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Present Continuous
FORM [am/is/are + present participle] Examples:

You are watching TV. Are you watching TV? You are not watching TV.

Complete List of Present Continuous Forms USE 1 Now

Use the Present Continuous with Normal Verbs to express the idea that something is happening now, at this very moment. It can also be used to show that something is not happening now. Examples:

You are learning English now. You are not swimming now. Are you sleeping? I am sitting. I am not standing.

Is he sitting or standing? They are reading their books. They are not watching television. What are you doing? Why aren't you doing your homework?

USE 2 Longer Actions in Progress Now

In English, "now" can mean: this second, today, this month, this year, this century, and so on. Sometimes, we use the Present Continuous to say that we are in the process of doing a longer action which is in progress; however, we might not be doing it at this exact second. Examples: (All of these sentences can be said while eating dinner in a restaurant.)

I am studying to become a doctor. I am not studying to become a dentist. I am reading the book Tom Sawyer. I am not reading any books right now. Are you working on any special projects at work? Aren't you teaching at the university now?

USE 3 Near Future

Sometimes, speakers use the Present Continuous to indicate that something will or will not happen in the near future. Examples:

I am meeting some friends after work. I am not going to the party tonight. Is he visiting his parents next weekend? Isn't he coming with us tonight?

Spelling of Verbs Ending in ing

2. If the base form ends in a single e, drop the e and add ing (exception: be-being). live-living write-writing

3. If the base form ends in ie, change ie to y and add -ing die-dying lie-lying

4. If the base form of a one-syllable verb ends with a single vowel + consonant, double the final consonant and add ing (Compare two vowel + consonant: eat eating.) hit hitting stop stopping

5. If the base form of a verb with two or more syllables ends in a single vowel + consonant, double the final consonant only if the stress in on the final syllable. Do not double the final consonant if the stress is not on the final syllable. admit admitting develop developing begin beginning listen listening

6. Do not double the final consonants x, w, and y. fix fixing plow plowing obey-obeying

Make the ing form of the verbs. 1. hold . 3. watch ... 5. smile 2. come .. 4. skate ... 6. die ..

7. speak

8. run ..

9. meet .. 10. talk 11. have 13. live . 12. take 14. sit. ..

15. go 16. listen .. 17. eat 18. lie 19. ski 20. wear 21. chat .. 22. chew ... 23. stop .. 24. travel .. Practice Exercise 1: Change the statements into questions. 1. Im making a lot of noise. ........Am I making a lot of noise?....... 2. Clare is reading. 3. You are watching the news. ... 4. It is snowing .. 5. We are waiting in the right place. ... Exercise 2: Change the statements into negative sentences. 1. Youre listening to me.

2. Tim is studying. 3. Were talking. 4. You are writing. 5. Katherine is lying. 6. They are waiting for us.

.. .

Exercise 3: Look at the pictures and write sentences.

Exercise 4: What are they saying?

Exercise 5:

Word Bank carry, wash, smoke, eat, run up the steps, run down the steps umbrella, shopping bag, pipe, cigarette, sandwich, ice cream, motorcycle Exercise :i Exercise ii .................................................................................................................

....................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................ Exercise 6: Present continuous Who is who in the office? Read about the people. Write the names in the picture.

Lillian is talking on the phone at the moment, and Sam and Carla are looking at some posters. Benny is reading a report. Bruce and Loretta are working on their computers, and Ed is doing some photocopying.

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What are they doing in the office? Ask and answer. 1. Benny/ work/ on his computer? 2. Bruce and Loretta/ talk/ on the phone? 3. Ed/do/ some photocopying? 4. Lillian/ read/ a report? 5. Sam and Carla/ look/ at some posters? 1. .Is Benny working on his computer?... . No, he isnt. Hes reading a report. . 2. 3. 4. 5. Exercise 7: Correct each sentence or question. 1. I playing tennis with my best friend. Im playing tennis with my best friend. 2. Youre coming to the cinema tonight? 3. John and Mandy dont going to the beach. . 4. Is Emma and Katy flying to American?

