Questions tagged [continuous]
The continuous tag has no usage guidance.
93
questions
4
votes
1answer
38 views
We didn't know what to do, so we did nothing/ were doing nothing
I was advised to ask this question here, which was originally posted here:
[https://english.stackexchange.com/q/580212/381160]
I came across this sentence in one of my workbooks:
We were in a ...
0
votes
2answers
42 views
Past Continuous for Temporary Situations
Context: I was on a college football team for half a year
When I played for the team, I trained hard and we ate veggies
When I WAS PLAYING for the team, I WAS TRAINING hard and we WERE EATING veggies
...
0
votes
1answer
18 views
Is continuous possible in this example
She found a strange girl. She was wearing a hospital gown, her hair was shaved and she did not talk.
Would like to know if "was not talking" ,what I answered to this test,is possible. We can ...
1
vote
1answer
15 views
Will it be still happening or will it still happen
I am waiting for a reissue of a book,but nothing seems to arrive so I decide to write an email
Shall I say "Will the reissue of this book still be happening or will it still happen " I ...
0
votes
0answers
21 views
Be staying or to stay what is the difference in meaning
I'm going to be staying.
I 'm going to stay.
Is there a difference in the meaning?
May the first one indicate that it won't be for a long time?
0
votes
3answers
49 views
“I was eating two half hamburgers yesterday”
Yesterday, I was eating half of a hamburger at 3 o’clock, and I was eating half of another hamburger at 6 o’clock.
Why does “I was eating two half hamburgers yesterday” seem weird unlike “I ate two ...
0
votes
2answers
240 views
I lack confidence vs I am lacking in confidence?
I lack confidence
I am lacking in confidence
What's the difference in meaning between the two?
Also, does lacking place emphasis on present state of lackingness (partial continuity)
Is there a vessel ...
0
votes
0answers
23 views
Relating to the progressive tense
Someone started to jump, he was jumping, and he finished jumping, and at intervals, he didn’t do any jumps, so is this situation finally counted as ‘he jumped once’?
Progressive: a verb tense that is ...
1
vote
1answer
39 views
"I was supposing..."? (past continuous possible?)
I would like to know if it is possible to say "I was supposing..." or does it always have to be "I supposed..."? The example for what I am thinking of would be the following ...
14
votes
3answers
1k views
Difference between continuous and simple
If I ask someone "How do your parents punish you this year", am I asking him what his parents do when they catch him doing bad, but only this year?
Whereas in "How are your parents ...
0
votes
1answer
20 views
Past Continuous or any other Past Tense?
pls kindly advise if we should use here Past Continuous or any other Past tense?
e.g. I was waiting for you yesterday for 5 hours.
Situation: a person was waiting for another person. It lasted 5 hours....
1
vote
0answers
36 views
Shall I use continuous tense for both action in this sentence?
Is it correct to write:
I hope, my name, when you are reading it, will ring a bell.
Or should I write:
I hope my name, when you are reading it will be ringing a bell.
Is it correct to use ...
0
votes
1answer
23 views
"getting worse and worse " vs " got worse and worse"
"I remember xxxxx at that time getting more and more depressed, he got worse and worse "
I don't undrestand why it is not he was getting worse and worse (because getting depressed and the ...
2
votes
1answer
127 views
being+past participle without is/are - what is the rule?
English words being used in conversation.
being used - what is the rule?
If it is the passive voice (Continuous), why it is used without be, like
English words are being used in conversation.
If it is ...
0
votes
1answer
15 views
present continuous or simple in this case
When you are writing or write the address, don't forget to add:attention to xxxxxx
I think continuous would be better but can I use present continuous for a very quick action (writing xxxxx).
I know ...
1
vote
1answer
52 views
present continuous for a general statement: is it possible?
In fact i live in France but Scott (who lives in Australia) is such a nice guy that he is ok to let me use his address, so each record I buy in Australia is delivered to him, where they are waiting to ...
