Present Continuous

Стверджувальна форма	Питальна форма	Заперечна форма
I am working	Am I working?	I am not (I’m not) working
You are working	Are you working?	You are not (aren’t) working
He (she, it) is working	Is he (she, it) working?	He (she, it) is not (isn’t) working
We are working	Are we working?	We are not (aren’t) working
They are working	Are they working?	They are not (aren’t) working

 

The Use of the Present Continuous:

a) for actions taking place now, at the moment of speaking.

He is giving the baby a bath at the moment.

b) for temporary actions; that is actions that are going on around now, but not at the actual moment of speaking.

I’m looking for a new job these days.

(He is not looking for a job at the moment of speaking.)

c) with adverbs such as: always, constantly, continually, etc. for actions which happen very often, usually to express annoyance, irritation or anger.

I’m always meeting Sara when I go shopping.

(action which happens very often)

You’re constantly interrupting me when I’m talking. (expressing annoyance/irritation)

d) for actions that we have already arranged to do in the near future, especially when the time and place have been decided.

They’re moving into their new house next week. (The time has been decided.)

e) for changing or developing situations.

More and more species are becoming extinct.

 

The present continuous is used with the following time expressions: now, at the moment, at present, these days, still, nowadays, today, and tonight, etc.

Ex. 1

Read and translate the following sentences. Explain the use of the Present Progressive.

1. Family life is changing rapidly. 2. These days many people are complaining that life is too tough. 3. I can’t understand what he is talking about. 4. He is always coming up with new ideas. 5. Why is your junior son hitting the dog? 6. What are you doing tomorrow evening?

Ex. 2.

Give the form of Participle I of the following verbs and transcribe it.

to ask – to do – to have – to make – to stop – to sleep – to stay – to plough -

to try – to forbid – to limit – to defeat – to cancel – to compel – to see – to be -

to shine – to knock – to slip – to speak – to die – to spy – to travel – to hit -

to live – to leave – to tie – to expel – to give – to commit – to cry – to lie -

 

Ex. 3

Rachel is in the computer room at college. Complete her conversation with Andrew. Put in a present continuous form of the verb.

Andrew: What (►) are you doing? (you / do)

Rachel: (►) I'm writing (I / write) a letter to a friend. He's a disc jockey. Vicky and I (1) (try) to organize a disco.

Andrew: That sounds a lot of work. How (2) (you / find) time for your studies?

Rachel: Well, as I said, Vicky (3) (help) me. (4) (we / get) on all right. (5) (we / not / spend)

too much time on it. (6) (it / not / take) me away from my studies, don't worry about that. Oh, sorry, (7) (you / wait) for this computer?

Andrew: Yes, but there's no hurry.

Rachel: (8) (I / correct) the last bit of the letter. I've nearly finished.

Ex. 4

What can you say in these situations? Add a sentence with the present continuous.

► A friend rings you up in the middle of 'Neighbours', your favourite soap opera. Is it important? I'm watching 'Neighbours'.

1 A friend is at your flat and suggests going out, but you can see rain outside.
I don't want to go out now. Look,

2 A friend rings you up at work.
Sorry, I can't talk now.

You want to get off the bus, but the man next to you is sitting on your coat. Excuse me,

4 A friend wants to talk to you, but you have just started to write an important letter. Can I talk to you later?

You have been ill, but you're better now than you were. I'm OK now.

Ex. 5

Expand one of the sets of notes below to complete each dialogue.

continually/change/mind forever/moan/work forever/ask me/money

constantly/criticize/driving always/complain/handwriting

1. A: I can’t read this. B: You’re …

2. A: Can I borrow £10? B: You’re …

3. A: That was a dangerous thing to do! B: You’re …

4. A: I think I’ll stay here after all. B: You’re …

5. A: I had a bad day at the office again. B: You’re …

Ex. 6

Mary is going on holiday. You should write sentences about her holiday plans. Use the words in brackets and the Present Continuous tense expressing future to write your sentences.

Example:go/Scotland - Mary is going to Scotland.

