Being on time is considered to be very courteous and proper. Because of this, folks who are consistently on time are considered to be very much appreciated and trusted by those around them. However, we may not be aware of appropriate terms that accurately describe these individuals.
What Do You Call Someone Who Is Always On Time?
There are many applicable terms to use when referring to someone who is always or consistently on time. However, for the purposes of this article, we will be discussing the following ten terms:
- Punctual
- Conscientious
- Dutiful
- Prompt
- Timely
- Reliable
- Meticulous
- Scrupulous
- On Schedule
- Sedulous
The preferred version that we will be highlighting in this article is “punctual”. This is because the term “punctual” most accurately depicts someone who is always showing up on time or perhaps even early. We should consider a “punctual” person as someone who respects time commitments or schedules.
Punctual
When we say that someone is “punctual”, we are often meaning to express that they are an individual who always shows up, does something, or completes something at the time that was originally agreed upon. This is why “punctual” most accurately describes a person who is consistently on time.
As we can see, Cambridge Dictionary defines “punctual” as arriving, doing something, or happening at the expected, correct time; not late.
Here are a few examples that highlight the use of this particular term:
- She was known by all of her teachers as being incredibly punctual and polite, which made her parents very proud.
- We are hoping for a very punctual start to the meeting tomorrow morning, so please show up early.
- He is a fairly punctual man, who generally tries to show up on time.
Conscientious
Another great term that can be used to describe someone who is always on time is “conscientious”. We can consider a “conscientious” person to be someone who is generally wanting or wishing to do what is right. Because of this, a “conscientious” person will consistently show up on time.
When looking at Cambridge Dictionary, we can see that “conscientious” is defined as feeling a moral responsibility to do your work carefully and to be fair to others. Therefore, a “conscientious” person will feel obligated to arrive on time, as to meet their commitments and remain fair to others.
The following examples showcase how we can use this term in a sentence:
- She was a conscientious worker, who always worked hard and showed up early.
- He is a very conscientious student, who ensures that he follows through with his commitments.
- Generally, he is conscientious and early to work, as to not delay his coworkers.
Dutiful
The term “dutiful” is another applicable term to use to refer to someone who is always on time. We should consider a “dutiful” person as someone who feels obligated to obediently fulfill their duties or commitments. Therefore, this is someone who shows up early or on time, especially for work.
Cambridge Dictionary defines “dutiful” as doing everything that you should do and getting something done because it is necessary or expected.
Some examples of how we can use this specific term are:
- He is a dutiful employee, and I never have to worry about being late or not finishing his tasks.
- She is a dutiful student that constantly arrives early, so that she may review the day’s lesson plan.
- At our company, we consider a dutiful employee to be one who shows up on time and is ready to work every morning.
Prompt
Another excellent term that we can choose to use to accurately describe someone who shows up on time is “prompt”. We can consider a “prompt” person to be someone who does things immediately or without delay. Therefore, this is someone who adheres to a schedule or commitment.
As shown in Cambridge Dictionary, the term “prompt” is defined as being done quickly and without delay, or acting quickly or arriving at the arranged time.
We can now look over these various examples that show how to appropriately use this term:
- Try and be prompt with your arrival this afternoon, as we have very limited time for the meeting.
- We consider her to be a very prompt employee, as she constantly shows up on time or before we need her to.
- To catch your plane, you must be prompt with your arrival at the airport.
Timely
We can use the term “timely” similarly to our other alternative terms. This is because someone who is a “timely” individual will complete things sufficiently early or on time. A “timely” person also ensures things are completed at a favorable or agreed-upon time.
Looking at Cambridge Dictionary, we can see that “timely” is defined as happening at the best possible moment or given or made available at a suitable moment, especially now.
Here are a few examples that highlight the use of this specific term:
- He consistently arrives to work in a very timely manner, which we hope rubs off on his coworkers.
- Being such a timely gentleman, he made sure to give us all an advanced warning.
- She was always incredibly timely with her responses, never leaving us to wonder what she was thinking.
Reliable
We can consider the term “reliable” to adequately describe someone who always shows up on time. This is because “reliable” is defined as consistently good in quality or performance and able to be trusted. Therefore, we can trust that a “reliable” person will show up on time.
As we can see, Cambridge Dictionary defines “reliable” as someone or something that is reliable can be trusted or believed because he, she, or it works or behaves well in the way you expect.
We will now go over the following examples, each of which includes the use of this term:
- She is a very reliable individual that I can consistently trust to show up when I need her to.
- He was reliable and constant help around the office – I will miss having him as an employee.
- My boyfriend isn’t reliable and I can never trust that he will show up on time.
Meticulous
“Meticulous” is another term that we can choose to utilize when describing someone who is constantly on time. This is because a “meticulous” individual is someone who pays great attention to detail and adheres to their commitments or ensures the precision of their actions, work, etc.
According to Cambridge Dictionary, “meticulous” is defined as being very careful and with great attention to every detail or caring immensely over the importance of all details.
The following examples go over how to appropriately use this term in a sentence:
- Tom is very meticulous with his work travel, ensuring to leave early if he feels he may be late due to traffic.
- He is meticulous about both his appearance at work and the time he arrives in the morning.
- She is meticulous when it comes to keeping to her daily work schedule, as it ensures that she will be home in a timely fashion to spend the evening with her children.
Scrupulous
Another great alternative term that we can use is “scrupulous”. This is because we can think of a “scrupulous” individual as someone who is diligent, thorough and pays immense attention to the smallest details. This makes it so a “scrupulous” individual is very schedule or commitment oriented.
When looking at Cambridge Dictionary, we can see that “scrupulous” is defined as doing everything correctly or exactly as it should be done. Also, being extremely careful to do what is considered right or moral.
Here are a few examples that highlight how “scrupulous” can be used in a sentence:
- She is scrupulous when it comes to living by her schedule and constantly arriving at events slightly early.
- She is detail-oriented and scrupulous, which I believe makes her an excellent employee.
- He is consistently late to work, so I asked him to be stricter and more scrupulous with his schedule.
On-Schedule
“On-schedule” is another alternative term that we can use, that accurately describes someone who will always show up on time. Someone who is always “on schedule” is the type of individual who shows up on time, adheres to the plan, or arrives as expected.
Cambridge Dictionary defines “on-schedule” as not being early or late. Therefore, someone who is “on schedule” arrives exactly at the time they were requested to.
We can now go over these examples, that showcase how to properly use this term:
- Karen is the type of woman that we never have to worry about; she will always arrive on schedule.
- To be on schedule is an important aspect of working for this company and if you can’t comply with that, I don’t see you having much of a future with us.
- My sister is the type of individual who is always on schedule, to the point where it is almost annoying.
Sedulous
The last alternative that we will be going over in this article is “sedulous”. We can consider a “sedulous” person as being someone who shows immense dedication or diligence. Therefore, someone who is “sedulous” will often feel the need to be on time and never arrive late.
As we can see, Cambridge Dictionary defines “sedulous” as being careful and using a lot of effort.
Finally, we will go over our last few examples, all of which highlight the use of this term in a sentence:
- He wanted his bosses to know that he was a sedulous employee, so he showed up to work every day, ten minutes ahead of schedule.
- She was a sedulous individual by nature and would genuinely feel sick if she kept someone waiting.
- I am known for not being reliable or sedulous, so I have been actively working on changing that, by showing up to work early for the last few weeks.
You might also like: 10 Words For Someone Who Is Always Late
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
The idea for the Describing Words engine came when I was building the engine for Related Words (it’s like a thesaurus, but gives you a much broader set of related words, rather than just synonyms). While playing around with word vectors and the «HasProperty» API of conceptnet, I had a bit of fun trying to get the adjectives which commonly describe a word. Eventually I realised that there’s a much better way of doing this: parse books!
Project Gutenberg was the initial corpus, but the parser got greedier and greedier and I ended up feeding it somewhere around 100 gigabytes of text files — mostly fiction, including many contemporary works. The parser simply looks through each book and pulls out the various descriptions of nouns.