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. 5. My sister is walk on the beach now. . 6. We not studying French at school this year. . 7. Whats that noise? The dog is outside? . Exercise 8: Complete this letter. Put the verbs in brackets into the present continuous. Dear Jim, We (1) (have) ..are having. A terrible holiday. It (2) (rain) .. . I (3) (sit) in the hotel. I(4) (watch) . television. Tom and Peter (5) (play) .. computer games. Alice (6) (read) . a book. Susan(7) (make) .. a cup of coffee. The baby (8) (cry) . . I want to go home. All the best, George

English Action and State verbs

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Stative Verbs love hate like see hear sound think (meaning have and opinion) recognize seem have (meaning own) prefer

Dynamic Verbs eat drink go type read write listen speak watch say grow work

Here are some a few verbs that can be both state and action verbs depending on their meaning. I think you made a mistake. think = believe I am thinking about my mum now. think = mental process. I have two cars. have = possess, own I am having my lunch now. have = eat

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I am seeing my friend to tomorrow evening. see = meeting with I see what you mean. see = understand I fell cool today She is felling the silk. I am tasting corn soup. That corn soup tastes good. I am smelling that rose. The rose smells good. Exercise 9: Choose the correct form of the verb depending on whether in this meaning it is an action or a state verb. If both the Present Continuous and the Present Simple tenses are possible, use the Present Continuous tense. 1. 2. 3. 4. a) Why are you smelling the soup? b) Why do you smell the soup? a) She was feeling his arm on her shoulder. b) She felt his arm on her shoulder. a) Are you having an English dictionary? b) Do you have an English dictionary? a) What are you thinking about? b) What do you think about?

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5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

a) I am feeling much better today. b) I feel much better today. a) What are you looking at? b) What do you look at? a) I am not hearing you. b) I can't hear you. a) What are you thinking of me? b) What do you think of me? a) I am feeling we should go home now. b) I feel we should go home now.

10. a) This bread is tasting funny. b) This bread tastes funny. Exercise 10: Complete the sentences. Use the present simple or the present continuous. 1 I like (like) this photograph. 2. Emily .(watch) TV a the moment. 3. Mrs. Reed .(own) an export company. 4. My parents (love) their old cat. 5. (you/want) a coffee? 6. .. (you/go) home now? 7. . (you/know) my friend? 8. I cant go out now. I ..(do) my homework.

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Exercise 11: There are mistakes in some of these sentences. Find the mistakes and correct them. 1. Im hating cold weather. I hate 2. Are you studying at the moment? 3. Are you believing me? 4. This car isnt belonging to me. 5. What is this word meaning? 6. Tony is waiting outside. 7. Im preferring jazz to pop music. 8. Are you enjoying yourself? 9. Im seeing a dog in the garden. 10. Youre seeming very happy. 11. How are you feeling? Exercise 12: Are these actions (A) or not actions (NA)? 1. Tony has a good job. __NA__ 2. Tony has a shower every morning. .. 3. Tony is having a shower now. 4. Tony has a sister. 5. I think life is wonderful. . 6. What are you thinking about? 7. I think about you every day. .. 8. They have dinner at about 7.30 . 9. They have a new car. 10. Theyre having a game of chess. . Exercise 13: Choose the correct answer. 1. I listen/ Im listening to the radio every morning.

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2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Be quiet! I listen/ Im listening to the radio. Jill is in the kitchen. She has/Shes having breakfast. She often has/Shes often having yoghurt for breakfast. She has/Shes having a brother and two sisters. How many languages do you speak/are you speaking? Do you like/Are you liking this music?

The Present Continuous and Present Simple Tenses

We use the Present Continuous tense to speak about things which are happening now or things which are temporary. I am not working now. I am on holiday. Sally is listening to a new CD. Who are you phoning?

The Present Simple tense describes usual, repeated and permanent things - for example, always, usually, often, sometimes, never. I work as an accountant. John doesn't know German. How often do you play tennis?

Compare how these two tenses are used. Why are you walking to work? Don't you usually go by bus? I live in Kharkiv, but now I am living in Moscow. Usually we have dinner at 7, but today we are having it at 9.

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Exercise 15: Complete the sentences. Use the present continuous or the present simple. Its 7.30am. Suzanne Wells is in her kitchen at home. Shes having____ (1) breakfast. She _________(2) breakfast at this time every morning. She __________ (3) home at 8.30am every day and __________(4) to work. Suzanne is a teacher. She ___________ (5) at a school in Canberra, Australia.

Its 10.00am now and Suzanne is at school. At the moment she __________ (6) her class of 8-year-old children. All the children in her class ________(7) form Canberra. Many of the children ___________ (8) English at home. So Suzanne _____________ (9) a lot of time teaching English. She ___________(10) English to the class now.