1. go/with a friend of hers; 2. leave/next Friday; 3. go/by bus; 4. stay/in Scotland for two weeks; 5. visit/the Highlands; 6. stay/in a hotel; 7. attend/the Tattoo Festival in Edinburgh.

Ex. 7

Translate into English.

1. Коли я далеко від дому, то я з нетерпінням чекаю (to long for) того дня, коли повернуся назад. 2. «Ми обговорюємо тебе чи мене?» - запитав він, посміхаючись. 3. – І що ти робиш в Києві? – Я навчаюся в університеті. 4. Набагато більше грошей в тому, що робиш ти, ніж в тому, чим займаюся я. 5. Він подумує про те, щоб переїхати в Канаду. 6. Мій наречений постійно говорить мені про свої почуття! 7. Заспокойся! Ти всіх дратуєш! 8. Я знаю, що ти почуваєш зараз, ми всі почуваємося так саме. 9. - Вони зустрічаються (to see) сьогодні ввечері. – Розумію. 10. Дивись, дівчина на екрані рекламує новий шампунь. 11. – Все залежить від того, як він бачить своє майбутнє. – Так, він нічого не планує. 12. – Подивись, наш сусід знову бігає ранками. – По-моєму він встановлює новий рекорд. Він виглядає змученим. 13. Які це в тебе парфуми (to wear perfume)? Вони дивовижні. 14. Він прекрасна людина. Але сьогодні він просто нестерпний. 15. – Твоя англійська стає все краще і краще. – Так, я займаюся з ранку до ночі.

Ex. 8.

Use the right form of the verb in brackets (Present simple or the present continuous).

1. My aunt often (talk) to herself. Look, Grandpa (talk) to himself. 2.I never (drink) anything with my meals. What you (drink)? — Tonic water. 3. The days (get) longer from January to June. The days (get) longer now. 4. We (go) out a lot in the summer. 5. — What's that terrible noise? — My neighbour (drill) the wall. He (do) it every weekend. 6.I wonder if Kate is on a diet. She (get) thinner and thinner. 7. My house plants (grow) very slowly. 8. She can't come to the phone right now. She (wash) her hair. She (wash) it twice a week. 9. Many people (go) to church on Sundays. Hey, people! Where you (go)? 10. Unemployment (rise) at an alarming rate. Prices (rise) after economic crises. 11. Don't disturb him, he (work). 12. Your husband ever (work) at the weekends? 13. Come in, I not (sleep). 14. He always (come) at the wrong moments. 15. She constantly (talk)! 16. Why you always (chew) something?

Ex. 9

Replace the infinitives in brackets by the Present Indefi­nite or the Present Continuous.

1. Stop smoking! The room (to be) full of smoke which (to come) from your pipe. Usually nobody (tosmoke) in here as mother can't stand it. 2. The woman who (to speak) with my sister in the yard (to be) our neighbour who (to live) across the street. 3. You (to ask) too much of me. I (to be) quite powerless to help you. 4. You (to hear) the speaker well? — Yes, I (to hear) him clearly. I (to listen) very attentively, but still I (not to under­stand) what he (to drive) at. 5. You (to go) in my direction? I can give you a lift. 6. It (to be) a very interesting scientific film. In it you can see how the grass (to grow) and the flowers (tounfold) their petals right before your eyes. 7. I (to look) at the barometer and (to see) that it (tofall). 8. Don't enter the study. Father (to work) there and he (not to like) to be disturbed. 9. You (to see) that woman in the corner? She (to have) her dessert now. As soon as she (to leave), we will occupy the table. 10. Where you (to hurry)? — I (to be) afraid to miss the 2.35. My friend (to come) with it.

Ex. 10

Give answers to the following questions using the Present Continuous or the Present Indefinite.