Hopefully it’s more than just a novelty and some people will actually find it useful for their writing and brainstorming, but one neat little thing to try is to compare two nouns which are similar, but different in some significant way — for example, gender is interesting: «woman» versus «man» and «boy» versus «girl». On an inital quick analysis it seems that authors of fiction are at least 4x more likely to describe women (as opposed to men) with beauty-related terms (regarding their weight, features and general attractiveness). In fact, «beautiful» is possibly the most widely used adjective for women in all of the world’s literature, which is quite in line with the general unidimensional representation of women in many other media forms. If anyone wants to do further research into this, let me know and I can give you a lot more data (for example, there are about 25000 different entries for «woman» — too many to show here).
The blueness of the results represents their relative frequency. You can hover over an item for a second and the frequency score should pop up. The «uniqueness» sorting is default, and thanks to my Complicated Algorithm™, it orders them by the adjectives’ uniqueness to that particular noun relative to other nouns (it’s actually pretty simple). As you’d expect, you can click the «Sort By Usage Frequency» button to adjectives by their usage frequency for that noun.
Special thanks to the contributors of the open-source mongodb which was used in this project.
Please note that Describing Words uses third party scripts (such as Google Analytics and advertisements) which use cookies. To learn more, see the privacy policy.
Formation and use of Present Continuous time
In English, unlike Russian, there is the concept of a long verb tense, the so-called group tenses Continuous.
Today we will look at how it is formed and used Present continuous — present for a long time in English.
If you are just starting to learn English, pay attention to the article on education and the use of Present Simple.
How Present Continuous is formed
Time structure Present continuous pretty simple.
You must take one of the forms of the verb to be in the present tense, depending on the person, and add the ending –ing to the main verb. For example, I am writeing now. — I’m writing now.
Personal pronouns and the verb to be are often abbreviated: I’m, you’re, he’s, she’s, it’s, we‘re, they‘re:
We‘re making a cake now. — We’re making a cake now.
The table below clearly shows how to form interrogative and negative sentences in the present for a long time.
As you can see, the scheme is simple: if you need to make a negative offer, just put a particle Note after the to be form.
When forming a question, the form of the verb «to be» is placed at the beginning of the sentence (if this is not a special question).
Present Continuous Use Cases
Simple for a long time expresses the action that occurs at the moment of speech.
There are often times in a sentence such as now (now, now) at the moment (At the moment), Right Now (right now) etc.
examples:
- I am listening to music now. — I am listening music now.
- She is cooking dinner at the moment. — At the moment she is preparing dinner.
- They are swimming in the pool right now. — They’re swimming in the pool right now.
- It is snowing outside. — It’s snowing outside (now).
Present Continuous is also used to express a long-term action of what is happening in the present time period, but not necessarily at the moment of speech:
- She is studying at school. — She goes to school. (currently)
- My brother is learning to drive. — My brother is learning to drive.
- I am working on a very important project. — I am working on a very important project.
These are the main points of using Present Continuous time. But let’s take a look at the additional ones as well.
If you need to describe any characteristic features of a person, often with a negative connotation, reproach, use Present continuous:
- She is always shouting at me. — She always yells at me.
- Why are you always making me angry? — Why do you constantly make me angry?
Also, the present is used for a long time to describe a planned action in the future, usually with the verbs of movement:
- We are arriving at 6 pm in Boryspol. — We arrive in Boryspil at 6 pm.
- She is leaving in two hours. — She’s leaving in two hours.
Be careful — verbs related to:
- perception (smell, feel, see, notice)
- emotions (, love, hate)
- processes of mental activity (think, understand, believe)
Source: https://preply.com/blog/2014/12/11/obrazovanie-i-upotreblenie-vremeni-present-continuous/
Examples of English sentences present continuous with translation
Details Karina Galchenko Category: BEGINNER — ELEMENTARY
: May 19, 2015
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Examples of English sentences present continuous — this is what you need in order to understand the use of the present for a long time. The main thing is not to forget about the need to insert the desired to be form after the subject and change the word order in the interrogative sentence. We have already talked about the use cases of the present continuous, so in this article we will move on to practice.
present continuous table with sample questions
| предложения | translation |
| What are your brothers doing at the moment? | What are your brothers doing now? |
| Is she playing tennis now? | Is she playing tennis now? |
| Are you listening to the manager? | Are you listening to the manager? |
| Is it raining outside? | It is raining outside? |
| Are they playing computer games now? | Are they playing computer games now? |
5 examples of denials in the present continuous
| предложения | translation |
| my brothers aren’t watching cartoons now. | My brothers don’t watch cartoons now. |
| She is not playing tennis now. | She doesn’t play tennis now. |
| you aren’t listening to the manager now. | You are not listening to the manager. |
| It is not raining outside. | It doesn’t rain outside. |
| They aren’t playing computer games now. | They don’t play computer games now. |
Affirmative sentences in the present continuous
| предложения | translation |
| my brothers are watching cartoons now. | My brothers are watching cartoons now. |
| She is playing tennis now. | She plays tennis now. |
| you are listening to the manager now. | You’re listening to the manager now. |
| It is raining outside. | It is raining outside. |
| They are playing computer games now. | They are now playing computer games. |
Examples of English sentences present continuous once again reminded us that the main function of this time is to indicate that the action takes place at the moment of speech. This is the main difference between a long time and the usual present, which is designed to report facts and recurring events.
Sign up for our English courses via Skypeand you will no longer confuse the present simple with the present continuous!
Source: https://fluenglish.com/stati/studentam-na-zametku/29-beginner-elementary/255-primery-anglijskikh-predlozhenij-present-continuous-s-perevodom.html
Hello! If you are interested in the rules of education and the use of time Present continuous in English, you’ve come to the right place! I will tell you what the Present Continuous time is, I will explain the nuances of the formation and use of this time, as well as for clarity, I will give many examples.
What is Present Continuous Tense?
Present Continuous Tense is a tense form of the verb that describes actions or states that are ongoing at a given moment of speech. That is, Present Continuous Tense shows actions and states in the process! This is how it differs from the simple present tense (Present Simple Tense).
In Russian, there is no analogue for Present Continuous Tense. It provides only one temporary form for the present, which expresses both the shades of a simple and a long time. Let’s make sure of this with an example:
- Present Continuous: You are speaking Spanish — You speak Spanish. (Meaning that you speak Spanish at the moment.)
- Present Simple: You speak Spanish. — You speak Spanish. (Meaning that you can speak Spanish at all.)
As you can see, in Russian, the same form of the verb conveys different shades of the present tense.
Present Continuous Time
Present Continuous Tense education rules
Present Continuous timing is complex. It is formed using an auxiliary verb to be in Present Simple Tense (am, are, is) and the present participle of the main verb (verb ending in ‑ing).
When forming the present participle (Present Participle), it is important to know the following rules:
- If a verb ends in an unpronounceable –E, then it goes down:
to drivee — driving
to givee — giving
- If the verb ends in a consonant after the stressed syllable, the consonant is doubled:
Source: https://englishfull.ru/grammatika/present-continuous.html
Enjoy learning English online with Puzzle English for free
Present Continuous Tense (or Present Progressive Tense) is translated from English as «present for a long time.» In English speech, it is used along with Present Simple, with the same frequency, and occupies an important place in grammar.
When Present Continuous is used — when it is required to emphasize the duration of the action in the present. The limits of «duration» can be different: the action can continue indefinitely or take a certain period of time — all these are cases of the use of Present Continuous.
Statement
According to the rules of the English language, any sentence is built in a specific order. In affirmative sentences, the subject takes the first place, the predicate — the second. In Present Continuous, the predicate is composed of the auxiliary verb to be and the main (semantic) verb that expresses the action.
To be takes the desired form (am, is, are) depending on the subject, and the main verb takes on the ending -ing.
- Formula: I am + verb-ing Example: I am singing — I am singing.
- Formula: He / She / It is + verb-ing Examples: He is smiling —He is smiling. She is dancing — She is dancing. It is shining — It shines.
- Formula: We / You / They are + verb-ing Examples: We are listening — We are listening. You are reading — you are reading. They are swimming — They swim.
Adding the ending -ing to the verb is a general rule. However, the attachment of the ending can transform the stem of some verbs when forming Present Continuous.
