Questions tagged [present-continuous]
It is used to express a continued or ongoing action at present time. It expresses an action which is in progress at the time of speaking. Using the suffix '-ing'
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Do we use article with gerud in present simble with 'be'?
I am wondering about the following pattern of sentence:
The first and the main reason is the producing new goods for...
Do we need to put bold "the" to distinguish present continuous from ...
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Pointing out for direction - should I use present continuous or simple present
My friend was looking for a lighter and I pointed him toward a guy who had stood with a citrate (not the best example, but, hey, it is a real situation). I said "This guy smokes"while ...
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Is it correct and natural to say "the load is picking up in Boston" meaning the pick-up point is in Boston?
Would you tell me if it's correct and natural to say the load is picking up in Boston meaning the pick-up point is in Boston? For example:
The load is picking up in Boston at 5PM tomorrow and is ...
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"I am keeping a pet hamster." vs "I keep a pet hamster" Difference?
This sentence:
I am keeping a pet hamster.
And this sentence:
I keep a pet hamster
Sounds exactly the same to me, any minute difference, if any at all? Thanks!
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Is "they living it up" grammatically correct?
Quote from Eagles – Hotel California Lyrics | Genius Lyrics:
They living it up at the Hotel California
Is "they living it up" grammatically correct? Shouldn't it be "they're living it ...
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difference between "will be doing" and "be doing" when use the continuous form for the future
I am confused about the following description of 'will be -ing' from a grammar book, which says:
We also use 'will be doing' to talk about complete action in the future.
Here is the example in which ...
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Usage of while and continuous: "Tom watches/is watching TV while he eats/is eating."
A) Tom watches TV while he eats.
B) Tom watches TV while he is eating.
C) Tom is watching TV while he eats.
D) Tom is watching TV while he is eating.
I was wondering which one is natural and which ...
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(I start to think/thinking ...) or (I'm starting to think/thinking ...)?
A: Are you going to the party tonight? Marsha says she's coming.
B: Marsha? No, I'll just stay at home.
A: I ___ to think/thinking you hate her.
Which one is more probable? The present simple or the ...
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Why does 'it is sounding like...' incorrect?
I deduced like in the title above by the reason of information I got from my book, but I doubt that it is not correct to use
Why does it is sounding like...
The problem is taken from an exercise book [...
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present continuous for a short action is it possible in this case
After waking up today I received a phone call of a friend I had not seen or spoken for years .
Can I say: "my day is starting very well" or "my day has started well" or "my ...
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It becomes cheaper Or it is becoming cheaper [closed]
Should I use present simple or progressive with "all the time"?
"Technology becomes cheaper all the time."
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Is there any difference between "I still work" and "I'm still working"?
Could you tell me if there is any difference between I still work and I'm still working? For example:
Person A: Hey, I haven't seen you in ages. What's new with you?
Person B: Same old. I still work/...
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Using present progressive to describe something
I found this line on Facebook. I wonder if this construction is allowed grammatically.
Does it matter to be consistent with the language in which we are
speaking?....
Why didn't they write in which ...
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"While you are washing your hands I'll go to my bedroom and change my clothes" right or wrong?
Let's say we (me and my daughter) have just got home, we go to the bathroom and I say to her (a 5 years old child) to wash her hands, and I think that in the meantime I could change my clothes.
What ...
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Is it correct to say "he has Covid 19" and "he is getting Covid 19" to express currently he is experiencing that illness?
The dictionary says
get [transitive, no passive] get something to start to develop an illness; to suffer from a pain, etc.
I think I'm getting a cold.
have something (not used in the progressive ...
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Can the simple present be used for temporal actions?
As far as I know, the simple present is used to state facts, how things exist or behave. However, I have seen the following sentence:
I walk to class during the week.
Regarding that the present ...
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What's the correct preposition before "row" (angry dispute)?
I have a feel, the feel that I always experience when I fume in a
row.
As you have read the sentence above, I doubt my construction is correct. It looks awkward. Hope you will tell me if there's ...
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"You will acquire more and more knowledge while you work."
You will acquire more and more knowledge while you work.
You will acquire more and more knowledge while you are working.
What is the difference between them? Which sounds more natural?
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“Was leaving” vs “Was to leave”
So I’ve came across an argument with some girl I was chatting with,
about a grammatical matter.
In the sentence:
“The kindest thing you ever did (was to leave) , (or) was leaving.
What is the ...
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Why did the writer use present simple instead of continuous
I was reading a graded reader book, and I noticed that the writer used present simple instead of continuous in the example below:
"Algernon: I think that is mean of you, Ernest, I must say. (...
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How to explain the usage of the present continuous instead of simple in this example?
I was reading "English Grammar in Use" and came across the next exercise:
Ben can’t meet us on Monday. (He / work) late.
The correct answer is "He is working late", but I cannot ...
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To be leaning as motion or state?
I was wondering, when you say "He was leaning/leaning over", does it describe the state of being inclined or the motion of becoming inclined?
For example,"He was leaning over but I ...
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In the musical analysis and description of a song, do you use present simple or present continuous?
In a picture description, I would commonly use the present simple tense to describe things that are happening in the depicted situation, for instance: "In the right bottom corner of the picture, ...
