Category: Grammar

Form of Present Continuous

The Present Continuous or Present Progressive is formed from the present tense of the verb be and the present participle (-ing form) of a verb.

be verb + -ing

Uses

Below are other uses of present continuous. Typically, we use the present continuous to talk about the present.

• Firstly, present progressive is used for something that is happening at the moment of speaking:

Please be quiet. The baby is sleeping.
I‘m just leaving work. I’ll be home in an hour.

• Moreover, present progressive is used for something which is happening before and after a given time:

At nine o’clock we are usually watching our favourite TV program.
When I get home, my mom is making dinner in the kitchen.

• In addition, we can also use present continous for something which we think is temporary:

John is at university. He’s studying Management.
I’m working in London for the next two months.

• Additionally, it is used for something which is new and contrasts with a previous: state:

These days most people are using email instead of writing letters.
What sort of clothes are teenagers wearing nowadays? What sort of music are they listening to?

• Another use of present continuous tense is to show that something is changing, growing, or developing:

The children are growing quickly.
The climate is changing rapidly.
Your English is improving.

• Lastly, present progressive is used for something which happens again and again:

It’s always raining in London.
They are always arguing.
Philip is funny. He’s always telling jokes.

Note: We normally use always with this use.

Present Continuous Exercise

Answer this exercise on present continuous tense.

1. In my country, many people ______ Spanish.

a. are speaking

b. speak

c. is speaking

2. Some old traditions _____ very fast. 

a. disappear

b. are disappearing

c. have disappeared

3. You can’t play with the baby now; she _____ a nap.

a. takes

b. is taking

c. has take

4. Please be quiet, I ______. You know I _____ the paper in the mornings.

a. reads … am reading

b. read … read 

c. am reading … read

5. What time _____ ?

a. does the first class start

b. is the first class starting

c. the first class start

6. I ______ a coat because it’s unusually cold today.

a. am wearing

b. wear

c. wears

7. I finished listening to the podcast you recommended. Now I _____ another one.

a. listen to

b. am listening to

c. listens to

8. What _____ this afternoon?

a. are you doing

b. do

c. you are doing

9. Nobody _____ she will marry him.

a. is thinking

b. thinks 

c. think

10. You look like you are having fun. What _______ ?

a. you are watching

b. are you watching

c. do you watch

Find the answers to this exercise here.

See also: Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous.

For additional information on this topic, check out this British Council lesson.

For other English grammar lessons, go to this page.

An adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb.

• Adverbs answer the questions when, where, how, and to what extent (how much or how long).

when:            Yesterday we went to the beach.

where:           They saw the children there.

how:               The car ran fast.

how much:   We mostly agree with you.

• They also confirm that something was or was not done.

positive:        He certainly does feel that way.

negative:       You should not be late for class.

• From adjective to adverb:

adj. + ly : quickly.

adj. ended in consonant + y:  sleepy —  -ily sleepily.

adj. ended in –ic: -ally tragic — tragically.

adj. ended in –le: drop –e and add –y: agreeable — agreeably.

adj. ended in –e: +ly. falsely. (exceptions: wholly and truly).

adj. ended in –ly: adverb with …manner / way. in a lively manner.

• Adjectives and adverbs with the same form:

best, better, big, cheap, clean, clear, close, cold, daily, dead, deep, direct, dirty, early, easy, far, fast, free, further, hard, high, hourly, inside, kindly, last, late, long, low, monthly, right, slow, straight, sure, thick, tight, weekly, well, wide, wrong, yearly…

• Adverbs that can either keep the adjective form or add –ly:

cheap, clean, clear, close, dear, fine, quick, quiet, thin.

•  POSITION OF ADVERBS

 Adverbs of Frequency:

*SUBJECT + ADVERB + VERB + COMPLEMENTS

I never catch the bus at 10:00.

*SUBJECT + AUXILIARY VERB + ADVERB + VERB + COMPLEMENTS

I have always get up at 8:00

*SUBJECT + TO BE + ADVERB + COMPLEMENTS

I was still asleep when my mother called me.

Several Adverbs:

*Adverbs are organized following two possible structures:

Time + Manner + Place: TMP

Ex. Yesterday I carefully read the text at home.

Manner + Place + Time: MPL

Ex. I carefully read the text at home yesterday.

Undoubtedly, the proper use of gerunds and infinitives is a common conundrum among English learners. In this lesson, learn when to use gerunds and infinitives.

How to Form a Gerund

A gerund is a noun made from a verb added with “-ing.” On the other hand, a negative gerund is formed by adding “not.”

main verb + -ing

She enjoys working.

not + main verb + -ing

The best thing for your health is not drinking.

