

It is important to remember the difference in cases where you need to describe several incidents at the same time. Here the verb is put in the present simple tense if the actions follow one another. But if events occur simultaneously, the present continuous comes to the rescue.

Another important nuance concerns actions that are either planned or on the schedule. When the interlocutor expresses an intention to do something, he uses a verb in the Present Continuous form, but if the event is indicated in the schedule, then it is spoken about in the Present Simple.

Such a small comparison will allow you to better navigate these two times.

The English present continuus has significant differences that make it possible to distinguish it from other forms of the verb.

It is used when it is necessary to describe events that occur immediately at the moment of speech. A striking example: Tom is doing exercise now.

The present continuus is used to describe an action that is not taking place at the moment, but in a present, still ongoing period of time. Let's look at an example: He is working on the program. The point is that he does this not at a specific moment, but throughout the present period, which lasts and will soon end.

The same tense form is used when describing a planned action that will happen soon. An example is the following phrase: We are arriving on Friday (We will arrive or are going to arrive on Friday).

Another option for using the Present Continuous is to indicate repeated actions that irritate or cause disapproval of the speaker. Adverbs constantly, always, repeatedly can serve as catalysts, which in this case are translated as “forever.” A good example: You are constantly shouting at us.

Education rules

To formulate sentences in present continuum, you need to use the verb "to be" in the appropriate form, which depends on the noun or pronoun used. It is to it that the particle “not” will be added in negative sentences.

Verbs in the present continuum receive the ending -ing. In most cases, this inflection is attached to a word without changing it (say - saying). But if there is a silent “e” at the end of the infinitive, it must be omitted (make - making). In the case where a verb ends with a combination of a short vowel and a consonant, the exception is “x”, the last letter is doubled (begin - beginning). Words that end in -ie change it to the compound -y+ing (lie - lying).

There is a list of expressions that can serve as an indication of the Present Continuous. These are such as today, at the moment, this week, now and others.

There are a number of words that are not used in this tense. These are so-called state verbs that convey sensations and feelings. They will also not take part in the formation of such a temporary form as continuum. Here are some of the stative verbs:

• be - to be;
• belong - belong;
• consist - consist;
• cost - cost;
• envy - to envy;
• exist - to exist;
• hate - to hate;
• hear - to hear;
• love - to love;
• possess - to possess;
• remember - remember;
• seem - to appear;
• want - want.

The list of these words is much longer, and you need to carefully read them to eliminate mistakes in your speech.

Formation of affirmative sentences

A strictly established word order is what the English language can be proud of. The present continuum does not introduce dissonance into this rule. His sentences are built according to the same principle: a subject, followed by a semantic verb with the corresponding ing ending, followed by the rest

Let's look at the picture and describe the actions that the heroes perform according to the diagram placed in the table.

• I am driving (I'm driving).
• Tom is laughing (Tom laughs).
• We are playing (We are playing).
• Dad is skating (Dad is skating).
• You are singing.
• Lena is running (Lena is running).

Formation of denial

It is very simple to turn an affirmative sentence into a negative one; just add the particle “not” to the verb “to be”.

• I am not /can be shortened to I’m not/ driving (I don’t drive).
• Tom is not /isn’t/ laughing (Tom is not laughing).
• We are not /aren’t/ playing (They don’t play).

Interrogative sentences

To pose a general question, the answer to which can be agreement or denial (yes/no), it is enough to bring “to be” forward.

• Am I driving?
• Is dad skating (Dad skates)?
• Are you singing?

It is also not difficult to formulate a special question about the method or quality of an action; you need to add the corresponding question word to the previous form.

• How am I driving?
• When is dad skating?
• What are you singing?

Exercises

You need to convert the infinitive into a Present Continuous verb and choose the correct form for "to be":

a) She /to read/ a magazine now (She is reading a newspaper now).

b) Linda /to sit/ at the piano (Linda is sitting at the piano).

c) He /to do/ his homework (He does his homework).

d) They /to play/ baseball (They play baseball).

e) I still /to write/ a message (I am still writing a message).

f) We /to have/ dinner now (Now we are having lunch).

g) It still /to rain/ (It is still raining).

h) It /to snow/ now (It's snowing).

i) The girl /to draw/ a picture (The girl draws a picture).

j) You /to speak/ to me now (You are talking to me now).

