Present Continuous
Present participles
Formation
The present participle is formed by adding the ending"--ing" to the infinitive (dropping any silent "e"at the end of the infinitive):
- to sing --> singing
- to talk --> taking
- to bake --> baking
- to be --> being
- to have --> having
Use
A. The present participle may often function as an adjective:
- That's an interesting book.
- That tree is a weeping willow.
B. The present participle can be used as a noun denoting an activity (this form is also called a gerund):
- Swimming is good exercise.
- Traveling is fun.
C. The present participle can indicate an action that is taking place, although it cannot stand by itself as a verb. In these cases it generally modifies a noun (or pronoun), an adverb, or a past participle:
- Thinking myself lost, I gave up all hope.
- Washing clothes is not my idea of a job.
- Looking ahead is important.
D. The present participle is used in progressive verb tenses, which indicate continuing actions or actions in progress (the present progressive, the future progressive, the present perfect progressive) :
- I am eating my dinner.
- He was walking across the park.
- We will be calling you tomorrow.
E. The present participle may be used with "while"or "by" to express an idea of simultaneity ("while") or causality ("by") :
- He finished dinner while watching television.
- By using a dictionary he could find all the words.
- While speaking on the phone, she doodled.
- By calling the police you saved my life!
F. The present participle of the auxiliary "have"may be used with the past participle to describe a past condition resulting in another action:
- Having spent all his money, he returned home.
- Having told herself that she would be too late, she accelerated.
Present progressive
General principles
The present progressive is a version of the present which emphasizes the fact that an action is still unfolding (or is continuing) at the time one speaks. It is formed by using the auxilary "to be" with the present participle:
- I am working.
- He is eating his dinner.
- The cat is meowing.
Usually, the present progressive indicates that one is "in the process of" or "in the midst of" doing something. If this is the idea one wishes to communicate, the present progressive will be preferable to the simple present. If you cannot replace the verb by a form of "to be in the process of," the present progressive should probably not be used. Indications of emotion, belief, and possession are rarely conjugated in the present progressive:
- I think that is right. ["I am in the process of thinking" would be awkward.]
- Cheryl owns her own house. ["Cheryl is in the process of owning" would be awkward.]
In certain situations the present progressive can indicate an action which will take place in the immediate future:
- I am going to the movies this evening.
- They are leaving tomorrow.
Near future: To emphasize the idea of future action while using the present tense, one may use the verb "to go"; it indicates what one is going to do. In this case the principle verb remains in the infinitive:
- I know he is going to yell at me!
- They are going to regret that decision.
Note: The near future can also be used in past constructions, in which case the verb "to go" is conjugated in the past progressive:
- She was going to leave, but the telephone rang.
Present progressive in the negative
The word "not" comes after the auxiliary "to be":
- He is not working very hard.
- You are not driving fast enough.