Uses of a Gerund

You can use a gerund as the subject, the direct object, the subject complement, the object complement, the object of a preposition, and object of a possessive.

Gerund as subject

Reading increases your knowledge. 

Gerund as direct object

I enjoy reading. 

Gerund as subject complement

My favorite hobby is reading.

Gerund as object complement

I heard my mother crying in her room.

Gerund as object of a preposition

She is focused on improving her English skills.

Gerund as object of a possessive

Stop with your whining already!

How to Form an Infinitive

Infinitives are the “to” form of the verb. Moreover, to form the negative infinitive, add “not”.

to + main verb

She appears to have an allergy to shellfish.

not + to + main verb

She decided not to tell the team about the issue.

Uses of an Infinitive

You can also use an infinitive as the subject, the direct object, subject complement, an adjective, or an adverb.

Infinitive as subject

To learn is important. 

Infinitive as direct object

He wants to learn. 

Infinitive as subject complement

The most important thing is to learn. 

Infinitive as an adjective

They didn’t make the decision to go.

Infinitive as an adverb

She took the yoga class to try to relieve herself from stress.

Gerunds and Infinitives

Both gerunds and infinitives can be used as the subject or the complement of a sentence. However, as subjects or complements, gerunds usually sound more like normal, spoken English, whereas infinitives sound more abstract.

On the other hand, infinitives emphasize the possibility or potential for something and sound more philosophical. Moreover, if this sounds confusing, just remember that 90% of the time, you will use a gerund as the subject or complement of a sentence. Hence, in the following sentences, gerunds sound more natural and would be more common in everyday English.

As Subject or Complement

Learning is important. normal subject

To learn is important. abstract subject – less common

The most important thing is learning. normal complement

The most important thing is to learn. abstract complement – less common

As the object

It is more difficult to choose between a gerund or an infinitive. In such situations, both are not normally interchangeable. Usually, the main verb in the sentence determines whether you use a gerund or an infinitive.

He enjoys dancing. “Enjoy” requires a gerund.

He wants to dance. “Want” requires an infinitive.

Some verbs are followed by gerunds as objects.

She suggested going to a museum.

Ellen imagines swimming in the pool.

Verbs followed by gerunds:  avoid, consider, recommend, postpone, etc.

Note that some verbs are followed by infinitives.

She wants to travel abroad.

Ben needs to talk about his problems.

After the verbs agree, ask, decide, intend, fail, etc., an infinitive follows.

Additionally, some verbs are usually followed by a gerund. However, they can also be followed by a noun + infinitive. In this case, using a noun + infinitive will usually change who is performing the action.

I advised taking the train. in general

I advised him to take the train. He will take the train.

After a preposition

Gerunds are used after prepositions. Most commonly, these are “verb + preposition” combinations.

They admitted to committing the crime.

My husband made up for forgetting our anniversary.

He is thinking about studying abroad.

Remember that there are many “adjective + preposition” combinations and “noun + preposition” combinations in English as well. These are also followed by gerunds.

Simon is scared of flying. adjective + preposition

Nelly is anxious about taking the examination. adjective + preposition

Her interest in becoming a professional figure skater was well known. noun + preposition

Mark’s story about going inside a cave was really exciting. noun + preposition

Gerunds and Infinitives Exercise

Answer this exercise on gerunds and infinitives.

3. She would like ______ on a vacation with him.

a. to go

b. going

c. go

4. The children enjoy _____ in the pool in summer.

a. to swim

b. swimming

c. swim

5. He kept ______ the boss questions during the meeting.

a. to ask

b. asking

c. ask

6. I considered ______ in Spain.

a. to live

b. living

c. live

7. Unfortunately, our family can’t afford _____ a house this year.

a. to buy

b. buying

c. buy

8. They risked _____ caught.

a. to be

b. being

c. be

9. They seem _____ laughing.

a. to be

b. being

c. be

10. She’d hate _____ too early.

a. to arrive

b. arriving

c. arrive

Find the answers to this exercise here.

See also: Verb + -ing/infinitive: Like and Gerunds after Prepositions

For additional information on this topic, check out this British Council lesson.

For other English grammar lessons, go to this page.

USE 1: Completed Action in the Past

Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past. Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the specific time, but they do have one specific time in mind.

Examples:

• I played soccer last Saturday.
• I didn’t meet my friends last weekend.
• Last year, I didn’t visit my relatives in Australia.
• Did you have dinner last night?
• I cleaned my room yesterday.

USE 2 : A Series of Completed Actions

We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past. These actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.

