Level: beginner
The present continuous is made from the present tense of the verb be and the –ing form of a verb:
| I am | working |
| You are | playing |
| He is | talking |
| She is | living |
| It is | eating |
| We are | staying |
| They are | sleeping |
We use the present continuous to talk about:
- activities at the moment of speaking:
I‘m just leaving work. I’ll be home in an hour.
Please be quiet. The children are sleeping.
- future plans or arrangements:
Mary is going to a new school next term.
What are you doing next week?
Present continuous questions
We make questions by putting am, is or are in front of the subject:
Are you listening?
Are they coming to your party?
When is she going home?
What am I doing here?
Present continuous negatives
We make negatives by putting not (or n’t) after am, is or are:
I‘m not doing that.
You aren’t listening. (or You‘re not listening.)
They aren’t coming to the party. (or They‘re not coming to the party.)
She isn’t going home until Monday. (or She‘s not going home until Monday.)
Stative verbs
We do not normally use the continuous with stative verbs. Stative verbs include:
- verbs of thinking and feeling:
| believe dislike know like | love hate prefer realise | recognise remember suppose think (= believe) | understand want wish |
- verbs of the senses:
| appear feel | look seem | smell sound | taste |
- others:
| agree be | belong disagree | need owe | own possess |
We normally use the simple instead:
I understand you. (NOT I
am understandingyou.)
This cake tastes wonderful. (NOT This cakeis tastingwonderful.)
Level: intermediate
We also use the present continuous to talk about:
- something which is happening before and after a specific time:
At eight o’clock we are usually having breakfast.
When I get home the children are doing their homework.
- something which we think is temporary:
Michael is at university. He‘s studying history.
I‘m working in London for the next two weeks.
- something which is new and contrasts with a previous state:
These days most people are using email instead of writing letters.
What sort of clothes are teenagers wearing nowadays?
What sort of music are they listening to?
- something which is changing, growing or developing:
The children are growing up quickly.
The climate is changing rapidly.
Your English is improving.
- something which happens again and again:
It‘s always raining in London.
They are always arguing.
George is great. He‘s always laughing.
Note that we normally use always with this use.
Level: advanced
We can use the present continuous to talk about the past when we are:
- telling a story:
The other day I‘m just walking down the street when suddenly this man comes up to me and asks me to lend him some money. Well, he‘s carrying a big stick and he looks a bit dangerous, so I‘m wondering what to do …
- summarising a book, film or play:
Harry Potter is a pupil at Hogwarts school. One day when he is playing Quidditch he sees a strange object in the sky. He wonders what is happening …
The common differences between Americans and British in culture
Many consider the United States and the United Kingdom two nations divided by the same language. However, while it is true that both nations have historically shared a close relationship, they have major differences in culture. With a simple Google search, we’ve found a few statements: are these myths or facts?
The British tend to be elegant in appearance
In general, the English people tend to look elegant. This is the opposite of most Americans who tend to be casual. Jeans were created first in the United States and we now know why they were not created in England.
The English people tend to be more polite
In daily communication; English people tend to say “sorry” easily. Even the level of decency (in communicating) the British people are often viewed higher than the average of other Europeans. This tends to contradict the American way of communicating. They tend to bring out jokes which for most English people are quite rough. Americans also tend to speak loudly.
Americans do not like small scores
One of the most popular differences between British and American English is how they see the games. While the English are well known for their patient and orderly nature, Americans are notorious for being impatient. Americans do not like small scores, that’s why they do not like football (which they call soccer). They tend to like games with big scores like basketball and American football. The English people tend to be more patient in playing and this can be seen in many games such as cricket too.
Americans tend to be friendly
Often, Americans tend to be more friendly. This does not mean that the English are unfriendly but because they tend to develop so-called “negative politeness”. The English people really appreciate the personal privacy and they try to give respect without too entering the private affairs of others. Americans, by contrast, develop “positive politeness” which means they tend to want to be part of someone else’s problems as they communicate. This difference is the reason why the English tend to be “cooler”.
The British are more likely to believe in mystical things
Britain is a country where ghost stories are still present in modern life. The island is well known for haunted castles so it is natural that belief in supernatural phenomena is passed down from generation to generation. Rather, Americans tend to be more rational when they are faced with situations of irrationality.
Americans are generally more religious
In contrast to what most people are accustomed to, people in the United States tend to be more religious, especially those living in the southern regions. While Britain, a country with centuries-old Christian tradition, is now getting away from the church and tends to be more secular in view of everything. What can be concluded is that Britain, in some ways, is more liberal than the United States and Hollywood does not describe Americans as a whole. Right-wing politics in America is very strong while in Britain, socialist policies are more common.
Americans love to act directly
While the British tend to like to wait and analyse situations in depth when they are confronted with a conflict; Americans tend to plunge directly into conflict. This is one of the reasons why the United States is now the most aggressive country in the world.
In the comments, let us know whether you think these are urban legends or founded claims.