- The verb ends in -e Rule: the last letter is discarded Example: make — making
- The verb ends in -ie Rule: -ie is replaced by -y Example: lie — lying
- Monosyllabic verb ending in a consonant vowel Rule: the last consonant is doubled Example: get — getting
Denial
When Present Continuous is used in negative sentences, the auxiliary and main verb are separated by not.
- Formula: I am not + verb-ing Example: I am not singing — I am not singing.
- Formula: He / She / It is not + verb-ing Examples: He is not smiling — He is not smiling. She is not dancing — She does not dance. It is not shining — It does not shine.
- Formula: We / You / They are not + verb-ing Examples: We are not listening — We are not listening.
You are not reading — You are not reading. They are not swimming — They do not swim.
Question
In cases where Present Continuous is used in interrogative sentences, the auxiliary verb takes the first place, followed by the subject and then the main verb.
- Formula: Am I + verb-ing Example: Am I singing? — I sing?
- Formula: Is He / She / It + verb-ing Examples: Is he smiling? — He smiles? Is she dancing? — She is dancing? Is it shining? — Does it shine?
- Formula: Are We / You / They + verb-ing Examples: Are we listening? — We listen? Are you reading? — You read? Are they swimming? — They are swimming?
Present Continuous — use in typical cases
1. The action takes place right now, at the moment of speech. You can also use the Present construction
Continuous for several actions taking place simultaneously in the present. Marker words: now (now), at the moment (at the moment).
Example: She is eating apple while I am drinking juice — She is eating an apple while I am drinking juice. (two actions are performed simultaneously)
2. The action is stretched out in time and takes place in the present, but is not limited to the present second. It started some time ago and will continue for some time. During this period of time, the designated action is performed.
Marker words: now, currently, these days.
Example: We are moving into a new house — We are moving to a new house. (We are busy with the process of moving and will continue it, but at the time of the speech we are not specifically engaged in this, we are just in a state of moving)
3. The situation is temporary.
Marker words: until (not yet), for (during), during (during).
Example: He is staying in New York for three months — He has been living in New York for three months. (after three months, for some reason, he will leave New York, his term of stay in this city will end; this situation is temporary, he permanently lives, for example, in Moscow, and is in New York for work or in connection with study)
4. The action is evolving or constantly changing, the sentence often contains certain verbs to denote it. The description of the change process is a use case for Present Continuous.
Marker words: get, change, rise, fall, grow, become, start, improve, begin. Example: Your English is getting better — Your English is getting better.
(there is a gradual increase in your English level)
Special Use Cases for Present Continuous
1. The case is planned and will definitely be done in the near future, often with an indication of the time, place or any other details.
Bullet words: this / next week (this / next week), tonight (in the evening), today (today), tomorrow (tomorrow), this / next year (this / next year), this / next weekend (this /next weekend).
Example: Next week we are buying a new car — Next week we are buying a new car. (we have not just decided, but have already chosen the brand of the car and the car dealership where the purchase will be made)
2. We are talking about action in the present, affecting the near future with the use of verbs denoting movement.
Marker words: go, move, leave, start, come, return.
Example: I’m tired. I am going to bed. — I’m tired. I am going to sleep. (right now I feel tired and will go to bed right after I report it)
3. Speech is emotionally colored, the speaker is dissatisfied, annoyed or outraged by something that is constantly happening.
Marker words: all the time (all the time), always (always), constantly (constantly)
Example: You are always interrupting me! — You constantly interrupt me! (you do it all the time and it annoys me)
4. Present Continuous — use cases with state verbs.
Such verbs in English, according to the rules, are not used in the present tense, since they denote feelings, mental processes that have no time limits — these verbs express rather a state than an action.
However, if the meaning of such a verb you need is a specific action that has a beginning and an end, then the phrase can be built according to the Present Continuous formula.
Marker words: to love, to feel, to wish, to think, to see, to look, to smell, to have ) other
Examples: The steak tastes good. — This steak tastes great. (This recipe’s steak is always delicious) The chef is tasting the steak. — The cook tastes the steak. (he does it this second)
The use of Present Continuous in difficult cases
1. We are talking about something new with opposition to the old.
Example: He has left university, now he is working with his friend — He dropped out of university and now works with his friend.
2. We are talking about the unusual behavior of a certain person, he suddenly began to behave differently than before.
Example: She is eating too much — She eats too much. (before that she did not have such a good appetite)
3. Present Continuous is used in subordinate clauses after conjunctions. The sentence speaks of two actions, one of which is single or «short» (Present Simple), the second is long (Present Continuous). For an action that takes place “in the background”, use Present Continuous, and for an event that interrupts it, Present Simple.
Marker words: as long as (while), when (when), in case (if), if (if), while (while), unless (not yet).
Example: I try not to make noise in case my daughter is reading her book — I try not to make noise when my daughter is reading.
Source: https://puzzle-english.com/directory/present-continuous
Present Continuous (I am doing)
Present continuous (Present Progressive) is a real long (continued) time in English.
Key words for understanding time Present continuous — THE PROCESS IS GOING ON! Those. some process has begun, is underway and is not yet finished.
The action takes place now — during a conversation, in the present, close to the present time. But the main thing is that the process is underway, we are in the process, and it is not finished yet.
| I am | I’m | doing |
| He / She / It | He’s / She’s / It’s | reading |
| We / You / They | We’re / You’re / They’re | laughing |
Everything seems to be simple — time Present continuous applies when the action is happening now! But there are some nuances that we will now consider.
1. I am doing something right now
Those. at the time when I talk about it.
I am in the process of doing, and the action is not over yet.
Example.
I’m going. — I’m going. I’m reading. — I am reading.
I’m working — I’m working.
And I do all this NOW! Those. I started doing something, continue at the moment, and have not finished yet! The process is underway! Everything is clear and simple here.
2. I am doing something currently, but not right now.
Those. I am doing something not during the conversation, but the action is in progress.
Example.
I’m learning English because I’d to visit Great Britain.
I am (now) learning English because I would like to visit the UK.
Those. I am not learning English right during a conversation, but now, now. I am in the process of learning and this process is not over yet.
3. I am doing something around the present time. Not quite NOW, but not far from there
Let’s say today, or tonight, or this week.
Example.
I’m going to cinema this weekend. On weekends, I go to the movies.
We speak Russian like that, don’t we?
Source: http://www.dinternal.com.ua/grammar/present-tense/present-continuous/
Present Continuous — rules and examples of use in English
Present continuous — this is the present for a long time in the English language, its main meaning is a long-term action taking place at the moment. Unlike Past Simple, it expresses precisely a long-term action, that is, an action that happened, and did not happen.
:
Present Continuous education scheme: rules and examples
Consider how a long present tense is formed in an affirmative, negative and interrogative sentence.
1. Affirmative: I am talking
In the affirmative form, Present Continuous is formed using the verb tobe and the verb ending —ing (present participle), but only the verb changes tobe… Examples are given in the table:
SingularPlural
| 1 person | I am talking | We are talking |
| 2 person | you are talking | you are talking |
| 3 person | He / She / It is talking | They are talking |
In colloquial speech, the pronoun is usually merged (contracted) with the verb to be: I’m, you’re, he’s, she’s, it’s, we’re, you’re, they’re.
Sample sentences:
He is watching TV. — He’s watching TV.
my dog is playing with my cat. — My dog is playing with a cat.
I am doing dishes — I wash the dishes.
She is working out — She trains (goes in for sports).
2. Negative form: I am not talking
Negation is built with a particle Note — add it after the verb to be
SingularPlural
| 1 person | I am not talking | We are not talking |
| 2 person | you are not talking | you are not talking |
| 3 person | He / She / It is not talking | They are not talking |
Possible abbreviations: I’m not, you’re not (you aren’t), he she it’s not (he she it isn’t), we’re not (we aren’t), they’re not (they aren’t).
Sample sentences:
I am not running, I am walking — I am not running, I am walking.
She isn’t cooking — She doesn’t cook.
No, I’m not sleeping, thanks for asking. — No, I’m not sleeping, thanks for asking.
Someone is hiding in the barn. — Someone is hiding in the barn.
2. Interrogative form: Am I talking?
To build an interrogative form, you need an auxiliary verb tobe put before the subject.