1. Where are you going this Sunday? — This Sunday..., but usually on Sundays.... 2. When is he coming to see us? — He... Friday night though most often.... 3. The delegation of French physicians is arriving by plane to-night, isn't it?— Yes, it... at the Zhulyany Airport; though foreign delegations, as a rule.... 4. When is the boat from Odessa coming? — It... in half an hour, as it is late to-night, but regularly it... at 8 sharp. 5. When is the night train for Lviv leaving? — It... in half an hour. It... at 15.15 according to the time-table.

Ex. 11

Translate into English using the Present Continuous.

1. В нашому готелі немає вільних номерів, тому що у нас зараз проходить міжнародна конференція з проблем інвестицій. 2. Я не поїду відпочивати в наступному місяці в Іспанію, так як у мене мало грошей. 3. З кожним місяцем наше підприємство працює все краще і краще; з кожним місяцем ростуть і наші прибутки. 4. Невже компанія „Джонсон і Джонсон” збирається купити Мінфарм, збитковий завод медичних препаратів? 5. Завтра вранці Пітер летить у відрядження в Бостон. 6. Начальник відділу не може прийняти вас зараз – у нього в кабінеті дехто містер Грін. 7. Завтра до нас приходять з перевіркою ревізори. 8. – „Що це за бізнес, в який ви вкладаєте стільки грошей?” – „Це виробництво продуктів дитячого харчування, які ми плануємо продавати у фірмових магазинах. Крім того, ми збираємося зайнятися благочинністю.”

Ex. 12

Identify the tenses in bold, then match them with the correct description.

A 1. I am helpingHelen choose her wedding dress on Saturday. 2. Dobats livein caves? 3. Carl isalways interruptingme. 4. She often goes to the gym on Fridays. 5. The evening performance starts at nine o’clock. 6. Bill and Rob are repairingthe cottage roof at the moment. 7. The black car stopsin front of the bank and three suspicious looking men get outof it. 8. The rate of unemployment is decreasing slowly.

B a. timetable or programme   b. fixed arrangement in the near future   c. repeated or habitual action   d. general truth or law of nature   e. expressing annoyance about a frequently repeated action f. action happening at or around the moment of speaking g. changing or developing situation h. sports commentary, review or narration

Ex. 13

Underline the correct tense.

1. More and more people move/are moving to the countryside these days. 2. Sheila works/is working as a costume designer for the local theatre company. 3. Computec holds/is holding a five-day seminar on computers for all its employees next week. 4. Lauren doesn’t leave/isn’t leaving her house before 9 o’clock in the morning. 5. No wonder the phone bills are so high! You always talk/are always talking on the phone! 6. I don’t teach/am not teaching in the evenings at present. 7. Do amphibians live/Are amphibians living both on land and in water? 8. I never go/am never going to that restaurant again! The food was horrible! 9. They prefer/are preferring to go on holiday in spring when the resorts are less crowded. 10. Chris and Helen are having/have a garden party on Sunday afternoon.

Ex. 14

Replace the infinitives in brackets by the Present Indefinite or the Present Continuous.

1. “Miss Dale (to wait) in the hall,” said Vernon. 2. …The old saying came back to him: “A man’s fate (to lie) in his own heart”. 3. “I admit we move freely in two directions. But how about up and down? Gravitation (to limit) us there”. 4. “It (to get) windy,” Davy said in his quiet, solemn way. 5. “I’ll come down when I (to be) ready,” I called. 6. “What you (do)?” – She looked over my shoulder. 7. In England salmon fishing (to open) in January or in February and (to continue) until the end of October. 8. I shall take off the veil if I (to get) too hot. 9. “The man (to be) drunk,” he said quietly. “He (not to know) what he (to say).” 10. The earth (to rotate) on its axe. 11. Fletcher (to pass) to Coles who (to shoot) just over the bar. United (to attack) much more in this half… 12. A man (to come) home late one night after the office Christmas party. His wife (to wait) for him, and she (to say) to him … 13. Now that the rice (to cook) you (to chop up) the carrots and tomatoes and you (to put) them in a dish …

Ex. 15.

Fill in the gaps below with the Present Indefinite or the Present Continuous form of the verbs in the list, as in the example.