It is necessary to put affirmative sentences in interrogative and negative form:

A. I am studying (I am studying).

B. We are playing ball (We are playing ball).

C. They are eating now.

D. We are resting now (We are resting now).

E. She is sleeping (She is sleeping).

Translate the following phrases into English:

1. She's riding a bike.
2. You're always late!
3. Where are they vacationing now?
4. We don't have breakfast.
5. What is he doing now?

Present continuum is a popular and fairly easy to learn temporary form. To avoid mistakes when using it, it is enough to remember in what cases it is used, know the ways of its formation and the few verbs that are not used in it.

If we talk about the popularity of using tenses in English, the group Simple will undoubtedly take first place. However, this group alone will certainly not take you to London, and therefore it is necessary to expand the capabilities of the language. The second most popular group of times, the Continuous group, can perfectly help with this. Like all other groups, it contains past, present and future tenses. Today we will focus on the Present Continuous Tense (pronounced present continuous tense) or the present continuous tense, examining how this tense is formed.

Present Continuous Tense (also Present Progressive Tense) or present continuous tense is the tense of the English language, responsible for actions that occur in the present time at the time of conversation.

At the initial stage of language learning, this tense is often confused with the Present Simple. Yes, in both the first and second cases it concerns the present, but the difference between these times is colossal. To avoid getting into trouble with the use of these tenses, let's take a closer look at the Present Continuous tense in English.

The formation of the Present Continuous is based on the use of auxiliary and semantic verbs. The auxiliary verb is to be in the present tense. Depending on the person and number, this tense can have 3 forms:

Participle I or the present participle is used as a semantic verb. To form the present participle in the active voice, you do not need to separately remember the rules for regular and irregular verbs. It is enough just to take any verb in the infinitive form, remove the preposition to and add the ending –ing.

When adding an ending, it is worth considering certain nuances:

• If a word ends in –e, this letter is omitted:

A verb cannot be formed in this way if there are two –e in the word. In this case, the standard rule applies:

• If a word ends in –ie, this combination of letters is replaced with –y:

The exception is words ending in –x and –w, which are not doubled:

If a word ends with a consonant –r, that letter must be doubled unless there is a diphthong before it:

Doubling the consonant –l at the end is possible if the stress falls on the last syllable and the –l is preceded by a short vowel:

In British English, –l is doubled even if the stress is not on the final syllable.

Please note that words that end in –ing are not always present participles. Nouns and adjectives are often expressed with these words:

Present Continuous: sentence forms

Now let’s look at how sentences are formed using auxiliary and semantic verbs:

Affirmative form of Present Continuous

The affirmative form of the Present Continuous contains direct word order. In such a sentence, after the subject there are auxiliary and semantic verbs. Affirmative sentence scheme:

The sentences above are used in the active voice, where the action is performed by the subject. However, sometimes situations arise in which it is necessary to show that the action is directed at the object/person itself. In such cases, the passive voice is used, for the formation of which it is necessary to use three verbs: the same auxiliary verb to be in the present tense, the verb to be in Participle I (being) and the past participle (or Participle II):

Everything is clear with the first two, but Past Participle has its own characteristics. It contains two forms of formation, the choice of which depends on the regularity or irregularity of English verbs. Thus, the past participle of regular verbs is formed by adding the ending –ed. Irregular verbs do not obey this rule: each of them has a singular form, so you just need to try to remember such verbs.

Such sentences often use the preposition by, which shows who did the action. Examples:

The rule also applies to sentences in the passive voice:

The auxiliary verb in the affirmative and negative forms is often shortened in speech and writing like the Present Simple tense:

Abbreviating am not in the negative form as amn’t is, as a rule, not accepted. This form of negation for the Present Continuous can be found in Scotland and Ireland.

Question form Present Continuous

The interrogative form in the Present Continuous tense is constructed based on the type of question:

• General and alternative questions bring the auxiliary verb forward before the subject:

This question is answered briefly using an auxiliary verb:

This question requires a complete answer:

When using two or more semantic verbs, the auxiliary verb is used once at the beginning.

• A special question for the Present Continuous must contain a question word that comes before the auxiliary verb.

A complete answer is also needed here:

A short answer is required here, similar to the answer to the general question:

These were all the rules for forming the Present Continuous, with the help of which you can easily compose a grammatically correct sentence.

Present Continuous: use

Present Continuous or present continuous tense is used constantly in speech. Let's consider all cases of using the Present Continuous.

1. The present continuous tense in English is used to indicate actions that are ongoing at the time of conversation. Often in this case, the indicator words now (now) and at the moment (at the moment) are used:

Don't confuse Present Simple and Continuous:

1. Present Continuous Tense is also used when talking about actions that are happening now, but not specifically at this moment.

