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Once you've acquainted yourself with the basic Present Simple tense, delving into the intricacies of the Present Continuous (Present Continuous) becomes the next crucial step in your linguistic journey. Let's embark on a journey with Mytour to uncover the fundamental aspects of the Present Continuous tense in English!
Unraveling the Wonders of Present Continuous Tense in English
1. How to use the Present Continuous tense.
2. The structure of the Present Continuous tense.
3. Rules for adding '-ing' to verbs.
4. Indicators to recognize the Present Continuous tense.
5. Verbs that don't change in the Present Continuous tense.
6. Present Continuous tense exercises.
1. How to use the Present Continuous tense
While the Present Simple tense is often used to express an obvious truth or a current habit, the Present Continuous tense is employed to describe an ongoing action at the time of speaking or around the time of speaking, where the action has not yet concluded. Specifically:
1.1 Expressing an action happening right now (often with 'now' or 'at the moment')
Ex: I am writing an article at the moment.
Mytour's editors are now working at the office.
1.2. Depicting an ongoing event around the time of speaking that has not finished yet.
Ex: Mytour.vn is looking for talented editors.
I'm working for Mytour.
(At the time of speaking, the Mytour website is actively recruiting talents, and I am still working for this website. Both actions are ongoing at the time of speaking.)
1.3 Describing a future event with certainty according to a predefined plan.
Ex: I booked a tour to Korea last week. I'm going to visit this country next month.
(At this moment, the speaker has booked a travel tour and is certain to visit Korea next month.)
1.4 Expressing Complaints
When the Present Continuous tense is used with 'always' or 'continually', the speaker wants to express dissatisfaction with a certain situation.
Ex: He is always talking in class. (He always talks in class)
She is always telling lies to her mother. (She always tells lies to her mother)
1.5 Depicting Change or Development
Ex. The climate is changing terribly. (The climate is changing for the worse)
The Mytour website is growing quickly (The Mytour website is growing rapidly)
1.6 Describing something new, in contrast to the previous state
Ex: Nowadays, people are using Facebook and Zalo to keep in touch with others instead of writing letters. (Nowadays, people use Facebook and Zalo to communicate, instead of writing letters)
2. Structure of the Present Continuous tense
The structure of the Present Continuous tense in English is generally 'tobe + V-ing'. The verb 'tobe' consists of 'is, am, are' and is conjugated based on the subject. 'Am' is used with the singular subject 'I'. 'He, she, it' and other third person singular subjects are paired with 'is'. 'Are' is employed when the subject is 'you, we, they' or third person plural.
- Affirmative: S + is/am/are + V-ing
Ex: I am working for Mytour.
He is searching for software on Mytour.
They are playing chess.
- Negative: S + is/am/are + not + V-ing
Ex: I am not working for Mytour now.
He is not studying at the moment.
They are not playing chess now.
- Interrogative: Is/Am/Are + S + V-ing?
Ex: Are you working for Mytour?
Is he searching for software on Mytour?
Are they playing chess now?
3. Rules for adding '-ing' to verbs
Verbs ending in 'e' drop the 'e' and add '-ing' without being dependent on the subject. However, they must adhere to the following rules:
- For verbs ending in 'e', remove the 'e' and add '-ing'
4. Signs to identify the Present Continuous tense
To swiftly and accurately tackle exercises related to the Present Continuous tense, rely on these simple identification cues:
- Sentences with time adverbs like: now, at the moment, right now, at present, at + specific time
Ex: Now, I am working for Mytour company.
He is playing games right now.
- Sentences with verbs like Look! (Look!); Listen! (Listen here) or Keep Silient! (Keep silent)
Ex: Look! She is dancing so gracefully! (Look, she's dancing beautifully)
Listen! Someone is whispering. (Listen, someone is whispering)
Keep silent! The baby is sleeping. (Keep silent, the baby is sleeping)
5. Verbs that don't change in the Present Continuous tense
In English, not all verbs can be used with the Present Continuous tense; for example, 'hate' or 'mean'. You can't say I'm hating someone or this means.... Below is a list of some verbs that are never used in the Present Continuous tense. These verbs will always be used in the Present Simple tense.
- Sensory verbs like: hear, see, taste, smell, ....
- Intellectual activity verbs like understand, know, ....
- Emotional state verbs like hate, like, dislike, wish, want, love, ...
- Possession or state verbs like have, own, belong to, look, seem, appear, need, ....
6. Exercises on the Present Continuous tense
Once you've mastered the fundamental knowledge of the Present Continuous tense, let's reinforce your understanding with the exercises below. Right after the exercises, you'll find the answers to cross-check your results.
With the information on usage, structure, and exercises provided by Mytour, it is hoped that you now comprehend and grasp all the relevant details about this tense. Utilize it proficiently in your studies and communication. Additionally, you can explore more about the Present Perfect tense in English here.