SingularPlural
| 1 person | Am I talking? | Are we talking? |
| 2 person | Are you talking? | Are you talking? |
| 3 person | Is he / she / it talking? | Are they talking? |
examples:
Are you talking to me? — Are you talking to me?
Is this device working properly? — Is this device working correctly?
Are you kidding? — Are you kidding?
Present Continuous Meaning: When is a long idle time used?
Present Continuous is used in the following cases.
- Long-term action takes place now, that is, at the time of speech.
Sample sentences:
I am going to a swimming pool. — I’m going to the pool (going now).
I am working… — I’m working (at the moment).
Compare how the meaning will change if the verb is in Present Simple:
I go to a swimming pool. — I go to the pool (in general, regularly, and not at the moment).
I work… — I’m working (not at the moment).
- Long-term action takes place in the present time period.
That is, not literally now, in this second, but in a wider period of time, for example, during this day, this month.
examples:
I am reading the book «War and Peace». — I am reading the book «War and Peace» (not at the moment, the book is in the process of reading).
He is writing a new song. — He’s writing a new song (not right now, but at some real time).
- To express an action that will take place in the near future.
That is, to express the intention to take this action or the confidence that it will surely happen.
you are going with me — you go with me (meaning: you go with me).
I am leaving the town in 24 hours — I leave the city in 24 hours (leave).
- A repetitive action with a negative connotation.
This case is rarely mentioned in educational literature, but it should be mentioned because it is typical for colloquial speech. Present Continuous with words like always, constantly (meaning “constantly”, “all the time”) expresses some unpleasant, annoying action that happens regularly.
He is constantly talking… I hate it. — He talks constantly. I hate it.
I don’t them because they are always complaining… — I don’t like them because they constantly complain.
In essence, the meaning is obtained as in Present Simple — a repetitive regular action, but here we are talking about an annoying, unpleasant action.
Verbs that are not used in Present Continuous
Some verbs expressing perception, feelings, emotional state are not used (as a rule) in Continuous tenses, because they cannot express a long-term action. These include verbs:
- see — see,
- hear — hear,
- feel — feel,
- Know — know,
- understand — understand,
- want — to want,
- — like,
- love — be in love,
- hate — to hate,
- wish — to wish.
- and others.
For example, they don’t say “I’m understanding it”, meaning something like “I understand it at the moment”. They say simply: “I understand it”. Read more about this in the article: «What verbs are not used in Continuous?»
Present Continuous lesson and exercises
Exercises on the topic can be found here: “Present Continuous Exercises with Answers and Translation”. I also took apart the Present Continuous topic in this video:
Source: https://langformula.ru/english-grammar/present-continuous/
Present continuous:
«Grammar» The Times » Present Continuous: «right now» and 2.5 more use cases
Present continuous is the first time an English learner starts to get confused. If everything is more or less clear with the present, past and future — these three tenses are found in almost all languages, then why do we need Present Continuous — another present?
If you are asking the same question, get ready for big shocks — there are at least 12 times in English (or even more, as you count), and most of them have no analogues in Russian. But I hope that readers of englishexplained.ru will not be surprised by the number of times in English, especially since the idea in Present Continuous is quite simple.
continuous vs progressive
But before starting to list the main use cases, a small digression for meticulous readers. Present Continuous (in textbooks with translation you can see «present continued» or «present long») is sometimes called Present Progressive. In English, they are exactly the same thing.
The remark «in English» probably did not escape the eye of more meticulous readers. In oriental languages, for example, in Chinese (Mandarin), this is not the same thing — «doing something at this moment», for example, putting on a shirt is one time (Progressive), but «being in some state» for example, wearing a shirt is another thing (Continuous).
And since we started talking about continuous in other languages, I will add that in many European languages there is no analogue for continuous at all. Yes, there is a construction in Italian and Spanish for what is being done “right now,” but it is used much less often than in English. In French and German, there is no grammatical way at all to show that the action is happening «right now.»
But what to go far — the same in Russian: to emphasize that I am doing something «right now», you have to say so — «I am reading the article right now», or you have to guess about it from the context «milk on the stove runs away [precisely at this moment, and not in general in life] «
In English, the difference between “in general” and “right now” can be expressed grammatically — and that’s what we’ll talk about.
How Present Continuous is formed
The formula for the formation of Present Continuous is as follows: we take the verb to be, put it in the desired form, as in the simple present (am, are, is) and add the verb we need in the –ing form to it. Here are some examples.
I am reading a book. I’m reading a book.
You are watching the TV show. You are watching a TV show.
My girlfriend is chatting with her friends, while I’m doing her homework. My girlfriend talks to her friends while I do her homework for her.
The verb to be in this construction is called the auxiliary verb. (This will come in handy when we parse negative sentences or learn to ask questions.)
When and how to use Present Continuous
We figured out how Present Continuous looks, now the most interesting thing is how to use it. Here are the three most common cases.
1. The action really takes place «at this very moment»
That literally happens, the moment you utter the phrase, at the same time.
Right now I am reading an article on englishexplained.ru — this is what readers of this article can say about themselves in Present Continuous right now.
What are you doing? What are you doing? Right now, when I look at you and ask — what are you doing at this moment.
I’m singing in the rain, just singing in the rain. I can feel the drops falling on my head, but I do not stop singing, as the hero of a classic Hollywood film did.
2. The action takes place in a broader «now», not far from the current moment
If the «now» in which the action takes place is not just this second, but this minute, this day, year, but what can we say on trifles — even a century, then this is also a case of using Present Continuous.
I’m reading «Lord of the Rings» now. I am currently reading The Lord of the Rings. To say so, it is not necessary to hold in your hands a weighty volume of Tolkien, and even not to take your eyes off the lines for a second. Present Continuous in this case is rather “these days” (or even “months” — the book is very long).
What are you working on now? What are you working on now? In general, what projects and tasks are you working on these days / months / years? And at the same time, your interlocutor is not at all obliged to hold tools in his hands or sit at a computer.
Our galaxy, Milky Way is heading for a collision with our neighbor, Andromeda galaxy. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is about to collide with the neighboring galaxy Andromeda. And the fact that there is still 4 billion years left before the collision does not at all prevent the use of Present Continuous here.
Present Continuous vs Present Simple
If this is “now”, so extensible, then how is it different in principle from Present Simple? I live in Russia or I’m living in Russia? After all, I live in Russia at the moment?
The answer to this question depends on you, on what you want to say. This is something permanent, which is unlikely to change in some foreseeable future — then Present Simple, “I live in Russia”. And if you want to emphasize that this is just one of the few states through which you go through, and the situation may soon change — then I’m living in Russia [now].
Here are some more examples. Please note that Present Simple is used for permanent states, Present Continuous for temporary ones.
Normally I don’t smoke, but I’m having a cigarette now, because I’m very nervous. I don’t smoke at all, but now I am with a cigarette, because I’m very worried.
The weather is nice today, so I’m walking home. Usually I use subway. Today the weather is great and I am walking home. Usually I take the subway.
My friend lives in America. This weekend she is staying in my place. My friend lives in America. This weekend he will be staying with me.
There is one more important point — words denoting states (for example, need,) are not used at all in Present Continuous. Such verbs in English are called stative verbs, verbs of the state. This is a separate big topic, so we will consider it in a separate article. For now, let’s move on to the next use case for Present Continuous.
3. Plans for the near future
That is, how — the time that we use to describe the present moment, can be used for the future? Does this cause confusion among those who speak English?
I agree, it sounds strange. But, firstly, with this use of Present Continuous, the future tense is obvious to the participants in the conversation — by mentioning tomorrow, next week, in the future. Secondly, I will repeat the same argument that I used in the article about Present Simple — we use exactly the same construction in Russian. Tomorrow I’m going to visit (instead of going). Next year I am going to university (instead of going).
Are you coming to the party tomorrow? — I can’t. This Friday I’m taking an exam, I need to study. Going to tomorrow’s party? — I can’t, I’m taking the exam on Friday, I have to study.
Have you forgotten that Present Simple has the same «double role»? I can imagine your confusion: Present Simple can be used to talk about the future, now Present Continuous can be used to talk about the future What, English times are not paid enough at the main place of work and they occasionally «trash» in neighboring areas?