1. The use of the Present Continuous is possible with the adverbs always / constantly (constantly), again and again (every now and then), all the time (all the time). Such sentences differ from sentences in the Present Simple in that they usually imply the speaker's irritation regarding some habit. As a Russian analogue, the adverbs here can mean “always doing something”:

1. The use of Present Continuous Tense is possible in cases where the speaker knows or assumes that the action will not last long. In such sentences there are words for / during (during), until / till (until / until).

The second part of the sentence in this construction is usually used in the Present Simple.

1. The Present Continuous is used when talking about planned actions in the future. In this case, preference for this time can be given only when the action is definitely decided to be carried out. Sentences may contain satellite words: tonight, today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, this (next) week / month / year (in this (next) week / month / year).

Translation of such constructions is usually carried out in the present tense, although, in essence, this does not change anything even in the Russian language: it is clear that the action is not being performed now.

1. The present continuous tense in English is also used to express actions that will happen in the near future, using verbs of motion. These include: go (go), come (come), leave (leave), move (move), take off (take off), land (land), return (return), move (move).

The translation is also in the present tense, although the future is implied.

1. Present Continuous or Progressive Tense is used when talking about actions that change gradually. Often for this case, words in English are used that imply this change: change (change), increase (increase), decrease (decrease), improve (improve), rise (rise), grow (grow), fall (fall), begin / start (begin), become / get (become):

1. Present Continuous is used when emphasis is placed on unusual behavior of a person that is not observed:

1. However, the above cases do not always apply. So, for example, exceptions to the rules in Present Continuous Tense are state verbs or state verbs, with which the Continuous tense cannot be used, since they themselves imply action. Such an action usually cannot be observed with the eyes. These include verbs responsible for:

• emotions (love - to love, hate - to hate, adore - to adore, respect - to respect);
• processes of mental activity (think - to think, believe - to believe, assume - to believe);
• perception (feel – to feel, hear – to hear, see – to see, notice – to notice);
• ownership rights (have - to have, belong - to belong, possess - to have, own - to own);
• desires (wish - dream, want - want, desire - desire);
• other (succeed - to succeed, need - to need, find - to seek, fail - to fail).

The Present Simple tense is used with these verbs.

However, there are certain situations where a stative verb can be used as a continuous verb. This is possible if:

• a word from the list of state verbs has another meaning:
• see can be used to mean "to meet" or "to examine":

• appear (seem) meaning “to perform on stage”:

• have in stable expressions

1. The Present Continuous is also used to contrast something new with something old:

1. The Present Continuous is used in subordinate clauses to show that some actions continue during others. To do this, the Present Continuous is used in the subordinate clause, and the Present Simple in the main part. In such constructions the words when (when), if (if), in case (in case), as long as (yet), unless (not yet) are often found:

• In order to show one continuous action against the background of another, the conjunction while (while), expressing subordinate adverbs of time, can be used. Both parts use the Present Continuous tense:

Today we learned what the Present Continuous is and in what situations it is used. Present Continuous grammar is not very difficult, so you will quickly master this tense by practicing all the uses mentioned.

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In this article we will not only tell youhow to write a question in the Present Continuous,but we’ll also delve a little deeper into the nuances of using this useful time, and also consider many living examples Present Continuous Questions.

Before you askquestions in present continuum, let's talk about where this time is used.

Present Continuous(aka Present Progressive) is the present continuous tense.

There are three main cases of its use:

1) Events that are happening right now:

I’m driving, that’s why I can’t talk.
I'm driving the car, so I can't talk.

That girl is playing tennis.
That girl is playing tennis now.

2) Events that occur in the present, but not necessarily at the moment.

They can drag on for weeks (like a session) or even years (for example, you are planning a move, but it has been delayed).

Now I’m living in New York but it’s temporary.
I live in New York now, but this is temporary.

I"m working hard on my English to get into university.
I'm working hard on English to get into university. 3) Events in the future that are planned.

As a rule, these are plans in the implementation of which a person is one hundred percent confident. If you have an appointment with the dentist, called a friend to meet at five o'clock sharp, are going to take exams, and you know the schedule - feel free to use the Present Continuous.

In order for the interlocutor to understand that we are talking about the future, marker words are added:tomorrow, next Tuesday, tonight etc.

I’m visiting my dentist tomorrow.
I'm going to the dentist tomorrow.

