Grammar
Tense: Present continuous – Grammar in use
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Grammar in use
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Form
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Drillls
1st Part
Grammar in use
- Topic : Present continuous
- Skills : Grammar
Use
The present continuous: TO BE +Verb + ING is an aspect of the present tense.
(Le présent simple: TO BE + V-ING est une forme du temps présent)
Unlike the simple present, It focuses on the action itself rather than describing it in general terms.
(Contrairement au présent simple, il se concentre sur l’action elle-même plutôt que de la décrire en termes généraux.)
As a camera moves closer to its subject to get a closer look, the present BE-BV-ING, (also called present continuous / present progressive or continuous present) describes the action that is taking place at one moment and is limited in time.
(Comme une caméra se rapproche de son sujet pour le regarder de plus près, le présent BE-BV-ING, (également appelé présent continu / présent progressif ou présent continu) décrit l’action qui se déroule à un instant donné et est limitée dans le temps.)
| FOCUS ON | ACTIONS |
| Action in progress Action en cours | I AM LISTENING to music. ARE you really WORKING? |
| Repeated actions that generate irritation Actions répétées qui génèrent de l’irritation | She’S always SHOUTING at me. |
| Immediate planned future Futur immédiat prévu | I AM HAVING dinner at the restaurant tonight. |
Adverbs generally used with the Present Continuous
A few key adverbs or phrases can guide you in the use of the present BE + Verb + ING
(Quelques adverbes ou expressions clés peuvent vous guider dans l’utilisation du présent BE-BV-ING)
| Now /right now/ today/ this day | At the moment/ at present/ currently | Still | For the time being | Tomorrow Next week | Always (irritation) Again (irritation) |
(Astuce linguistique sur les verbes rarement utilisés au présent continu. Certains verbes sont rarement utilisés au présent continu, comme :
| Abstract verbs | Possession verbs | Emotion verbs | Opinion verbs |
| to be, to know, to understand, to want, to need… | to possess, to own | to like, to dislike, to love, to hate… | to think , to believe, to assume, to feel … |