present continuous tense

Present Continuous tense

I am watching tv
You are watching tv
He /she is watching tv
It is snowing
We are watching tv
You are watching tv
They are watching tv

Here we have the positive structure - subject plus verb plus object (svo).
The present continuous used the verb (to be) as an auxiliary verb / helping verb.
So sentence structure or syntax is:

Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb plus object.
I am watching television

Point: we normally use the short form of the verb to be when we speak e.g.

I am watching television becomes I’m watching television
You are watching tv becomes you’re watching tv and so on…


Negative:

Here we have the long form followed by the 2 short forms..

I am not watching tv / I’m not watching tv
You are not watching tv / you’re not watching tv / you aren’t watching tv
He/she is not watching tv / she’s not watching tv / she isn’t watching tv
It is not snowing / it’s not snowing / it isn’t snowing
We are not watching tv / we’re not watching tv / we aren’t watching tv
You are not watching tv / you’re not watching / you aren’t watching
They are not watching tv / they’re not watching / they aren’t watching

Point:

1. We can use the short form of the auxiliary verb to be for example
she’s not watching or she isn’t watching tv instead of the long form above.
2. Verbs used in the continuous tenses are action / dynamic verbs as opposed to state verbs mentioned in present simple earlier.

Interrogative / question form:

Am I watching tv?
Are you watching tv?
Is he / she watching tv?
Is it snowing?
Are we watching tv?
Are you watching tv?
Are they watching tv?


Point:

No short form here..

Adding interrogative pronouns helps form more complex answers rather than simply ye s/ no answers.

Example

What are you watching?
Why are you crying?
Who are you talking to?
Where are you going?
When are you leaving?
How many books are you buying?
How much cheese are you eating?



Uses?

1. Action at moment of speaking e.g. I am making a phone call
2. Action happening around now – temporary period of time e.g.
I am studying English in Dublin
3. Future arrangement – fixed appointments e.g. I am meeting a client next Friday at 12 noon.
4. Trends / movements e.g. interest rates are rising / falling






Exercise:

Some of the sentences below are incorrect while others are correct.

1. Everyday I get up at 7am
2. Every weekend he go to mass at 10.30 am
3. How often do you go to the cinema?
4. Does he lives in Dublin
5. How much is it costing?
6. I am meet john tonight at 8 pm
7. Do you knowing Mr. Murphy?
8. He isn’t always on time
9. Frank doesn’t smokes anymore
10. What do you do?

present simple tense

Dublin Business English Language Centre

Grammar summary:

I will be looking at the following grammar elements over the next while and I hope you all learn something.

Any feedback / comments welcome…


Present Simple:

Example: I like Ice Cream
You like ice cream
He/she/ likes ice cream / it tastes nice
We like ice cream
You like cream
They like ice cream

Here we have a simple positive sentence in a SVO structure i.e. Subject, Verb and Object.

Point 1.

Only the 3rd person singular (he, she and it ) change verb ending to s i.e. verb + s.

Negative sentences:
To form a negative sentence in present simple we need to introduce the concept of an auxiliary verb or helping verb. Here we use don’t / doesn’t plus main verb.


I don’t like Ice Cream
You don’t like ice cream
He/she/it doesn’t like ice cream
We don’t like ice cream
You don’t like cream
They don’t like ice cream

So it translates into

Pronoun + auxiliary verb +main verb + noun
I don’t like ice Cream
He doesn’t like ice cream

Point 2.

Be careful not to put an s after 3rd person
He doesn’t likes ice cream
He doesn’t like ice cream


Interrogative sentences:

Once again we need an auxiliary word – we use do / does plus verb to form questions example

Do is used with all persons except 3rd person pronouns which use does + verb.

Example:

Do I like Ireland?
Do you like U2?
Does he / she like Guinness?
Does it taste nice?
Do we/you / they live in Dublin?

So sentence structure is:

Do/does plus subject pronoun + main verb plus noun/object pronoun

Do you like rock music?
Does he like Lady gaga / does he like her?

Point 3.

Be careful not to put an s after 3rd person
Does he likes ice cream
Does he like ice cream


Main uses:

1. Facts: I like ice cream

2. Routines: Everyday I get up at 7.30/ I always go to bed at 11p.

3. Time-tables: the bus leaves at 6pm tomorrow/ the flight arrives at 2pm tomorrow evening/ the meeting starts at 9am on Friday.

4. State verbs: these are non action verbs like verbs of feeling and emotion example like, love, hate, want, sense, desire and feel and are always used in present simple even when referring to now.