Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksExport to PDFBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ======The present continuous:further information====== =====Adverbs of frequency===== <html> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>Although we usually use the present simple with <span style="color: rgb(112, 48, 160);">adverbs of frequency</span>, it is possible to use <u>always</u> and words with a similar meaning with the present continuous. The present simple focuses on how regularly something happens and the present continuous emphasises that it happens a lot. It is a way of exaggerating 'very often'. Compare:</span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'> </span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She always smiles when she greets a client. [every time that she greets a client]</span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She'<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">s</span> always smil<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">ing</span>. [she smiles a lot; not all the time of course]</span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'> </span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>We can use it when we think something happens too often or we are unhappy about something:</span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>I'<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">m</span> <u>always</u> los<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">ing</span> my keys!</span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>You'<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">re</span> <u>always</u> talk<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">ing</span> on the phone when you should be working! </span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>He'<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">s </span><u>constantly</u><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);"> </span>play<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">ing</span> with his pen during meetings!</span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>She'<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">s </span><u>forever</u> talk<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">ing</span> about her children - it's so boring!</span></b></p><p> <br></p><p><a class="various" href="https://www.e-exercises.com/img/bibliotheque/5836_a792f14ae5b5ace0dd2ce205523dcdb1.jpg" rel="image_show"><img width="252" height="165" id="5837" style="width: 127px; height: 90px;" alt="coffee café tasse pause break friends amis" src="https://www.e-exercises.com/img/bibliotheque/5836_a792f14ae5b5ace0dd2ce205523dcdb1.jpg"></a> <span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;'><strong>My neighbour'<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">s</span> <u>always</u> popp<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">ing</span> in for a coffee, which is nice.</strong></span></p><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;'></span><p><a class="various" href="https://www.e-exercises.com/img/bibliotheque/548_6656803c38fddea0130553c4f2c62e7b.jpg" rel="image_show"><img width="283" height="423" id="548" style="width: 108px; height: 148px;" alt="mother, stressed, children, fighting mère enfants mum mom kids " src="https://www.e-exercises.com/img/bibliotheque/548_6656803c38fddea0130553c4f2c62e7b.jpg"></a> <span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;'><strong>My children <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">are</span> always fight<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">ing</span>; what shall I do?</strong></span></p><p><br></p></html> =====Stative and active verbs===== <html> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>We usually avoid using the present continuous (and other continuous tenses) with stative verbs. These are different from active verbs because they describe a state, feelings or emotions. They are also used to refer to the senses or to talk about weights and measurements etc.</span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'> </span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>I know a lot of Japanese people. [not 'I'm knowing']</span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'> </span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>He believes in God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[not 'He's believing'] </span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'> </span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>I'm a teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[not 'I'm being']</span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'> </span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>It weighs 3kg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[not 'It's weighing]</span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>However, there are exceptions. See <span style="color: rgb(112, 48, 160);">stative and active verbs </span>for more detail.</span></b></p> <br></html> =====The senses===== <html> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>Verbs like taste, see, hear, smell, sound etc. are more commonly used with simple tenses:</span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'> </span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>It tastes delicious.</span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>It smells good.</span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>It sounds lovely.</span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>It feels soft.</span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>It looks wonderful.</span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>However we can also use the continuous when talking about current situations:</span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'> </span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>You look nice today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>= You'<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">re</span> look<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">ing</span> nice today</span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>Do you feel better today? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>= <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">Are</span> you feel<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">ing</span> better today?</span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'> </span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>The garden <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">is</span> look<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">ing</span> lovely now that spring is here. </span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 35.45pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'>It <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">is</span> feel<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">ing</span> much softer now I have washed it with Lenor. </span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;'> </span></b></p> <br></html> =====Stories and jokes===== <html><p> <b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;'>In informal, spoken English, we sometimes use the <span style="color: rgb(112, 48, 160);">present simple </span>and present continuous to tell a joke or relate something that happened in the past because it sounds more interesting or dramatic:</span></b></p><p> <br></p><p><a class="various" href="https://www.e-exercises.com/img/bibliotheque/92_d3016460f5614176193c618c17dc7932.jpg" rel="image_show"><img width="284" height="422" id="92" style="width: 100px; height: 161px;" alt="roses flowers man offering giving bouquet fleurs gift cadeau" src="https://www.e-exercises.com/img/bibliotheque/92_d3016460f5614176193c618c17dc7932.jpg"></a> </p><p> <b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;'>You won't believe what happened last night! Well, I'<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">m</span> cook<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">ing</span> the dinner when his car screeches to a halt and I stop<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);"> </span>what I'<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">m</span> do<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">ing</span>. He comes in and he'<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">s</span> hold<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">ing</span> a bunch of flowers. Well, I know what he'<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">s</span> think<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">ing</span>...</span></b></p><p><strong> </strong><a class="various" href="https://www.e-exercises.com/img/bibliotheque/551_dbdd1fb7bd4ade626f56bcfe6069e343.jpg" rel="image_show"><img width="284" height="422" id="551" style="width: 109px; height: 140px;" alt="dog, suit" src="https://www.e-exercises.com/img/bibliotheque/551_dbdd1fb7bd4ade626f56bcfe6069e343.jpg"></a></p><p> <b style=";"><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 115%; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;'>A dog walks into a bar and he'<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">s</span> wear<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">ing</span> a suit and tie. He'<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">s </span>carry<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204);">ing</span> a briefcase and he says to the barman...</span></b></p><p></p></html>