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has been Ving since ... vs. is Ving after
Are both the following sentences correct? If so, what's the difference?
a. Mary has still been lingering in the park since she left the office.
b. Mary is still lingering in the park after she left ...
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Can I use present tense instead of present continuous tense in the following sentence?
Q:
I heard you started a new job. __________ (enjoy) it?
The correct answer is are you enjoying it.(Page 3, intermediate grammar in use)
I wonder if do you enjoy it is also a correct answer. It sounds ...
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Speak vs speaking in a sentence
I read this sentence:
"You've frequently heard me speak of her."
As a language learner, if I say this sentence it would be like: " You've frequently heard me speaking of her."
I ...
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Present continuous versus present simple
Someone has recently moved to a different city and says: "I meet new people through a reading club and I attend music seminars to get to know people".
Why does the person choose present ...
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Why is the present continuous tense used instead of the present simple in the following context?
The situation is that I asked a question with a short film here. The respondents commented according to the film with the sentences as follows.
1."The speaker (in the film) may not use a flap /t/ ...
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Omitting " starting to"
I read this sentence in a story: "I’m starting to get worried about him.”
If I write this sentence as : "I am getting worried about him." Would it change the meaning, anyway?
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Why is it 'Are you studying every night?' But 'Do you study every night?'
I know 'Are you studying every night?' is present continuous and I think 'Do you study every night?' is not, but why not? Why does this sentence work as both present simple and continuous when it's ...
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Shall I use continuous or simple in this example [closed]
I am waiting for a parcel because it has still not arrived. I mailed the seller and he wrote me that in fact he had written a wrong address .Now I am writing to him a new email asking "what do ...
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present continuous with from vs present perfect continuous with since
Is this the right sentence grammatically?
People are still using this Gist from 2013.
I think ‘People have been using this gist since 2013’ should be right.
But I am not sure, Maybe the above one is ...
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Is being vs Has been
Which sentence is correct?
I wonder why he is being so nice to me today. Usually, he doesn't even say "Hi!"
I wonder why he has been so nice to me today. Usually, he doesn't even say "...
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I go to bathroom then I come to bed - is it correct?
Let's say I come home from work and I tell to my daughter:
I go to bathroom then I come to bed
Is it correct?
What about:
I go to bathroom then I'll come to bed
I'm going to bathroom then I'll come ...
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Present continuous in time clauses with "after"
I'm not sure if I can use the present continuous in the following sentence:
"I'll take a trip to the States after I'm finishing my studies"
Should I use the present simple or present ...
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"increasingly globalized world" , can it be "increasingly globalizing world" if I were to talk in present continuous manner?
Is this sentence correct?
there are 280 million French speakers in this increasingly globalizing world
if not, what's wrong?
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I'm reading a book or I've been reading a book? Implying I started some days ago
I saw a similar question, but I'm not content with the answers, i.e. it's still unclear.
It looks like both options are appropriate here, since for present perfect continuous can be applied to an ...
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Differences between continuous and simple
I have been wondering if one could use the Present Progressive to express what is really going on when something happens. For example: "When you present something to the class, you are expressing ...
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Combine regular time spans with restricted time spans
I know that we use the present simple to talk about actions that happen regularly, and the present progressive to talk about actions that are happening as we speak. For example:
I am going to school ...
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I am reading or I was reading a book?
Suppose I am reading a book and a friend calls me and asks what I am doing.
Can I answer:"I am reading a book" even though I have stopped reading for the moment to answer the phone,
or ...
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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 ...
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Does the verb “determine“ have present progressive form?
Does the verb “determine“ have present progressive form?
For example:
Although book reviews may determine whether a given book will be extensively sold, many works succeed commercially despite ...
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What's the difference between 'It was starting to rain' and 'It started to rain'?
Momentary verbs such as "start", "finish", "marry", and "put up" are rarely used in "continuous tense". However, I found this example in a dictionary:
...
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Why is 'love' used in the present continuous form here?
I am reading a book called 'High School grammar' by P.C Wren and H.Martin. We know 'love' falls in the category of stative verbs, but they have used the word 'love' in the present continuous/present ...
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Is it correct to use continuous without the auxiliary verb "to be?"
I am working on a project, and I am faced with a sentence that I am unsure is correct. I can make it correct with proper punctuation, but it just made me curious to learn how to use such sentences ...
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present progressive indicating the future
Can the present progressive be used to indicate the future as follows?
John is working at the store for two months.
If so, how does it differ from "John is going to work at the store for two ...
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What is the difference between: "I am reading a lot these days" and 'I have been reading a lot these days'?
What is the difference between: "I am reading a lot these days" and "I have been reading a lot these days"?
As far as I can tell, they can both describe temporary situations. Can I ...
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Choosing between Present Continuous and Present Simple for an action taking place right now
Is there any rule in English regulating how I should choose between Present Continuous and Present Simple when I refer to the things happening at the moment?
For example:
(interrogation scene, a ...
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Would it be correct to use Present Continuous?
Let's imagine the following situation. At school, a foreign language is studied for 11 years, starting from the 1st grade. The student can choose one of several foreign languages to study it. I ask a ...
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Do I use the simple tense or continuous in this case?
It's full day and I'm interacting with a co-worker:
Don't mind if I yawn a lot while you're talking. I didn't sleep /
haven't slept all night.
Don't mind if I'm yawning a lot while you're talking. I ...
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