When do we use the present continuous?

We use the present continuous tense (also called the present progressive) to describe a temporary action that is currently occurring (e.g., “I am gardening right now”) or sometimes a planned future event (e.g., “We are traveling to Greece this summer”).

It’s used differently from the simple present, which instead indicates a habit (e.g., “I garden on Tuesdays”), a general truth (e.g., “Bears hibernate in the winter”), or a fixed situation or state (e.g., “She speaks French and German”).

Frequently asked questions: Verbs

What is the “-ing” form of a verb?: The “-ing” form of a verb is called the present participle. Present participles can be used as adjectives (e.g., “a thrilling story”) and to form the continuous verb tenses (e.g., the present continuous: “We are partying”).

Gerunds also use the “-ing” form of a verb, but they function only as nouns (e.g., “I don’t enjoy studying”).
What is the present participle of “be”?: The present participle of the verb “be” is “being” (e.g., “you are being callous”). The past participle of “be” is “been.”
What is the present participle of “lie”?: The present participle of the verb “lie” is “lying.” The present participles of verbs ending in “ie” are usually formed by replacing “ie” with “y” and adding the suffix “-ing.”
What is the simple present form of be?: In the simple present tense, the stative verb “be” is used to describe temporary present situations (e.g., “I am tired”) and unchanging situations (e.g., “Laura is a doctor”). The form of the verb varies depending on the subject:

The first person singular uses “am” (e.g., “I am”)

The third person singular uses “is” (e.g., “he is,” “she is,” “it is”)

All other subjects use “are” (e.g., “you are,” “we are,” “they are”)
What is the difference between the present perfect and the present perfect continuous?: The present perfect tense and the present perfect continuous can both be used to refer to the present consequences of a past action or situation:

The present perfect can be used to refer to a past action that may continue in the present (e.g., “I have lived here for six months”).

The present perfect continuous refers to actions or situations that began in the past and are definitely continuing in the present (e.g., “I have been arguing with him constantly”).
What is the difference between the present perfect and past simple?: Both the present perfect and past simple refer to past action. However, they have different functions:

The past simple is typically used to refer to an action that was completed at a definite time in the past (e.g., “I slept in this morning”).

The present perfect is used to refer to a past action that has present consequences or to an action that began in the past and may continue (e.g., “I have written a book”).
What is the past participle of “ride”?: The past participle form of “ride” is ridden. It’s used to form perfect tenses (e.g., “I have ridden on an elephant before”) and to form the passive voice (e.g., “The bike hasn’t been ridden in a long time”).

It’s wrong to use the past simple form “rode” instead in these contexts. For example, “The bike hasn’t been rode” is incorrect.
What is the past simple form of “ride”?: The past simple form of “ride” is rode. It’s used to describe a past action or event (e.g., “We rode our bikes”).
What is the past participle of “beat”?: The past participle form of “beat” is beaten. It’s used to form perfect tenses (e.g., “I have beaten the record”) and to form the passive voice (e.g., “The champion has been beaten”).

It’s wrong to use the past simple form “beat” instead in these contexts. For example, “The champion has been beat” is incorrect.
What is the past simple form of “beat”?: The past simple form of “beat” is beat. It’s used to describe a past action or event (e.g., “You beat me”).
What is the function of an action verb?: The function of an action verb is to describe what the subject of the sentence is doing. For example, in the sentence “You have been working since 7 o’clock this morning,” the action verb “work” shows us what the subject (“you”) has been doing.
How can I tell if a word is an action verb?: If you are unsure whether a word is an action verb, consider whether it is describing an action (e.g., “run”) or a state of being (e.g., “understand”). If the word describes an action, then it’s an action verb.

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