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Exercise 16: Present Simple or Present Continuous Put the verb into the correct form. Use either the present simple or the present continuous. 1. Please don't make so much noise. I __________________ (study). 2. How many languages __________________ (Tom speak). 3. I __________________ (not/belong) to a political party. 4. Hurry! The bus __________________ (come). I __________________ (not/want) to miss it. 5. The River Nile __________________ (flow) into the Mediterranean. 6. The river __________________ (flow) very fast today much faster than usual. 7. __________________ (it/ever/snow) in India? 8. We usually __________________ (grow) vegetables in our garden, but this year we __________________ (not/grow) any. 9. A: Can you drive? B: No, but I __________________ (learn). My father __________________ (teach) me. 10. You can borrow my umbrella. I __________________ (not/need) it at the moment.

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11. (at a party) I usually __________________ (enjoy) parties but I __________________ (not/enjoy) this one very much. 12. George says he's 80- years old but I __________________ (not/believe) him. 13. Ron is in London at the moment. He __________________ (stay) at the Hilton Hotel. He usually __________________ (stay) at the Hilton Hotel when he's in London. 14. My parents __________________ (live) in Bristol. They were born there and have never lived anywhere else. Where __________________ (your/parents/live)? 15. She __________________ (stay) with her sister at the moment, until she finds somewhere to live. 16. A: What __________________ (your father/do)? B: He's a teacher, but he __________________ (not/work) at the moment. 17. What time __________________ (the banks/close) in Britain? 18. I don't understand the word 'aint'. What __________________ (it/mean)? 19. He is still ill but he __________________ (get/better) slowly. 20. The economic situation is already bad and it __________________ (get/worse).

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Present Continuous for the future

- We can use the present continuous to talk about the future: Look at Davids diary for next week. What is David doing next week? Hes playing basketball on Monday evening. Hes going to the doctors on Wednesday afternoon. Then on Friday evening hes having dinner with Monica. - We use the present continuous for something that we have already arranged to do in the future. Im meeting a friend this evening. (= I have arranged to meet a friend.) David is going to the doctors next Wednesday. (= He has got and appointment with the doctor.) What are you doing next weekend? (= What have you arranged to do?)

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Exercise 17:

1. Where is she going?

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Present Continuous : Future Use. Exercise 18: Choose the most suitable ending to complete each conversation. 1. Are you free tomorrow night? 1. Sorry, Im going to the cinema with Peter. 2. Sorry, Ill going to the cinema with Peter. 3. Sorry, Im go to the cinema with Peter. 2. What are your plans for the holidays? 1. I have a good rest! 2. Ill to have a good rest! 3. Im going to have a good rest! 3. What are the arrangements for the school trip tomorrow? 1. Were meeting outside the front entrance at 8.30. 2. Well meet outside the front entrance at 8.30. 3. Weve met outside the front entrance at 8.30. 4. Where are you going? I want to talk to you. 1. Ill be back in a moment. 2. Im going to be back in a moment. 3. Im being back in a moment.

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5. Are you going to be here on Thursday? 1. No, I leaving on Wednesday afternoon. 2. No, Im leave on Wednesday afternoon. 3. No, Im leaving on Wednesday afternoon. 6. Does your leg still hurt? 1. Yes, Ive going to the doctors tomorrow. 2. Yes, Im going to the doctors tomorrow. 3. Yes, I went to the doctors tomorrow. Exercise 19:Choose the most suitable word or phrase for each space. 1. Do you have any plans for your birthday? Yes, ..B.. a party. a) Ill have b) Im having 2. I need some help with the shopping tomorrow. Dont worry, . . a) Ill help b) Im helping 3. What .. when you go on holiday? a) will you do b) are you going to do 4. Do you want to come to a football match on Saturday? Which teams .? a) are playing b) are going to play 5. Dont carry all those heavy books. Some of the children .. you. a) will help b) are going to play 6. The doctor is on his way. He in fifteen minutes. a) will be here b) is being 7. Good news. Ann .a baby. a) will have b) is going to have 8. Im sorry I cant come to the lesson tomorrow. .. my dad is hospital. a) Ill visit b) Im visiting

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Exercise 20: Complete each sentence with the present continuous form of the verb in brackets. Then tick (/) the sentences which refer to the future. a) Next summer Kate (spend) ...is spending. a month in France. b) Hurry up, Mehmet. Everyone (wait) .for you. c) (you do) . Anything on Friday? Do you want to come to a party? d) Helen (read) . In bed at the moment. e) We (go) . to the cinema this evening. f) I cant answer the phone. I (have) a bath. g) What (you do) later? Do you want to come for a walk? h) David (leave) . Tomorrow. Have you said goodbye to him?