1
vote
2answers
94 views
Why can't I use Present Perfect Continuous or vice versa Present Perfect forms in these sentences?
He has traveled so much recently that we have not managed to see each other much and I have met someone else. (why not "has been traveling")
I have been eating
fish and fruit since I got here. (...
0
votes
1answer
40 views
is past perfect continuous used in this case to emphasize the cause of something
We did not drink very much at all (one vodka each) but other young people had been drinking heavily all evening. Some of the dancers looked quite drunk.
I don't understand why it is past perfect ...
0
votes
1answer
21 views
still with a continuous tense, is it possible
However the covid is spreading fast , I still receive parcels from all over the world
However the covid is spreading fast , I am still receiving parcels from all over the world
I don't know which ...
0
votes
1answer
144 views
Have + Present Perfect Continuous
Doing some tasks in the textbook I stumbled across one sentence.
Here is a small dialog.
Do you have a headache ?
Yes, I've had a headache all morning.
Why do we use the present perfect tense ...
0
votes
1answer
44 views
continuous in this case, does it fit?
Just would like to know if I can say
because of the cov19? my shop has been closing down for two days
I think it is not possible to use the continuous because what we emphasize here is also the ...
0
votes
0answers
33 views
problem with continuous
I can't understand why it's present continuous in this sentence:
I never call my friends if I'm driving a car
Why we can't just say - if I drive a car? what's the difference?
0
votes
1answer
55 views
Does a continuous tense fit with my sentence
For the past two days, I had been hearing some scary sounds after waking up and it frightened me.I'm glad today I have not heard them.
Is it possible to use the continuous tense as it happened more ...
0
votes
0answers
29 views
Does present continuous fit in this case
don't forget to precise (attention to ......) when you are writing/going to write/write the address
Is present continuous to express the future ok in this case or will it be better to use present ...
1
vote
1answer
980 views
What is the difference between “have interviewed” and “are interviewing” in this sentence?
Could you please explain the difference in meaning in the following sentences.
The detectives have interviewed two people this week.
The detectives are interviewing two people this week.
...
0
votes
2answers
110 views
Is it correct to say "Luke can't swim today, he is having a cold"?
Is the continuous form of "have" ok in the sentence "he's having a cold"? Or is it ONLY correct and possible to say "He has a cold"?
I can't figure out if in this case "have a cold" is a state verb ...
1
vote
1answer
57 views
Present perfect continuous for the verb to sign?
On the same exercise there is that sentence
He has been signing up for a historical tour to exactly these places
The reason of choosing the continuous form is that it is a temporary action.
But ...
1
vote
1answer
59 views
Will it be acceptable to use present perfect progressive in this example
He has swum daily for several years, but his shoulder has been bothering him recently
this is an answer of a test has swum
The reason of present perfect simple is that swimming has been done for ...
1
vote
1answer
974 views
I have been working there\I am working there
We can imagine such a situation that 2 months ago I got some special project which I have to be working on. Now I've been working on it. And I can say:
1) I am working on it
Pointing at my action ...
1
vote
2answers
788 views
Present Perfect and Present Continuous tenses in one sentence with only one subject
Are the tenses in this sentence correct:
We have placed order for required parts and waiting to get them.
0
votes
2answers
236 views
Passive Voice with continuous verbs
If I want to say:
She is hating him
I say:
She hates him
But should the same technique work with passive?
She hates him - he is hated by her
She is hating him - He is hated by her OR ...
1
vote
1answer
94 views
progressive or simple
Is it possible to write this answer instead the one given in that test
My mother fell ill last week. I am making all the meals instead of her. She still does not feel well so she is seeing a doctor ...
0
votes
1answer
35 views
Simple versus continuous tense in sentences
What is the difference between "When the teacher entered, the boys were all looking out the window." and "When the teacher entered, the boys all looked out the window."? Can someone please explain it? ...
