Present Continuous - Hiện tại Tiếp diễn

FORM of Present Continuous

The present continuous of any verb is composed of two parts - the present tense of the verb To Be + the present participle of the main verb. To Be (is/am/are) +V-ing.

S + is/am/are + V-ing	I am learning English. He is swimming well. They are watching TV.
S + is/am/are not+ V-ing	I am not learning English. He is not swimming well. They are not watching TV.
Is/Am/Are + S + V-ing ?	Am I learning English? Is he swimming well? Are they watching TV?

The Present Continuous show the actions which are going on in the moment of speaking and for actions taking place only for a short period of time. It is also used to express development and actions that are arranged for the near future.

 

USEs of Present Continuous

1. to describe an action that is going on at this moment.

• You are using the Internet.
• You are studying English grammar.

2. to describe an action that is going on during this period of time or a trend but not actually doing it at the moment of speaking.

• Are you still working for the same company?
• More and more people are becoming vegetarian.

3. to describe an action or event in the future, which has already been planned or prepared.

• We're going on holiday tomorrow.
• I'm meeting my boyfriend tonight.
• Are they visiting you next winter?

4. to describe a temporary event or situation.

• He usually plays the drums, but he's playing bass guitar tonight.
• The weather forecast was good, but it's raining at the moment.

5. to describe and emphasise an irritated continuing series of repeated actions with 'always, forever, constantly'.

• Harry and Sally are always arguing!
• You're forever complaining about your mother-in-law!

 

Forms of Negatives and Questions

In negative sentences, we put not between the form of be and the verb.

In questions, we simply swop the places of subject and the form of be.

 

Exceptions in Spelling

1. A single, silent -e at the end of the word is dropped when adding -ing:

Example: come - coming, delete - deleting, change - changing

• I am coming home.
• You are deleting the file.
• He is changing his money.

But: -ee at the end of the word is not changed

Example: agree - agreeing,

• We are agreeing with your plan.

 

2. The final consonant after a short, stressed vowel is doubled when adding -ing:

Example: sit - sitting, cut - cutting

• They are sitting on the grass.
• She is cutting a piece of paper.

 

3. The letter l as final consonant after a vowel is always doubled when adding -ing.

Example: travel - travelling

• We are travelling around the world.

Note: This applies only for British English; in American English there is usually only one l.

 

4. An -ie at the end of a word becomes -y when adding -ing.

Example: lie - lying

• I am lying in bed.