Let’s try to sort out this confusion as well. Use Present Simple for the future when it comes to events that happen regularly, on a schedule. Present Continuous — for something irregular, but planned now.
Train for Manchester leaves the station at 7 am. The train to Manchester leaves at 7 am (meaning that this happens every day).
I am leaving for Liverpool in the morning. In the morning I go to Liverpool (and judging by this proposal, I do not do it every day).
One more case. Present Continuous and Irritation
And here is the «half case» I mentioned in the title — irritation. «Half the case» — because this is not the most common use of Present Continuous. For beginners, I think you should get comfortable with the previous three. But for those who have been studying English for a long time, Present Continuous will help to gracefully express irritation. All you need to do is add words like always, constantly, all the time:
Source: https://englishexplained.ru/present-continuous/
Present continuous tense
Remember, at school, in the third grade, the English teacher showed you pictures in which people were busy with various useful things, and asked in English: «What is he doing?». And you answered, «He is reading,» «He is helping mom,» or «He is building a birdhouse.» This is where the acquaintance with Present Continuous ended for many of us.
Present continuous, or the present for a long time, one of the basic tenses of the English language, starting from which, you will build your system of tenses.
First, we will look at how the forms of this time are formed.
To form a statement, we need two components: the auxiliary verb to be (am / is / are — depending on the subject) and the verb with the ending -ING.
| Statement | ||
| I | am | Ving: working.reading.playing. |
| He / she / it | is | |
| We/you/they | are |
| Denial | ||||
| I | am | NOT | (I’m not) | Ving: working.reading.playing. |
| He / she / it | is | (isn’t) | ||
| We/you/they | are | (aren’t) |
| General question | |||
| Am | I | Ving: workingreadingplaying | ? |
| Is | he / she / it | ||
| Are | we/you/they |
| Information (special) question | ||||
| WhatWhereWhy | am | I | Ving: workingreadingplaying | ? |
| is | he / she / it | |||
| are | we/you/they |
* informational question with the word When? is not specified in Present Continuous, since the form to be + Ving itself indicates that the action takes place at the moment of speech, therefore, the question of time does not make sense.
In all tenses of the Continuous group and in all types of utterances, there is an auxiliary verb to be and a semantic verb with the ending -ING.
How an ending is added -ING to verbs? When this ending is added to the verb, the spelling of the verb changes. There are several rules to remember:
| 1. | look — looking | For most verbs that end in a consonant after two vowels or two consonants, the ending is added unchanged | help — helpingspeak — speakingpoint — pointing |
| 2. | take — taking | If the verb ends in a dumb E, then it drops out and the ending ING is added | close — closingwrite — writingcome — coming |
| 3. | try — trying | For verbs that end in Y, the ending is added unchanged | cry — cryingstudy — studyingcopy — copying |
| 4. | stop — stopping | If the verb ends in a closed stressed syllable, then the final consonant is doubled | plan — planningget — gettingput — putting |
| 5. | travel — traveling | Verbs that end in L preceded by a vowel double L when the ending is added. This rule applies to British English; American English does not double L. | quarrel — quarrellingmarvel — marvellingmodel — modeling |
| 6. | star — starring | If the verb ends in R in a stressed syllable, then R is doubled | prefer — preferringstir — stirring |
| 7. | Exceptions | There are a number of exceptions to remember | lie — lyingdie — dyingtie — tyingage — ageingski — skiingsee — seeingagree — agreeing |
Now let’s look at the use cases Present continuous.
1. The action that occurs at the time of speech. (Action in progress at the moment of speaking)
Present Continuous serves to express the action that occurs at the moment of speech, often before our eyes, that is, we can observe the process.
At the time of speech, the following time indicators indicate: now (now), at the moment (at present), still (still). The time indicators now and at the moment may not be used, because the form to be + Ving itself indicates that the action is taking place right now, at the moment of speech.
In addition, words used to attract attention (look, listen, be careful, etc.) indicate that the action is taking place at the time of speech.
Look! She is dancing! — Look! She is dancing! Jim is still doing his homework. — Jim is still doing his homework.
Be careful! The ladder is falling! — Carefully! The stairs are falling!
2. Temporary actions and states
States are such actions that seem to be in the process at the time of speech, but we cannot see them. For example: live, work, study.
Using Present Continuous in this sense, you are kind of saying, “I’m doing this now, but this is temporary, I don’t usually do it. When the action is over, everything will return to its place. «
Pointers: today, this week, these days, tonight, at present.
I’m living at my friend’s while my flat is being redecorated. — I live with a friend while my apartment is being renovated. (This is a temporary action, the renovation will end and I will return to my apartment) He s science fiction but this month he is reading historical novels as it’s the topic of this month. “He loves science fiction, but he is reading historical novels this month, because that’s the topic of this month. (The action is temporary, the topic will end and he will read science fiction again)
She is working as a secretary these days. — She is currently working as a secretary. (This is a fickle job)
3. Changing or developing situations
If you observe any process and see the changes taking place, then you should use Present Continuous. Often used with paired adjectives in a comparative degree: more and more, better and better.
It is becoming сolder and colder. — It’s getting colder and colder. The flowers are becoming more and more beautiful. — Flowers are becoming more and more beautiful.
It is getting hotter. I will have a break. — It’s getting hotter. I’ll take a break.
4. Plans and agreements. (Arrangements)
Present Continuous also has future significance. It can indicate personal plans and agreements assigned for the near future. Often with place and time markers. In Russian, we use the present tense in the same way to express the future action that we have planned:
Mr. Smith is leaving tomorrow at 11.00. — Mr. Smith leaves tomorrow at 11.00:XNUMX. I am taking my exam tomorrow so I am studying tonight. “I’m taking my exam tomorrow, so I’m studying tonight.
We are meeting the manager tomorrow at 10 o’clock. — We will meet with the manager tomorrow at 10 o’clock.
5. At the beginning of the story to create an atmosphere. (Setting the scene)
If you are going to tell a story, you can use Present Continuous to create a setting, to give the audience an opportunity to imagine the situation. You can apply the word Imagine (Imagine).
Present Simple is used to describe the main events.
He is walking through the dark forest. It is raining and the wind is blowing. — He walks through a dark forest. The rain is falling and the wind is blowing.
Imagine: you are in the garden. The sun is shining and the birds are singing. — Imagine: you are in the garden. The sun is shining and the birds are singing.
Always is considered a typical Present Simple indicator, but this adverb can be used with Present Continuous to express an action that is repeated too often: constantly, all the time. Such actions either annoy us or surprise us.
But always, can be used constantly и continuously.
My sister is always leaving her dirty dishes on the table. — My sister constantly leaves dirty dishes on the table. You are constantly interrupting me! — You interrupt me all the time!
I am always meeting you in this shop. — I meet you all the time in this store.
Present continuous can be used only with action verbs
Source: https://enginform.com/article/present-continuous-tense
Present Continuous
Present Continuous (Progressive) is formed with an auxiliary verb to be in the present indefinite time and present participles (Present Participle) of the main verb.
| Number | Face | Affirmative | Negative | Interrogative |
| един | 1 | I am holding | I am not holding | Am I holding? |
| 3 | He / she / it is holding | He / she / it is not holding | Is he / she / it holding? | |
| multiply | 1 | We are holding | We are not holding | Are we holding? |
| 2 | you are holding | You are not holding | Are you holding? | |
| 3 | They are holding | They are not holding | Are they holding? |
To build negation in Present Continuous, you need to put a particle –Notbetween the auxiliary and the main verb
В interrogative form the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject, and the present participle (Present Participle) of the main verb is placed after the subject
Present Continuous is used:
1) to express a prolonged action taking place at the time of speech:
What are you watching now? — What are you watching now
I ‘m writing a letter — I am writing a letter
— Where is John? — Where is John?
— He is repairing his car in the garage — He fixes his car in the garage
The moment of speech can be expressed by the following adverbs or phrases: at the moment, now, at present, etc., and can be clear from context.