1
vote
1answer
209 views
Can "stuck" be used with a continuous form?
Can I use "stuck" with a continuous form? In other words, shall I say about a parcel that has not arrived:
Hope it is not being stuck in the Christmas post
1
vote
2answers
61 views
Can I reduce this paragraph using the past continuous and the conjunction "When"?
Here's the paragraph:
I worked in the bank for a specific period of time in the past. One day my
wife and I knew each other. Of course, that day was during or within
that period of time.
Can ...
0
votes
1answer
32 views
Using non-continuous verbs in continuous form
I was learning non-continous verbs once again when I came across a site (I won't post a link to it, it's in russian). And it says that sometimes when we want to emphasize the action, we can use non-...
0
votes
1answer
23 views
"Night falls": why not continuous/progressive?
There is a series of "Nighty Night" videos for preschoolers about going to bed, e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqRDEV6BnAU.
All of them begin with the sentence:
Night falls.
I wonder why ...
0
votes
2answers
102 views
Can we say the earth is moving around the sun?
I'm learning English with text books and it says the present progressive form means an action or event taking place at the present time and the action or event has limited duration.
It is truth that ...
0
votes
1answer
50 views
is the verb "list" a stative verb?
I saw this example on Cambridge Dictionary
The company has been listed on the stock exchange for 35 years.
My question is that:
is the verb "list" a stative verb?
If it was, then it could not be ...
0
votes
1answer
33 views
present continuous for a future plan that is only involving you
Can we use present continuous for a future event even it involves only yourself
If you are a student can you say I am working tomorrow or is it better to say I am going to work tomorrow as only the ...
0
votes
1answer
65 views
Progressive tense with a fixed date
Rhythm will be closing permanently from 5pm on 21st December. Many thanks to all our customers for your support over the years, for our market stall, monthly mail-order catalogue, and online. If you ...
1
vote
1answer
67 views
What is the best choice in this case past continuous or simple
While she was driving to work every day she was listening or listened to languages CDs
In the test the answer is listened because the action is completed now: she does not listen to these cds ...
0
votes
1answer
68 views
wrong subtitle in a film
In the film "Basse Normandie" of Simon Regiani and Patricia Mazuy, I saw this subtitle, is it possible
I have been working while I wait for you
I think it should be:
while I was waiting or ...
1
vote
1answer
878 views
was looking or looked in this sentence
When I woke up this morning, she was sleeping on my bed and she looked very happy!
The sentence is about a female cat who was ill.
Why isn't was looking (at this precise moment she was looking)? ...
1
vote
1answer
480 views
it is possible to combine present perfect continuous and past perfect continuous in a sentence?
Can we describe a continuous action after/before another continuous action in the same sentence using different continuous tenses?
For instance something like that:
Before I have been reading ...
0
votes
1answer
95 views
Why the continous form in this answer
I’ve been reading online that people who purchased that record have not received it so I’m assuming he is being slow to ship
this is an email I received: my enquiry was about a record I bought but ...
0
votes
2answers
37 views
Can I use a continuous form in this case
I would like to say that since we have been here (about one month now) it keeps raining a little but every day
Can I use the continuous form
It has been raining a little since we have been here
3
votes
1answer
32 views
Why was having and not had: "he was having trouble finding the right packaging" vs "he had trouble finding the right packaging"
On the sleeve reissue of the Chris Bell single "I am the cosmos" (record store day 2018) I found these sentences:
A tape of the recording arrived in the mail several weeks after the phone call;it ...
0
votes
1answer
996 views
usually and present continuous
It is not the thousand beers you had
there is something in your eye
which usually you are trying to hide
blaming the girls dancing around
why is "usually" following by gerund? it ...
1
vote
1answer
892 views
Can sometimes be used with a continuous tense?
Can "sometimes" be used with progressive
Sometimes I drink beer
Sometimes I am driving very fast
With a continuous tense does it mean that the event happens less often than with a simple tense