Examples:

• I left work, met my friends, and ate at a nice restaurant.
• He arrived from the airport at 9:00, checked into the hotel at 10:00, and met the others at 11:00.
• Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs?

USE 3: Duration in Past

The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. A duration is a longer action often indicated by expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.

Examples:

• I lived in Australia for two years.
• Sandra studied Japanese for three years.
• They did not dance at the party all night.
• We talked on the phone for thirty minutes.
• A: How long did you wait for her?
  B: I waited for thirty minutes.

USE 4: Habits in the Past

The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It can have the same meaning as “used to.” To make it clear that we are talking about a habit, we often add expressions such as: always, often, usually, never, when I was a child, when I was younger, etc.

Examples:

• I learned the piano when I was a child.
• He didn’t play soccer.
• Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid?
• She worked at a restaurant after school.
• They never went to parties, they always stayed home.

USE 5: Past Facts or Generalizations

The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no longer true. As in USE 4 above, this use of the Simple Past is quite similar to the expression “used to.”

Examples:

• I didn’t like vegetables before.
• She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.
• Did you live in Madrid when you were a child?
• People paid much more to use the Internet in the past.

Form

The future continuous is made up of two elements:
the simple future of the verb ‘to be’ + the present participle (base+ing)

Functions

The Future Continuous refers to an unfinished action or event that will be in progress at a time later than now. The future continuous is used for quite a few different purposes.

*The future continuous can be used to project ourselves into the future.

Examples

• This time next month, I will be sun-bathing in Maldives.
• By Christmas, I will be skating like a pro.
• Just think, next Monday you will be working in your new job.

*The future continuous can be used for predicting or guessing about future events.

Examples

• She’ll be attending to the party, I expect.
• I guess you’ll be feeling tired after working out at the gym.
• You’ll be missing the sunshine once you’re back in England.

*In the interrogative form, the future continuous can be used to ask politely for information about the future.

Examples

• Will you be bringing your cousin to the concert tonight?
• Will Matthew be coming with us?
• Will Anne be going to the party tonight?
• Will they be staying in this hotel?

*The future continuous can be used to refer to continuous events that we expect to happen in the future.

Examples

• I‘ll be seeing Tim at the meeting next week.
• When he is in Canada, he will be staying with his aunt.
• I’ll be eating with Kim this evening.

*When combined with still, the future continuous refers to events that are already happening now and that we expect to continue some time into the future.

Examples

• In an hour, I’ll still be washing my car.
• Tomorrow, she’ll still be suffering from flu.
• Next year, will she still be wearing a size six?
• Won’t stock prices still be falling in the morning?
• According to research, sea levels will still be rising in 20 years.

Phrasal Verbs (Splitting)

Some verbs are two part verbs .They consist of a verb and a particle:

• grow + up
  The children are growing up.

Often this gives the verb a new meaning:

• take + after
  She takes after her mother
  = She looks like her mother, or She behaves like her mother.
• count + on
  I can always count on my friend.
  = I know I can trust him, or I know I can believe him.

Some transitive (verbs with object) two part verbs have only one pattern:

N (subject) + V + p + N (object)

[Note: N = noun; V = verb; p = particle]

Some transitive two part verbs are phrasal verbs. Phrasal verbs have two different patterns:

• The usual pattern is:N + V + N + p

• But sometimes these verbs have the pattern:

N (subject) + V + p + N (object)

When the object is a personal pronoun, these verbs always have the pattern:

N + V +N + p:

• She put away it.

She put it away.

• He turned off them.

He turned them off.

• Dad will pick up her.

My dad will pick her up.

• Phrasal verbs are nearly always made up of a transitive verb and a particle. Common Separable verbs with their most frequent particles are:

The Narrative tenses are the grammatical structures that you use when telling a story, or talking about situations and activities which happened at a defined past time.

When narrating past events, DO NOT mix past and present tenses (avoid using the present perfect and present simple), as these will confuse the reader/listener about when things really happened.

Here are the most common narrative tenses and how they are used:

A. The Simple Past Tense.

The past simple is used

•  to express a completed action at a definite time in the past. The separate events which occur in sequence in a narrative are expressed using this tense.

Ex.    I woke up (1) at 8am, took a shower (2) and had some breakfast (3). I left for work (4) at 8am.

*The past simple is the most common tense after ‘When?’ in questions.

•   to express past habits.

Ex. I went to school in Canada until my family moved to the U.S.

NOTE: 

Used to + verb

is often used to express past habits and states that happened in the past, but do not happen now. Used to can not be used for actions which only occurred once.