2) to express an action or state that lasts for a present period of time, but not necessarily related to the moment of speech:
I am studying Italian — I am learning Italian
Where are you staying? I ‘m staying at my friend’s — Where are you staying? I stayed with my friends
I hope you are enjoying your win. — I hope you enjoy your victory
We are building two new stores on this street — We are building 2 new stores on this street
This differs this tense from Present Indefinite, which expresses an action or state as usual or characteristic of the subject. For example:
We built any type buildings and individual houses — We build various buildings and residential buildings (meaning this activity of our company)
3) to express future action (in this sense, the use of verbs such as — to come, to leave, to stay, to call and — expressions to have guests; to give a party, etc. is typical):
When are you coming to see us? — When will you visit us?
She is giving two lessons tomorrow. — She gives two lessons tomorrow
They are going to the theater this afternoon. — They will go to the theater in the afternoon
We ‘re-buying a new car soon. — We are going to buy a new car soon.
4) to express the idea that some repetitive actions cause irritation, dislike; in this case, the verb is accompanied by the adverbs always, constantly, all the time, etc.:
You ‘re always coming late! — You are always late
Source: https://englishart.ru/present-continuous-tense-nastoyashchee-dlitelnoe-vremya/
Present Continuous — present continuous tense in English
Present continuous tense Present Continuous (sometimes also called Present Progressive) is formed as follows:
Subject + am / is / are + Verbing
Rules for adding the ending -ing
- Most often, an ending is simply added to the verb –Ing:
work — working
- If the word ends in -E, then the last letter is removed:
take — taking
- If the word ends in a short stressed vowel + consonant, then the last consonant is doubled:
run — running
- If the word ends in –Ie, then this letter combination is transformed into –Y–:
lie — lying
Formation of negation (short form)
| I | ‘m not | working |
| He / she / it | is not | |
| We / you / they | aren’t |
Present Continuous Times
1. The action taking place at the time of speech:
James is reading a book now. — James now is reading a book.
2. Action taking place at the present time, but not specifically at the moment of speech:
Alex is learning to drive. — Alex is learning drive.
(That is, at the moment he may be busy with something else, but the process of learning to drive has already started and continues).
3. To describe temporary situations in the present:
Maggie usually works 9 to 5, but this week she is working 9 to 8. — Usually Maggie works from 9 to 5, but this week it works with 9 to 8.
(The situation is only this week).
4.With the word always to express criticism or disapproval:
Source: https://www.start2study.ru/english-grammar/present-continuous/
7 features of using Present Continuous time
The events taking place before our eyes require Present Continuous time. But in what cases is this English verb tense used? Learn 7 simple nuances of its use.
Present Continuous Tense (or Present Progressive Tense, in Russian: present long or present continuous tense of the verb) in English mainly describes the events that occur at the time of speech. However, this interesting and frequently used verb tense has a number of other useful features. Let’s find out more about Present Continuous.
Present Continuous is formed using the verb to be in the present tense and the main verb with the ending -ing (present participle):
When the action takes place directly at the moment of speech
- The baby is crying. Pick him up. — The baby is crying. Take him in your arms.
- I’m working right now. Call me an hour later. — At the moment I am working. Call me back in an hour.
When the action lasts for a limited period of time
- Robert is on vacation. He’s hitchhiking. — Robert is on vacation. He hitchhikers.
- She is staying in London for a couple of weeks. “She will be in London for a couple of weeks.
When the new state contrasts with the previous one
- Most women aren’t staying home these days. — Nowadays, most women do not stay at home.
- Young people are listening to all sorts of music. — Young people listen to a variety of music.
When something changes, grows or develops
- Your son is growing quickly. — Your son is growing fast.
- Life is changing fast. — Life is changing rapidly.
When the action starts before and continues after the specified time
- At nine o’clock they are usually having breakfast. “They usually have breakfast at nine.
- When she gets home from work, her children are already sleeping. — When she gets home after work, her children are already asleep.
When an action is repeated over and over or occurs continuously
- You are always losing your keys. — You always lose your keys.
- Venice is constantly sinking. — Venice continues to go under water.
Note: in this case, the adverbs always or constantly are usually used.
Present Continuous time can be used to indicate the future
The present continuous tense can be used to indicate agreements and planned actions in the future:
- I’m going to the dentist tomorrow. — Tomorrow I’m going to the dentist.
- Are you coming with us on Sunday? — Are you coming with us on Sunday?
Present Continuous can be used when talking about past events
The present extended tense is also perfect for describing a story that happened to someone, the plot of a book, film or theatrical play.
Listen to a story about present continuous tense in English (with English subtitles):
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We read further:
Present Simple (or Present Indefinite, present indefinite)
Present Perfect Continuous (or Present Perfect Progressive, present perfect for a long time)
All tenses of the verb in English
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Present Continuous in English: Education and Use
The tenses of the English language Present Simple and Present Continuous are the most used ways to express actions in the present. However, everything is not so simple with Present Continuous time as it might seem at first glance.
Never become an expert who has stopped learning. Consider your life as a long educational process.
~ Denis Waitley
Present Continuous / Progressive describes events that are reliable at the time of the conversation, but which can change at any time. Moreover, Present Continuous can also convey future actions.
In this article we will tell you how Present Continuous is used, how it differs from other times and when it should be used.
Present Continuous tense in English
Everything that is happening now or is related to the present, which is relevant, but which can change, is transmitted using Present Continuous time.
Present continuous tense, or as it is often called Present Progressive Tense, is translated into Russian as the present long or present continuous tense of the verb. As it is already clear from the name itself, this time shows the duration, the process of action that occurs at the moment of speech.
The formation of the Present Long-term action takes place according to completely different rules than the formation of the Present Simple time.
Formation of the affirmative form Present Continuous
Present Long Tense Formation Support Table in English
Let’s first get acquainted with the fact how Present Continuous Tense is formed… It refers to compound tenses, since even in affirmative sentences it consists of an auxiliary and a main verb.
An auxiliary verb for the present for a long time is the verb to be in the present tense, or rather its forms am, is, are. The ending -ing is added to the main verb, which will denote the action being performed.
To form an affirmative sentence in Present Continuous, use one of the verb forms be (am / is / are) and the main verb with the ending -ing.
It is important to remember that the auxiliary verb to be always agrees with the subject, that is, its form am / is / are must correspond to the number and person of the subject. Let’s consider in more detail in examples:
- I am reading a book (Rus. I am reading a book): I — subject, am — auxiliary verb (consistent with the subject), reading — the main verb (inconsistent with the subject, frozen form).
- He is working as a secretary now (Russian. He is now working as a secretary): he is the subject, is is an auxiliary verb (agrees with the subject), working is the main verb (does not agree with the subject, the frozen form)
- Hey, you are eating my ice-cream (Russian Hey, you eat my ice cream): you — subject, are — auxiliary verb (consistent with the subject), eating — main verb (inconsistent with the subject, frozen form)
Examples of affirmative sentences in Present Continuous with translation:
Sample sentencesRussian translation
| He’s still doing his homework in the classroom. | He is still doing his homework in class. |
| They’re sleeping at the moment. | They are already (now) asleep. |
| We are working right now. | We are working now. |
| look! Children are playing and laughing. | Look! Children play games and laugh. |
| We’re going to the country in summer. | We will go out of town in the summer. |
| The sun is shining in the sky. | The sun is shining in the sky. (= It’s sunny now) |
In colloquial speech, are often used abbreviated forms of the linking verb to be: I’m, You’re, He’s / She’s / It’s, etc.
If there are homogeneous predicates in a sentence, then the linking verb to be is usually omitted, for example:
James and Sally are spending the evening together, watching a new video.
Rules for adding the ending -ing to Present Continuous
Reference table adding the ending -ing to form a Present Continuous.
When forming Present Continuous Tense, as a general rule, we add the ending — ing to the verb. However, there are a number of verbs that require a little transformation when adding such an ending.
Consider basic rules for adding the ending -ing for Present Continuous education.
Rule № 1
If the verb ends in ththen this final vowel is omitted:
make — making, drive — driving
Rule № 2
If the verb consists of 1 syllable and ends with 1 vowel and 1 consonant, then the consonant is doubled:
Source: https://ienglish.ru/blog/grammatika-angliiskogo-iazika/vremena-angliiskogo-glagola/904-present-continuous-v-angliiskom
Present long (continued) tense in English. Present Continuous Tense (Present Progressive Tense)
Exercises on the topic:
An entry-level lesson «Present Continuous narrative sentences»
An entry-level lesson «negative Present Continuous sentences»
An entry-level lesson «Present Continuous interrogative sentences»
Errors when using Present Continuous time
Present Continuous way of education
am / is / are + present participle
For example:
you are watching TV.
