English Grammar: The Present Continuous Tense
11.10.2017As with any language, English has many different tenses to help us talk about time and when things happened. Hoever, not all tenses are consistent across all languages.
Take the Present Continuous (or Present Progressive) Tense in English, for example. This tense exists in English, but not in German.
So what is the Present Continuous Tense?
The Present Continuous is used to describe a few different actions.
-First, it is used to describe something that you are doing currently, that you are not finished doing. For example: "I am reading." (You are currenty reading, and will still be reading when you are finished speaking.)
-It can be used to describe a trend as well (something that is ongoing). For example, "The price of gas is still going up."
-It is used for an action or event in the future which has already been prepared. For example, "I am going on vacation on Thursday."
-You can use to Present Continuous to describe a temporary event. For example, "It is raining now, but it should stop in about an hour."
-Finally, you can use the Present Continuous to describe an event that happens frequently, along with the words "always," "constantly," and "forever." For example, "Her boyfriend is always complaining."
In German, the Present Tense and Present Continuous Tense are the same. So, Ich lese. is both "I read" and "I am reading."
How is the Present Continuous formed?
The Present Continuous is formed in the following way:
Subject + conjugation of to be + base form of the verb + ing
A few examples would look like this:
I am reading.
She is traveling.
He is sleeping.
To form a negative sentence such as "He is not sleeping," you use the following formula:
Subject + conjugation to be + not + base form of the verb + ing
And finally, to form a question, use the following formula:
Conjugation of to be + subject + base form of the verb + ing
For example, a question in the Present Continuous would look like this: "Are you still working?" (This is quite similar to how you form a question in German.)
The Present Continuous is really quite easy, so why not try making up some of your own sentences for practice? And if you'd like more help with the Present Continuous and other English tenses, make sure to sign up for some lessons with YES - Your English School!
11.10.2017
As with any language, English has many different tenses to help us talk about time and when things happened. Hoever, not all tenses are consistent across all languages.
Take the Present Continuous (or Present Progressive) Tense in English, for example. This tense exists in English, but not in German.
So what is the Present Continuous Tense?
The Present Continuous is used to describe a few different actions.
-First, it is used to describe something that you are doing currently, that you are not finished doing. For example: "I am reading." (You are currenty reading, and will still be reading when you are finished speaking.)
-It can be used to describe a trend as well (something that is ongoing). For example, "The price of gas is still going up."
-It is used for an action or event in the future which has already been prepared. For example, "I am going on vacation on Thursday."
-You can use to Present Continuous to describe a temporary event. For example, "It is raining now, but it should stop in about an hour."
-Finally, you can use the Present Continuous to describe an event that happens frequently, along with the words "always," "constantly," and "forever." For example, "Her boyfriend is always complaining."
In German, the Present Tense and Present Continuous Tense are the same. So, Ich lese. is both "I read" and "I am reading."
How is the Present Continuous formed?
The Present Continuous is formed in the following way:
Subject + conjugation of to be + base form of the verb + ing
A few examples would look like this:
I am reading.
She is traveling.
He is sleeping.
To form a negative sentence such as "He is not sleeping," you use the following formula:
Subject + conjugation to be + not + base form of the verb + ing
And finally, to form a question, use the following formula:
Conjugation of to be + subject + base form of the verb + ing
For example, a question in the Present Continuous would look like this: "Are you still working?" (This is quite similar to how you form a question in German.)
The Present Continuous is really quite easy, so why not try making up some of your own sentences for practice? And if you'd like more help with the Present Continuous and other English tenses, make sure to sign up for some lessons with YES - Your English School!