Are you meeting Sam tonight?
Are you meeting Sam today?

I’m having my exam at 11.
I have an exam at 11.

As you can see, the Present Continuous can refer to more than just the present moment.

After all, when you say "Please, be quiet, I'm reading "(Please be quiet, I'm reading), then you imply that you read the book before you said so and are going to continue this activity.

And when you announce "I’m reading my new book next Tuesday at the book club ", (I'm reading my new book next Tuesday at book club) then it's clear that you mean the future.

Scheme of affirmative sentences:

Subject + to be + Ving

Some rules for adding the -ing ending:

• If the verb in the infinitive ends in an unpronounceablee, it falls out:

love- loving

• The final consonant after a short stressed vowel is doubled:

sit- sitting

• Letter lat the end of the word, the one following the vowel is doubled:

(This rule only applies to British English.)

travel- traveling

• ieat the end of the word it turns intoy:

lie- lying

Finally, let's get to the questions.

1. General questions in the Present Continuous

They are also called "Yes/No questions».

They are characterized byinversion- changing places of parts of speech.

If in an affirmative sentence the word order is direct (the subject comes first),

I am working (I am working)

then in an interrogative question the verb comes firstto be (of course, in the appropriate person) :

Am Am I working? (Am I working?)

So,How to ask a question in Present Continuus?

If this is a general question, you just need to put the verbto befirst place in the sentence.

How do you know if it's shared?

Try to answer it. If the first thing you say is "yes" or "no", it is a Yes/No question.

- Am I studying? (I'm studying?)
- Yes , I am. (Yes).

Or:

- No , I’m not studying, I’m checking my newsfeed on Facebook. (No, I'm not studying, I'm checking my Facebook feed).

Schematically it looks like this:

To be + subject + Ving

General questions about the current moment:

Are you telling the truth?
You are telling the truth?

Is she actually doing this?
Is she really doing this?

Am I thinking what you’re thinking?
Am I thinking the same as you?

General questions about the present in general:

Are they seeing each other?
They meet?

Is Victor still working in Singapore?
Is Victor still working in Singapore?

Is yoga helping you to lose weight?
Does yoga help you lose weight?

General questions about plans for the future:

Are you visiting your grandmother tomorrow?
Will you visit your grandmother tomorrow?

Are we coming to the party at 6?
Are we going to the party at 6?

Is she seeing a doctor next week?
Will she go to the doctor next week?

Difference betweento be going to and Present Continuous

What is the difference between these phrases:

"I'm seeing a doctor"

"I'mgoing to see a doctor"?

It would seem that both versions talk about plans for the future. And the structure is the same: verbto be+ verb ending-ing.

It turns out that it all depends on what kind of plans they are. If the plans are clear, a schedule has been drawn up, there is an agreement with someone, then you need to use the Present Continuous:

I’m seeing a doctor tomorrow at 3
(I will visit the doctor tomorrow at 3)

If the plans are vague, there are no time frames or agreements, but only the intention of the speaker, then you can say usinggoing to:

I'm going to see a doctor.
(I'm going to see a doctor).

2. Special questions in the Present Continuous

These are questions that begin with question words. In English they are called "Wh questions" because most of these words begin with the lettersWh:

Who - who
When - when
Why - why
What - what
Where - where

Even the word How, although it does not begin withWh, but contains both of these letters.

Formation of special questions in the Present Continuous

There are no difficulties here: the structure is the same as that of a general question, only there is a question word at the beginning.

Question word + to be + subject + Ving

Special questions about the current moment:

Why are you looking at me?
Why are you looking at me?

Who are you talking to?
Who are you talking to?

How are they doing it?
How do they do it?

What are you talking about?
What are you talking about?

Special questions about the present in general:

How are you doing?
How are you doing?

Where is he living now?
Where does he live now?

What am I doing with my life?
What am I doing with my life?

Specific questions about future plans:

What time are you visiting your dad today?
What time will you visit your father today?

What are you doing tomorrow evening?
What are you doing tomorrow evening?

3. Questions to the subject

We ask such questions when we don’t know who is doing the action and want to find out.

Unlike special questions, there is no inversion in subject questions, or questions to the subject. That is, their structure is like that of affirmative sentences, only a question word is added at the beginning:

Who is talking to me? (Who's talking to me?)

IN present continuus questions often begin with a question word. How do you know if this is a special question or a subject question?