You watching television.
Are you watching TV?
You watching television?
you are not watching TV.
You don’t look television.
Present Continuous Verb Conjugation
| Number | Face | Positive form | negative form | Interrogative form |
| one. | 1 | I am speaking. | I am not speaking. | Am I speaking? |
| 2 | you are speaking. | you are not speaking. | Are you speaking? | |
| 3 | He is speaking.she is speaking.It is speaking. | He is not speaking.she is not speaking.It is not speaking. | Is he speaking?Is she speaking?Is it speaking? | |
| pl. | 1 | you are speaking. | you are not speaking. | Are you speaking? |
| 2 | We are speaking. | We are not speaking. | Are we speaking? | |
| 3 | They are speaking. | They are not speaking. | Are they speaking? |
Education rules «-Ing» -forms the verb and the changes that occur in writing, see the section on the present participle.
Present Continuous. Present long time
Present Continuous used when we talk about actions in the process taking place right now, at the moment of speech.
I am reading now. — I am reading now.
The action takes place (lasts) now, at the moment of speech.
He is currently working. — He is working at the moment.
The action is taking place at the moment, it is in the process.
To form Present Continuous, the auxiliary verb be is used in the present tense (these are the forms am / is / are ) and a verb (semantic) with the ending -ing:
am / is / are + verb-ing
Questions
For the formation of interrogative sentences am / is /are before the subject:
Am I reading? — I am reading?
Is he reading? — He reads?
Is she reading? — She reads?
Are we reading? — We reading?
Are you reading? — You read? / You are reading?
Are they reading? — They are reading?
If the question starts with an interrogative word (what? Why? Where? How?), Then this interrogative word is placed before the auxiliary verb:
What are you reading? — What are you reading?
What is he reading? — What is he reading?
About the rules for adding to verbs endings -ing read here.
Actions taking place at the time of speech
Actions that take place right now, at the time of speech. In this basic meaning, Present Continuous is often used with the words: now (now), at the moment (At the moment).
He is watching TV now. — He’s watching TV now.
the children are walking in the park at the moment. — At the moment, children are walking in the park.
Activities spanning a period of time in the present
In this case, now (now) can mean «this month, today, this week, etc.» , that is, you do something during this period of time, this is a long process.
Source: https://myefe.ru/reference/verbs/tenses/present-continuous
Present Continuous — present for a long time
Group times Continuous indicate a process, an action that continues at a certain moment in the past, present or future.
Sally is doing her homework at the moment.
Sally is doing her homework right now.
Dad and me are fishing now.
Dad and I are fishing right now.
Time Present continuous usually indicates a process that continues immediately at the time of speech. This can be indicated by context or words such as:
now — now
at the moment — at the moment
etc.
Present Continuous Education
Affirmative suggestions:
| I am playing | We are playing |
| You are playing | You are playing |
| He/she/it is playing | They are playing |
Interrogative sentences:
| Am I playing? | Are we playing? |
| Are you playing? | Are you playing? |
| Is he/she/it playing? | Are they playing? |
Negative suggestions:
| I am not playing | We are not playing |
| You are not playing | You are not playing |
| He/she/it is not playing | They are not playing |
To put a verb in the tense form Present continuous, auxiliary verb required to be in the present tense and the present participle (Participle I) of the semantic verb.
To be in the present tense has three forms:
- am — 1 person, unit h. (I am shaving.)
- is — 3rd person, unit. h. (He is reading.)
- are — 2 person unit h. and all forms of pl. h. (They are sleeping.)
Personal pronouns and auxiliary verbs are often shortened to I’m, he’s, she’s, it’s, we’re, you’re, they’re.
The present participle (Participle I) can be obtained by adding the ending to the initial form of a significant verb -ing:
jump — jumping
live — living
В interrogative sentence the auxiliary verb is placed in front of the subject, and the significant verb remains after it:
Why are you laughing?
Why are you laughing?
Are you using this dictionary?
Are you using this dictionary?
В negative sentences the auxiliary verb is followed by a negative particle Note… Forms is и are at the same time can be reduced to is not и aren’t respectively.
She is not standing.
She’s not worth it.
Radio isn’t working.
The radio does not work.
Present Continuous Use Cases
- An indication of the process taking place directly at the time of the conversation:
the doctor is leading an operation now.
The doctor is now performing an operation.
Jack is talking on the phone at the moment.
Jack is currently on the phone.
- An action in the process of its development, but not necessarily occurring at the time of the conversation:
Are you still working in London?
Are you still working in London?
Chicago police are investigating the case.
Chicago police are investigating the case.
- Describing repetitive actions using words always, constantly, forever… As a rule, this refers to the characteristic properties and behavior of people, often with a negative connotation:
Why are you always interrupting people?
Why are you always interrupting people?
He is constantly Complaining about his brother.
He constantly complains about his brother.
- A planned action in the future, often with movement verbs:
We are landing in Heathrow in 20 minutes.
We will land at Heathrow in 20 minutes.
He is speaking at the conference this evening.
He’s speaking at a conference this evening.
Source: https://www.native-english.ru/grammar/present-continuous
Наречие — это часть речи, которая обозначает признак действия и описывает где, когда и как это действие совершается. Often, usually и always относятся к наречиям частотности и отвечают на вопрос «Как часто?». Где ставятся often, usually и always в предложении — рассмотрим ниже.
В английском различают наречия места, времени, образа действия, меры и степени, наречия частоты действия и наречия-вопросительные слова. Оften, usually и always относятся к наречиям частоты действия или иначе частотности — Adverbs of Frequency, но не являются единственными представителями этой группы.
Примеры наречий частоты действия:
Это далеко не все существующие Adverbs of Frequency, их великое множество. Условно их можно разделить на наречия определенной частоты (definite frequency) и наречия неопределенной частоты (indefinite frequency). Наречия обеих групп отвечают на один и тот же вопрос: «How often?».
Наречия определенной частоты действия:
- Daily — ежедневно
- Annually — ежегодно
- Every day / hour / month / year — каждый день / час / месяц / год
- Once a week / month / year etc. — раз в неделю / месяц / год и т.д.
На группе наречий неопределенной частоты действия остановимся подробнее, поскольку оften, usually и always представляют именно эту группу. Наиболее распространенные наречия неопределенной частоты иногда представляют в виде шкалы, на которой ярко видна разница между ними. Частота выполнения действия представлена в процентном соотношении.
При использовании этих наречий в речи большую роль играет субъективное мнение говорящего: для кого-то «часто» — это три раза в день, а для кого-то — три раза в месяц.
Наречия частоты действия, в том числе, оften, usually и always, относятся к временным маркерам Present Simple. Простое настоящее время связано с периодичностью, регулярностью или постоянством. Соответственно, сходно и значение его маркеров-наречий частотности.
Оften, usually и always в утверждениях, отрицаниях и вопросах
Утверждение
По общему правилу, если сказуемое выражено одиночным смысловым глаголом, то наречие частоты следует поставить перед глаголом.
He often visited us. — Он часто нас посещал.
I usually drink tea in the morning. — Я обычно пью чай по утрам.
Вопрос
В вопросах наречия частоты также занимают место в середине предложения, после подлежащего.
Did he usually have tea for breakfast? — Он всегда пил чай на завтрак?
Также наречия неопределенной частоты употребляются в коротких ответах на вопросы перед вспомогательным глаголом, когда говорящий соглашается или не соглашается со сказанным ранее.
Mary is depressed again. — Oh, she always is.
Мэри опять расстроена. — Она всегда такая.
Tom talks only about himself. — Yes, he always does.
Том говорит только о себе. — Да, он всегда так делает.
Must he always come here at 8 o’clock? — Yes, he always must.
Он всегда должен приходить сюда в восемь часов? — Да, всегда.
Отрицание
Что касается отрицаний, то частица not обычно ставится перед наречиями частоты.
I do not usually go to the gym. — Обычно я не хожу в спортзал.