Ex.       I used to work for IBM. (I don’t work for them now)

I didn’t use to like living in China. (I do like it now)

Where did you use to go for lunch? (You don’t go there now)

Would (+ adverb of frequency) + verb can be used to express past habits which do not happen now.

Ex.     My grandfather would always read the newspaper at breakfast time. (He doesn’t do it now)

Using ‘would’ instead of ‘used to’ often gives an idea of nostalgia. However, if the adverb of frequency is stressed, it can give the idea that the habit was annoying.

Ex.     My mother would never let me do what I wanted to do.

NOTE:  ‘WOULD’can not be used in past states.

Ex.  I would live in Canada. (wrong)

B. The Past Continuous Tense. As with all continuous tenses, the past continuous gives the idea of activity and duration.

The past continuous is used:

•  To describe the situation in which the events of the narrative occurred.

Ex.  When I woke up at 8am (1) the sun was shining (2) and the birds were singing (2). I had a shower (3), ate some breakfast (4) and left for work at 9am. (5)

•  to express an activity in progress at a time in the past.

Ex. What were you doing (1) when I called (2) you?

•  the past continuous also expresses the idea of

1. An interrupted activity

Ex.  She was reading a book  when the door bell rang. (She read a book = she finished it)

2. An unfinished activity

Ex. I was reading the book you lent me. (I read the book… = I finished reading the whole book)

 3. A repeated action

Ex. They were shooting at the enemy. (They shot…. = They fired the gun one time only)

4. A temporary situation

Ex. She was standing on the corner waiting for a bus. ( She stood on the corner. = Permanent situation)

C. The Past Perfect Simple Tense.

he past perfect simple is used

•  to show that an action or situation happened BEFORE the events in the narrative described in the simple past.

Ex. When I woke up at 8am (1), the sun was shining and the birds were singing. I had slept (2) really well the night before. I had a shower (3), ate some breakfast (4) and left for work at 9am.

NOTE:  If the subject of two verbs is the same, you don’t have to repeat the ‘had’ auxiliary.

Ex..     When I arrived, he had finished his lunch and left the room.

• Making a narrative more interesting to read.

It is generally seen as bad literary style to have too many verbs in the same tense. In English it is always best to avoid repetition where possible.

This same sentence could be improved for dramatic effect by using the past perfect simple.

E.g. I woke up at 8am and left for work after I’d had a shower and eaten some breakfast.

*CONJUNCTIONS (After, As soon as, Before, By the time, Once, till, When, Unless, Until)

With these conjunctions of time, the past perfect shows that the first action MUST BE COMPLETED before the second action begins, otherwise the past simple is used.

Ex.     After….she finished, they left / she had finished, they left. (She had to finish first)

            As soon as…we arrived she said “hello”. / I had done it, I sent it to her. (I had to do it first)

She wouldn’t sign the contract  before…. seeing it / she had seen it. (She had to see it first)

They wouldn’t go unless….she came with them / they had seen it was safe.

(It was important to finish checking that it was safe before going)

D. The Past Perfect Continuous Tense.

•  The past perfect continuous is used for longer activities that were happening continuously up until a specified time in the past.

Ex. He looked very tired (1), he had been working very hard (2) over the past three weeks.

As with the past continuous, the past perfect continuous can show the following:

• Unfinished activity

Ex.     He hadn’t heard the telephone ring because he’d been reading.

•  Repeated activity

Ex.    I was tired. I’d been cleaning  the house all day.

*With the past perfect simple, the focus is on the completed activity.

Ex. He had written three letters that morning.

He had delivered twelve parcels today.

E. The Future in the Past.

The future in the past is used to look into the future from a point of time in the past. However, this “future” event still occurred at a time before the present time.

Ex. I woke up (1) at 8am yesterday. I was meeting my boss (2) at ten o’clock that morning, so I wouldn’t be able to have lunch (3) with Susan. I wasn’t going to get home (4) again until late that night.

*Depending on the situation, the following tenses are used in the future in the past:

The past simple (a timetabled event)                     The past continuous (an arrangement)

would (a prediction)                                                     was going to (a plan)

would be doing (an action at a specific time)         would have done (action completed before

a specified time)

More examples:

• (The phone rings)
  Ben: I‘ll get it!
  (‘I’m going to get it’ is very strange, because it makes us think that Ben knew the phone was going to ring before it did).

• I‘m going to go on trip next week.
  (‘I’ll go on trip next week’ makes it sound like you’ve only just decided at that minute. Of course, this is possible, but normally we plan our trip more in advance!).

Prepositions of Place