Part VIII. Grammar

I can use Continuous Active in practice. Present continuous active

We use the Present Continuous:

• for something, that is happening now.

Look! It’s raining.

• for something, that is happening temporarily, not necessarily at the moment of speaking.

My mum’s learning English in the evenings.

• for arrangements in the future.

We are playing tennis tomorrow.

We don’t use the present continuous:

• with the following verbs :like, love, hate, want, need, prefer, know, realize, suppose, mean, understand, believe, remember, belong, contain, consist, depend, seem.

I like this music. (NOT I’m liking this music)

1. DECLARATIVE SENTENCE

 + to be + Ving →I am writing now.

You are reading now.

He/she/it is eating now.

We are going now.

They are talking now.

2. INTERROGATIVE SENTENCE

To be +  + Ving Am I writing now?

Are you reading now?

Is he/she/it eating now?

Are we going now? Are they talking now?

3. NEGATIVE SENTENCE

 + to be +not+Ving

I am not writing now.

You are not reading now.

He/she/it is not eating now.

ADVERBS

(right) now, at the moment

We are not going now.

They are not talking now.

Spelling( V+ing)

1. We add -ing to the end of most verbs

play-playing study – studying

2. If the verb ends in a consonant + e, we usually drop –e and add –ing

write – writing make – making

3. If a verb ends in a short, accented vowel + a consonant, we double a consonant

p – pping tap – tapping

m – mming swim – swimming

g – gging jog – jogging

t – tting cut – cutting

Exercise 22. Put the verbs into the –ing form.

write - enjoy - go - talk - look - make -

try - build - start - study - rain – eat -

Exercise 23. What are these people doing? Use these verbs to complete the sentences.

Exercise 24. Use the words in brackets to complete questions.

1. ……............... this week?’ ‘No, he’s on holiday’. (Colin/work)

2. ‘Why ……............... at me like that? What’s the matter?’ (you/ look)

3. Jenny is a student at university’. ‘Is she? What ……...............?’ (she/study)

4. ‘……............... ……............... to the radio? Or can I turn it off?’ (anybody/listen)

5. How is your English? ……............... better? (it/ get)

Exercise 25. Put the verb into the correct form. Sometimes you need the negative.

1. I’m tired. I ……............... (go) to bed now. Goodnight!

2. We can go out now. It ……............... (rain) any more.

3. ‘How is your new job?’ “Not so good at the moment. I ……............... (enjoy) it very much.’

4. Catherine phoned me last night. She’s on holiday in France. She ……............... (have) a great time.

5. I want to lose weight, so this week I ……................ (eat) lunch.

6. Angela has just started evening classes. She ……............... (learn) German.

7. I think Paul and Ann have had an argument. They ……............... (speak) to each other.

Exercise 26. Tell your partner, what you are going to do tomorrow, next week, this summer etc. Use the Present Continuous.

Example: I’ m visiting my grandmother this summer.