Unit 3
Lessons 2-3
Student’s Book pages 27-28
GRAMMAR
The Present Continuous
● We use the Present Continuous to talk about what is happening now.
I am baking a cake.
● We use the Present Continuous with always, when we talk about repeated actions, to show annoyance.
Sami and Nabil are always arguing.
The present continuous is made from the present tense of the verb be and the –ing form of a verb:
I am |
working |
You are |
playing |
He is |
talking |
She is |
living |
It is |
eating |
We are |
staying |
They are |
sleeping |
We use the present continuous to talk about:
- activities at the moment of speaking:
Please be quiet. The children are sleeping.
Present continuous questions
We make questions by putting am, is or are in front of the subject:
Are you listening?
Are they coming to your party?
When is she going home?
What am I doing here?
Present continuous negatives
We make negatives by putting not (or n't) after am, is or are:
I'm not doing that.
You aren't listening. (or You're not listening.)
They aren't coming to the party. (or They're not coming to the party.)
She isn't going home until Monday. (or She's not going home until Monday.)
Stative verbs
We do not normally use the continuous with stative verbs. Stative verbs include:
- verbs of thinking and feeling:
believe |
love |
recognise |
understand |
- verbs of the senses:
appear |
look |
smell |
taste |
- others:
agree |
belong |
need |
own |
We normally use the simple instead:
I understand you. (NOT I am understanding you.)
This cake tastes wonderful. (NOT This cake is tasting wonderful.)