Questions tagged [continuous]

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How much longer will you play/be playing (for)?

Your friend is playing chess/tennis/video games. You know he'll be free after that. You want to know how long he'll be engaged in this activity (so that you know when he'll be free), so you ask him ...
IlyaTretyakov's user avatar
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I don't trust vs I'm not trusting

What's the difference between I don't trust and I'm not trusting (anymore) The present simple vs present continuous is obvious. I just lack experience to build a number of examples with the continuous ...
Burglar's user avatar
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I cry for or I am crying for

Shall I say "I am crying for you" or "I cry for you"? if my closest friend recently died . I think "I cry for you" would be better as emotions are often expressed by ...
Yves Lefol's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
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"Let me know how you <get on> <are getting on> at your new job."

from english.stackexchange.com: (1a) I hear you've got a new job. How do you get on? — incorrect (1b) I hear you've got a new job. How are you getting on? — correct from thefreedictionary.com: (2a) ...
Loviii's user avatar
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"I wasn't listening to what the teacher was saying"? "I didn't listen to what the teacher was saying"?

We often avoid repeating the continuous form, do we? Like you say What do you think you are doing? instead of What are you thinking you are doing? How about the following sentences? I wasn't ...
kuwabara's user avatar
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continuous or simple in this case?

In fact I sent 2 or 3 emails but these were sent to your yahoo address that is why you did not receive them. Then I realized I had written the wrong address .The last one ( the one you received) was ...
Yves Lefol's user avatar
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What is the best solution in this context present simple or continuous?

are you planning to reissue this record? do you plan to reissue this record? I think the second one is better because there is not a limitation of time it can be in 2 days or in 2 years. Could we ...
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Can I use the construction like "get + gerund" (example: get moving) with continuous and perfect forms?

I guess, I understand about usage of "get moving" or "get doing" in simple. I always get reading a new book as soon as I have free time. What about continuous or perfect forms? ...
Rodrigo's user avatar
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"give" or" are giving" in this case

I have tried to check with the post but the only information they give is dated from 15th March, almost two weeks ago. Would it be better to change "give" by to "are giving" ...
Yves Lefol's user avatar
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Grammar of "how does your job go?"

Is “How does your job go?” grammatically correct?
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Closing or closed in this case

Tomorrow, the store is "closing/closed" for two weeks hopefully it will reopen soon after . I think both can fit because the closing is temporary so continuous should fit
Yves Lefol's user avatar
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-1 votes
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Can I use "how long" without a continuous tense?

How long have I slept? Can I say that just before waking up? I think so. The problem is that "how long" implies a continuous tense in most cases. In this case you can't use with a ...
Yves Lefol's user avatar
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climbing the mountain

As I understand "I climbed that mountain" means that I reached the top of it. So If the climbing was interrupted and therefore not completed, we must not say "As we climbed the mountain,...
IlyaTretyakov's user avatar
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1 answer
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Continuous / Perfect (Continuous) Imperatives (with infinitive and subjunctive)

Sometimes it's necessary to use a specific aspect of tenses (simple, continuous, perfect, perfect continuous), but when we ask people to do something should (can) we use the same aspects in order to ...
IlyaTretyakov's user avatar
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1 answer
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Continuous Imperative [closed]

Is it correct to say? "Be doing it at the moment I come in." Example: This is very important to me. Please, when I call you at 3 pm tomorrow, be reading my letters so that she can see you ...
IlyaTretyakov's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
389 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 ...
Penguin422's user avatar
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2 answers
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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 ...
Mr. Past Progressive's user avatar
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1 answer
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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 ...
Yves Lefol's user avatar
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1 vote
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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 ...
Yves Lefol's user avatar
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3 answers
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“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 ...
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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 ...
Google Goggle's user avatar
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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 ...
user00900's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
90 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 ...
Ariane Delbing's user avatar
14 votes
3 answers
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 ...
yat's user avatar
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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....
Kate's user avatar
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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 ...
Yves Lefol's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
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"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 ...
Yves Lefol's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
318 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 ...
Natalya's user avatar
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1 answer
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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 ...
Yves Lefol's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
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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 ...
Yves Lefol's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
113 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. (...
Ceejay's user avatar
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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 ...
Yves Lefol's user avatar
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1 answer
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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 ...
Yves Lefol's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
226 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 ...
osynavets's user avatar
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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 ...
Yves Lefol's user avatar
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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?
user108995's user avatar
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1 answer
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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 ...
Yves Lefol's user avatar
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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 ...
Yves Lefol's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
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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. ...
Tamara's user avatar
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2 answers
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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 ...
E.V.'s user avatar
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1 answer
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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 ...
Yves Lefol's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
99 views

Is it 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 ...
Yves Lefol's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
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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 ...
Michael Azarenko's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
1k 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.
Sarmen's user avatar
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2 answers
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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 ...
Michael Azarenko's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
223 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 ...
Yves Lefol's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
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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? ...
Johanna Mitterbacher's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
312 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
Yves Lefol's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
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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 ...
Michael George's user avatar
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1 answer
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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-...
Ruberoid's user avatar
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