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First – year Practical Grammar

Module 2: The Present Continuous Tense

1. The Present Continuous is formed by means of the Present Indefinite of the auxiliary
verb “to be” (am, is, are) and Participle I of the notional verb.
I AM TALKING.
SHE IS TALKING.
THEY ARE TALKING.

2. Participle I is formed by adding the suffix “-ing” to the stem of the verb; the following
spelling rules should be observed:

a) If a verb ends in a mute “e”, the mute “e” is dropped before adding the suffix “-ing”:
TO GIVE- GIVING, TO CLOSE- CLOSING.

b) If a verb ends in a consonant preceded by a vowel rendering a short stressed sound the
final consonant is doubled before adding the suffix ‘-ing”
TO RUN- RUNNING, TO FORGET – FORGETTING, TO ADMIT –
ADMITTING.

c) A final “l” is doubled if it is preceded by a vowel letter rendering a short vowel sound,
stressed or unstressed:
TO TRAVEL- TRAVELLING, TO EXPEL- EXPELLING.

d) The verbs “to lie”,”to die”,”to tie”, form Participle I in the following way:
LYING, DYING, TYING.

NOTE: A final “y” is not changed before adding the suffix “-ing”:
TO STUDY- STUDYING, TO TRY- TRYING.

3. In an interrogative sentence the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject.

AM I WORKING? IS HE LEAVING? ARE THEY STUDYING?

4. In a negative sentence the negative particle “not” is added to the auxiliary verb.
(am + not = amn’t, is + not = isn’t, are + not = aren’t)
I AM NOT (AMN’T) JUMPING.
IT IS NOT (ISN’T) SNOWING.
THEY ARE NOT (AREN’T) READING.

The Present Continuous is used to denote

Meaning Time indicators Examples

1.An action going on at the Now, at this moment, at George is writing a
present moment (moment of present composition at this
speaking) moment.
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2.An action filling up the Now, from 5 till 8; the The child is still sleeping.
whole period of time. whole day, all day long,
this week, still

3.An action thought of as a Always, ever, The Earth is always

continuous process when we constantly, forever, moving.
speak with an emotional continually She is always grumbling.
colouring such as
exaggeration, irritation
4. A planned action in the Tomorrow, the day after I am leaving for Moscow
very near future(with to go,tomorrow, in a week, tomorrow.
to come, to leave) next month, tonight, in
February etc.
5. A future action in If he is sleeping when
adverbial clauses of time you come, wake him up.
and real condition (instead
of Future Continuous)

Verbs not Used in the Continuous Aspect

It naturally follows from the definition of the Continuous form (it denotes an action
in a state of process at the present moment or at the definite moment in the past or future)
that verbs which do not express a process are not used in the Continuous form.

The following groups of verbs do not express a process:

a) verbs denoting sense perception: to see, to hear, to smell, to sound, to taste;

b) verbs denoting mental activity: to believe, to consider, to distrust, to doubt, to

expect, to feel (=to have an opinion), to forget, to forgive, to hope, to know, to
suppose, to think (=to have an opinion), to trust, to understand, etc.;

c) verbs denoting wish: to want, to wish;

d) verbs denoting feeling: to dislike, to like, to love, to hate, to prefer;

e) verbs denoting abstract relations: to be, to become, to belong, to consist, to

contain, to date, to depend, to have, to mean, to need, to resemble, to result, to
suffice, to wonder, etc.;

f) certain link-verbs (mostly those of seeming): to appear, to look, to prove, to seem,

to turn out.

Exercises

1. Put the verb in the Present Continuous:

Model: Let’s go out. (not/rain)
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It is not raining.

1) Hurry up! Everybody ( wait ) for you.

2) (you /listen) to the radio? ‘No, you can turn it off.’
3) Look at the river! It (flow) very fast today – faster than usual.
4)’How is your English?’ ‘Not bad. It (improve) slowly.’
5) Ron is in London at the moment. He ( stay) at the Park Hotel.
6) ‘Can you drive?’ ‘I (learn). My father (teach) me.’
7) Sonia (look) for a place to live.
8) My father is an architect, but he (not work) at the moment.

2. Finish the sentences. Use always “–ing”:

Model: A: I’m afraid I’ve lost my key again.
B: Not again! You’re always losing your key.

1) A: The car has broken down again.

B: That car is useless! It ---------.
2) A: Look! You’ve made the same mistake again.
B: Oh no, not again! I ----------.
3) A: Oh, I’ve left the lights on again.
B: Typical! You --------------.
4) A: Why have you turned off the TV set. I want to watch it.
B: You -------------------.

3. Transform the following according to the model. Use the Present Continuous
Tense and the words ”now
Model: She usually reads the newspaper at breakfast but she is not reading it today.
She is busy with other things.

1. They often watch TV in the evening.

2. He always works in the garden after office hours.
3. He usually plays chess very well.
4. He goes to the library every day.
5. She always leaves town in summer.
6. She always sleeps after lunch.

Model: Please tell John it’s time to finish the work. But he is (already) finishing it.

1. Tell the children it’s time to get up.

2. Peter, tell her to wash the floor.
3. May I ask you to translate this article?
4. Please, ask him to look through her report.
5. Please, tell her to make some coffee.

4. Translate the following sentences.

1. Що ти читаєш?
2. Не виходь на вулицю. Йде дощ.
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3. Він зайнятий. Він щось пише.
4. Вони обговорюють щось цікаве.
5. Прибери у своїй кімнаті поки мати миє посуд.

PAST
NFINITIVE PAST SIMPLE PARTICIPLE I
PARTICIPLE
be was/were been
beat beat beaten
become became become
begin began begun
bend bent bent
bet bet bet
bite bit bitten
blow blew blown
break broke broken
bring brought brought
build built built
burst burst burst
buy bought bought
catch caught caught
choose chose chosen
come came come
cost cost cost
cut cut cut
deal dealt dealt
dig dug dug
do did done
draw drew drawn
drink drank drunk
drive drove driven
eat ate eaten
fall fell fallen
feed fed fed
feel felt felt
fight fought fought
find found found
fly flew flown
forbid forbade forbidden
forget forgot forgotten
forgive forgave forgiven
freeze froze frozen
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get got got
give gave given
go went gone
grow grew grown
hang hung hung
have had had
hear heard heard
hide hid hidden
hit hit hit
hold held held
hurt hurt hurt
know knew known
lay laid laid
lead led led
leave left left
lend lent lent
let let let
lie lay lain
light lit lit
lose lost lost
make made made
mean meant meant
meet met met
pay paid paid
put put put
read read read
ride rode ridden
ring rang rung
rise rose risen
run ran run
say said said
see saw seen
seek sought sought
sell sold sold
send sent sent
set set set
sew sewed sewn/ sewed
shake shook shaken
shine shone shone
shoot shot shot
show showed shown
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shrink shrank shrunk
shut shut shut
sing sang sung
sink sank sunk
sit sat sat
sleep slept slept
speak spoke spoken
spend spent spent
split split split
spread spread spread
spring sprang sprung
stand stood stood
steal stole stolen
stick stuck stuck
swear swore sworn
sweep swept swept
swim swam swum
swing swung swung
take took taken
teach taught taught
tear torn torn
tell told told
think thought thought
throw threw thrown
understand understood understood
wake woke woken
wear wore worn
win won won
write wrote written