We must ask ourselves: “Is it known who is doing the action?” If the answer is no, then this is a subject question. We put the question word in place of the subject and don’t change anything else.

Who is making this noise?(Who's making noise?)

We don't know who is making the noise. Therefore, the word order here is straight.

Who is Helen talking to? (Who is Helen talking to?)

We know who performs the action (speaks) - it is Helen. We just don't know who she's talking to. This is a special question.

Examples of Subject Questions:

What is going on here? (What's going on here?)

Who is always calling you? (Who calls you all the time?)

What is bothering you? (What's bothering you?)

4. Alternative questions

- Will you eat soup or cutlets first?
- Do you play piano or guitar?
- Do you study English or German?

If, as in the examples above, you have options to choose from, this is an alternative question. In it, as in the general question, there is an inversion. The auxiliary verb comes before the subject.

- Are you coming or are you going to stay?
-Are you going or staying?

- Is he staying at a hotel or at a hostel?
- Was he staying at a hotel or a hostel?

How to recognize this type?

It is enough to see the unionor(or) to understand that this is an alternative question.

5. Separation issues

Separation questions, or Tag Questions, have perhaps the most interesting structure. The affirmative sentence is said first. Then, as if refuting this statement, there follows a “tail”, in which there is both inversion and negation.

Scheme:

Affirmative sentence + to be + not + subject

We are getting married this Saturday, aren’t we?
We're getting married this Saturday, aren't we?

You are getting cold feet, aren’t you?
You're panicking, aren't you?

Everything is going well, isn’t it?
Everything is going well, isn't it?

Five interrogative sentences in the Present Continuous that will be useful to you

Any grammatical phenomenon that is new to you must be used. Moreover, the more it fits into the situation, the better.

Present Continuous is ideal for everyday communication; its use makes speech more dynamic and natural.

Take a look at these questions that English speakers ask each other every day. Think about under what circumstances and to whom could you ask them? Also note the structure of each one and tell what type of questions it is inpresent continuus - general question, special or something else?

1. Are you kidding? (Are you kidding?)

This can be said when you do not believe that the interlocutor’s statement is true, you are shocked by it, or you doubt the appropriateness of the proposal. This is a colloquial expression and can be used in informal settings.

- I'm buying it.
- Are you kidding? Have you seen the price?

- I will buy it.
- Are you kidding? Have you seen the price?

1. What are you doing? (What are you doing?)

- What are you doing, darling?
- I'm working. Don't touch anything.

- What are you doing, dear?
- Working. Don't touch anything.

1. How is it going? (How are you?)

An excellent alternative to the already slightly outdated “How are you?” Feel free to use this question to start a conversation with your friends.

- Oh, hey, Alex, how's it going? What's up?

- Oh, hi, Alex, how are you? What's new?

1. Are you being serious? (Are you serious?)

Same as “Are you kidding?”, but more neutral in terms of style.

- Mom and dad are getting divorced.
- Are you being serious?

- Mom and Dad are getting divorced.
- Are you serious?

1. What is going on? (How are you/What's going on?)

“What’s going on” is the same as “What’s up?” (what's new?). Can be used instead of greetings and "how are you".

- What’s going on, guys?
- Nothing, just chilling.

- What are you doing, guys?
- Nothing, just relaxing.

All the information we absorb not only finds a place in our head and memory, but is also transformed into images. To make this process faster and more efficient, you can use tables and diagrams.

The Present Continuous tense helps to pay attention to what is happening now, at the time of conversation or not far from it. You can perceive information both in text and in tables. Which method is right for you, decide for yourself. Let's structure all the information about the present continuous tense and try to “push” it into a table.

Education

A clearly presented table will help you understand and compare the features education this time. In order not to clutter up the space and not to scatter attention, let’s consider construction of various proposals in the present continuous table using the example of to swim. Denial and questions at this time are quite easy to understand and remember.

Use

How and when to use these forms poses the greatest challenge. Everything can be structured and understood. Table present continuous according to application cases time in speech.

But not everything is so rosy and simple, many Verbs in the Present Continuous go beyond the usual ones. Exceptions are:

Some of these verbs have special uses, which you can read about in more detail in our other page.

Having studied all this material and done a bunch of exercises, you can move on to understanding the passive voice. Present Continuous Passive is built according to the following scheme:

Passive voice requires additional, more careful study. And this table will be a support, a cheat sheet for the formation of the passive voice in the present continuous tense.

The easy, concise and accessible material presented in the table will help you quickly master all the material.