Present continuous

Present continuous

Present Progressive (Present Continuous) tense is generally learnt first by ESL students. However, before Present Continuous lessons are taught, the verb ‘to be’ which is irregular needs to be learnt. ‘To be’ is an auxiliary or helping verb and is used in forming a Present Continuous.

Present Continuous combines ‘to be’ which is the helping verb with an ending such as ‘ing’ (or a Present Participle) form of a main verb. An example of that would be “He is charging.” Present Participles of main verbs will never change, no matter what or who the subject there is. Helping verbs will conjugate dependent on what or who the subject is.

When teaching verb tense, English as a Second Language (ESL) students learn three essentials: 1. Verb form, 2. Verb conjugation, and 3. Verb function.

Verb Conjugation Present Progressive (common miscellaneous verbs used)

1. I am thinking. I am talking. I am singing. I am dancing.

2. You are thinking. You are talking. You are walking. You are dancing.

He/She/It is thinking. He/She/It is walking. He/She/It is talking. He/She/It is dancing.

3. They are thinking. They are walking. They are talking. They are dancing.

We are thinking. We are talking. We are walking. We are dancing.

Verb Form Present Progressive (ESL students required to learn five forms)

1. Affirmative use (He is walking).

2. Negative use (He isn’t walking).

3. Yes/No Question (Is he walking?).

4. Short Answers (Yes, he is. No, he isn’t.)

5. WH- Questions (When is he walking?)

Function of Present Progressive/Continuous.

There are two Present Progressive/Continuous verb tense primary functions.

1. When an activity is of a temporary nature, meaning it started in the past and will more than likely end soon, the activity is known as ‘in progress during speaking.’ For example – I am reading a book. He is watching television.

2. When talking about an activity happening at a certain time – this week, this time during my life. For example – He is riding with other travelers this week. I am writing a book today.

Knowing when is the right time to use Present Progressive/Continuous or Present Simple verb tense is a challenge for ESL students as well as auxiliary verbs such as ‘to do’ and ‘to be’ because they are often confused with each other.