They are not always very friendly. — Они не всегда дружелюбные.
Таким образом, наиболее типичное место наречия частоты в предложении — до или после глагола в середине высказывания.
Место оften, usually, always в предложении до и после глагола
- В утверждениях наречия частоты чаще всего занимают место в середине предложения, после вспомогательного глагола (если он есть) и перед смысловым.
Не always comes early. — Он всегда приходит рано.
Не often goes there. — Он часто ходит туда.
I usually get up at seven o’clock. — Я обычно встаю в семь часов.
- Если в предложении единственный глагол — to be, то наречие частоты должно стоять после него
She is always happy to help us. — Она всегда рада помочь нам.
Не is always here at five o’clock. — Он всегда здесь в пять часов.
He is usually at home in the morning. — С утра он обычно дома.
- Если в предложении есть вспомогательный (am, is, are, have, has, will) или модальный глагол (can, may, must, should), то наречие частоты находится после этого глагола.
You can usually find him in his office. — Его обычно можно найти у себя в кабинете.
I will always love you. — Я всегда буду любить тебя.
I don’t often go to parties. — Я не часто хожу на вечеринки.
Parents can’t always be around. — Родители не могут всегда быть рядом.
Birds don’t always fly south in October. — Птицы не всегда улетают на юг в октябре.
Место оften, usually, always в предложении: в конце или в начале?
Не все наречия частоты могут стоять в конце или в начале предложения. Но always, usually и often, относящиеся к наречиям частотности с положительным значением, иногда ставят в конец предложения.
My neighbours go out in the evening, usually. — Мои соседи обычно ходят гулять вечером.
Does he call you often? — Он часто тебе звонит?
He doesn’t call me very often. — Он не очень часто мне звонит.
Наречия частоты always и never часто стоят в начале повелительных предложений.
Always tell the truth. — Всегда говори правду.
Adverbs of Frequency
Always, usually, normally, generally, often, frequently, sometimes, occasionally, seldom, hardly ever, rarely, and never.
These are all adverbs and they describe how frequently we do an activity or the frequency of habits.
These are called Adverbs of Frequency or more specifically Adverbs of Indefinite Frequency. (Indefinite because it is NOT a specific frequency like three times a week, once a month, etc.)
To help you understand when to use each adverb of frequency, I will add some approximate numbers (percentages of frequency or possibility of it happening) to give you a general idea of the frequency associated with each adverb.
- 100% always
- 90% usually
- 80% normally / generally
- 70% often / frequently
- 50% sometimes
- 30% occasionally
- 10% seldom
- 5% hardly ever / rarely
- 0% never
IMPORTANT: The percentages that appear on the left are only approximate numbers to give you a general idea of the frequency associated with each adverb.
Let’s look at each adverb of frequency more in detail…
ALWAYS
When something happens 100% of the time, we use the adverb ALWAYS.
- I always brush my teeth at night.
This means that without exception 100% of the time I will brush my teeth at night before going to bed.
NEVER
What is the opposite of ALWAYS? … NEVER, which is 0% of the time.
- Vegetarians never eat meat.
This means there is a zero percent possible of this happening. The frequency is zero.
SOMETIMES
What adverb do we use when something happens half the time and the other half of the time it doesn’t happen?
When something has about a 50% frequency of happening. We use the adverb SOMETIMES.
- I sometimes sing in the shower.
This means half the time I am in the shower I sing, and half the time I don’t sing… I sometimes sing in the shower.
HARDLY EVER / RARELY
What can we use if we almost never do something? It’s not zero percent but maybe 5% possibility of it happening.
In this case we use the adverbs HARDLY EVER or RARELY.
- I hardly ever get angry.
OR you can say…
- I rarely get angry
They both mean the same thing.
This means there is a VERY small chance of it happening but it is almost never.
I hardly ever get angry. It usually only happens if you steal my chocolate from the fridge. Other than that, nothing else annoys me.
Let’s quickly look at the other adverbs of frequency.
USUALLY
USUALLY is when something happens around 90% of the time. It is almost always.
- I usually walk to work.
Yes, I live close to my place of work so I usually walk there.
NORMALLY / GENERALLY
NORMALLY or GENERALLY happen around 80% of the time.
- I normally get good marks.
Yes, about 80% of the time my marks are good, the rest of the time… they are excellent!
OFTEN / FREQUENTLY
When something has a frequency of around 70%, we use the adverbs OFTEN or FREQUENTLY
OFTEN can be pronounced two ways:
- By pronouncing the T … “OFTEN” … or
- By not pronouncing the T …”OFFEN” (Never write “Offen”)
Both forms are correct and depend on where you live.
Our examples of these adverbs are:
- I often read in bed at night.
which is the same as:
- I frequently read in bed at night.
The adverb OFTEN is more common than using the word FREQUENTLY.
OCCASIONALLY
The adverb Occasionally is at about 30% frequency.
- I occasionally go to bed late.
Yes, this happens on Friday and Saturday night. I occasionally go to bed late.
SELDOM
And the adverb Seldom is at around 10% frequency.
- I seldom add salt to my food.
Which means it is not common or not often that I add salt.
The adverbs Seldom, hardly ever, rarely, and never all have a negative meaning.
Adverbs of Frequency – Word Order
Let’s look at word order when we use adverbs of frequency.
In general, the adverb of frequency goes before the main verb.
The order is: Subject + Adverb + Main Verb
Let’s look at this sentence…
- I read in bed at night.
If I want to let you know about the frequency I do this, the frequency that I read in bed, then I need to use an adverb.
The main verb is READ, so we put the adverb before the verb READ…
- I often read in bed at night.
Another example:
- Daniel always passes his exams.
The main verb is PASSES so we put the adverb before it.
- They never speak Spanish in class.
The main verb is SPEAK so the adverb of frequency goes before it.
Adverbs of Frequency – Word Order with Auxiliary Verbs
When there is an auxiliary verb such as has, have, must, might, will, can, should, would, etc. followed by a main verb, then the adverb goes between them both.
Subject + Auxiliary Verb + Adverb + Main Verb
- I have done my homework.
HAVE is the auxiliary verb and DONE is the main verb so we put the adverb of frequency in the middle:
- I have always done my homework.
You can see it is the same rule as before, the adverb goes before the main verb. Just remember to put it after the auxiliary verb.
Look at this sentence:
- Susan has lived in New York.
HAS is the auxiliary verb and LIVED is the main verb so we put the adverb of frequency in the middle:
- Susan has always lived in New York.
Look at this example:
- I have never eaten dog food.
The adverb NEVER goes between the auxiliary verb HAVE and the main verb EATEN.
- I have never eaten dog food… that I know of.
Adverbs of Frequency – Word Order with TO BE
Of course in English there is always an exception and this happens with the verb TO BE.
When we want to use an adverb with the verb TO BE, then the order is:
Subject + TO BE + Adverb
Look at this sentence:
- I am busy at work.
AM is a form, or conjugation, of the verb TO BE so we put the adverb after it.
- I am normally busy at work.
We cannot say “I normally am busy at work.” NO, this is NOT correct.
- He is always happy.
Again, the adverb is after the form of To Be.
- They are sometimes late.
The adverb SOMETIMES comes after the verb ARE which is a form of TO BE.
Adverbs of frequency at the beginning of a sentence
We have just seen the common position of adverbs of frequency within a sentence.
But, it is also possible to place SOME adverbs at the beginning of a sentence.
These adverbs include: usually, normally, frequently, generally, occasionally, and sometimes.
Look at these examples:
- Occasionally I have pancakes for breakfast.
OR you can put the adverb between the subject and main verb:
- I occasionally have pancakes for breakfast.
Both sentences are correct.
- Normally our English class is in the morning.
- Sometimes they take a bus to work.
But be careful with always, hardly ever, seldom, rarely, and never …. Do NOT put them at the beginning of the sentence.
- Always I get up early. This is NOT correct.
We need to put ALWAYS before the main verb…
- I always get up early. (CORRECT)
The exception to this is when we are using ALWAYS or NEVER in the IMPERATIVE to give orders or instructions.
We will see more about this in another lesson.
Next activity
You might want to watch our other video about Adverbs of DEFINITE frequency.
Summary Chart
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