Tenses have a special place in English grammar. In addition to understanding the rules for using a particular time, one must always consider the context in which this time is used. In English, just like in Russian, there are only three tenses: past, present and future. However, each time can be divided by another 4, depending on the duration and completion of the action. The most difficult thing is to determine which time under which circumstances to use. Sometimes, looking at controversial situations, it seems that the choice of time is, in general, a matter of philosophy: is it customary, but you are not aware, or are you looking at the action from different bell towers. Although the application of tenses is somewhat confusing, their construction does not present any particular problems.
In English, a certain time period can be shown by the times of the Continuous group, most often found and loved by Americans -These are the Present Continuous and Present Perfect Continuous tenses. For comparison, the length of time in Russian is not emphasized by the verb form, except perhaps with the corresponding adverbs or adverbial phrases, such as now, for a week or two days in a row.
How the Present Continuous time is formed
Building Present Continuous Tense is very simple, and the best part is that it is the same for all verbs, there are no exceptions. However, Present Continuous still has its own characteristics. How is the verb formed in Present Continuous (present continuous)? It is assembled as follows: the verb to be in the form corresponding to the person and number of the subject (am, is, are) + the semantic verb with the ending -ing.
He is watching TV. (He is watching TV).
I am smiling. (I smile).
They are looking for you. (They are looking for you).
How is a question formed in the Present Continuous? In order to ask a question, you need to rearrange the verb to be in the desired form and the subject (if there is an interrogative word, it comes before the verb to be):
Is he watching TV? (Is he watching TV?)
Why is he watching TV? (Why is he watching TV?)
Am I smiling? (Am I smiling?)
Are they looking for you? (Are they looking for you?)
If you need to make a negative sentence, then between the verb to be and the semantic verb you need to put the particle not.
He isn't watching TV. (He doesn't watch TV.)
I'm not smiling. (I don't smile.)
They are not looking for you. (They are not looking for you.)
Use cases
How Present Continuous is formed in English, we figured it out. Things get more interesting with its use. The present continuous (Present Continuous) is very common and is used in several cases.
To describe activities that are currently in progress but will end soon:
He is playing football. (He plays football.)
Don't tune the TV off, I'm watching it. (Don't turn off the TV, I'm watching it.)
Look! They are running after us. (Look! They are running after us.)
In these sentences, the situation is limited by time - the game will eventually end, as well as the TV show and the chase.
To illustrate a situation or action that is relevant now, but not necessarily happening at the moment of speaking and covering a wider time period:
Don't take the book! Jane is reading it. (Don't take the book! Jane is reading it.)
Don't move anything on the table! John is painting the picture. (Don't touch anything on the table! John is painting a picture.)
Mute your telephone, please. Angela is sleeping now because she has been working all night
To express a temporary action:
Peter is a student but he’s working as a barman
To indicate a planned event in the future:
We are playing tennis on Monday. (We play tennis on Monday.)
For a story about constantly repetitive actions that annoy the narrator (usually everything related to repetition refers to the present simple (Present Simple), but to express annoyance, it is more appropriate to use Present Continuous):
He is always complaining about his colleagues. (He complains about his colleagues all the time.)
She is always gnawing her nails! (She bites her nails all the time!)
Helpful words
We looked at how the Present Continuous is formed in English, but that's not all. To recognize the present continuous tense in speech, there are pointer words. They are quite enough to use them in any context. For example, pointers at the moment (at this time), now / just now / right now (now / right now), Listen! (Listen!), Look! (Look!) can be used in the description of the actions taking place at a particular moment. These are the most important helpers that personify the duration of what is happening at this particular moment.
Next week (next week), tomorrow (tomorrow), tomorrow morning (tomorrow morning) reflect events in the near future. Constantly repeating situations can be marked with the same pointers as Present Simple: always (always), forever (forever), perpetually (constantly), repeatedly (repeatedly). The pointer these days (one of these days) is suitable for describing events that take place for a long time in the present, butnot at this particular moment.
Listen! She is crying because of you (Listen! She is crying because of you!)
Susan is perpetually gossiping! (Susan gossips all the time!)
Tomorrow we are going for a walk in the neighborhood park
Which verbs to use?
You can safely use Continuous tenses with action verbs:
I've been playing the piano since I was 5.
I'm playing the piano now. (Now I play the piano.)
They are driving to Moscow at the moment. (They are currently on their way to Moscow.)
There are verbs that don't need lengthening because their meaning already implies it. For example, verbs such as smoke, collect, work, belong, know, meaning some kind of long-term habit / acquaintance, can be used in the usual Present Perfect (this is exactly what native speakers will do).
I've collected stamps since 1985.
He has known me for 20 years. (He has known me for 20 years.)
There are verbs that are not used in the Continuous form, because they mean states, not a process. These verbs include:
- verbs of feeling (to feel, to hear, to see, to smell, to taste);
- verbs expressing someone's opinion (to assume, to believe, to consider, to doubt, to feel (=to think), to find (=to consider), to suppose, to think);
- verbs that reflect the state of mind (to forget, to imagine, to know, to mean, to notice,to recognize, to remember, to understand);
- verbs expressing emotions (to envy, to fear, to dislike, to hate, to hope, to like, to love, to mind, to prefer, to regret, to want, to wish).
The verbs to look (meaning to be like), to seem, to be (in most cases), to have (meaning to have) are also not used in the Present Continuous form.
There are exceptions to these rules. For example, the verbs of perception (see, hear, feel, smell), the verb have in set expressions, and some other verbs can be used in the Continuous form, but not in the direct meaning.
Kate is feeling much better. (Katya feels better, i.e. on the mend.)
He's having dinner. (He is having lunch=eating.)
Ann is seeing her husband later
Present Perfect Continuous
The Present Perfect Continuous is a tense used to show that an action started in the past and has not ended yet. It is intended to reinforce the emphasis on the duration of an action or situation.
I have been reading War and Peace for a month now. (I have been reading "War and Peace" for a month) In this sentence, the use of Present Perfect Continuous is due to the length of the work: you cannot overcome all 4 volumes in one day, by this time it will take enough time to read the book. A month ago, the speaker started reading it and is still reading it).
She has been waiting for you all day. (She's waiting for you allday, i.e. waited in the morning and is waiting now.)
They have been traveling since last November. (They have been traveling since last November, meaning they are still not at home.)
Building Present Perfect Continuous
We already know how Present Continuous is formed. It's not all that difficult there. Remembering how Present Perfect Continuous time is formed is also simple. We use the verb have/has (depending on the number and person of the subject) +been + Present participle (semantic verb root + ending -ing).
I have been living here for 10 years. (I've lived here for 10 years. Moved in 10 years ago and haven't moved since.)
To ask a question, you need to put the auxiliary verb have/has before the subject:
Have you been living here for 10 years? (Have you lived here for 10 years?)
To convey an idea that is opposite in meaning, you need to put a negative particle after the auxiliary verb not:
I have not been living here for 10 years. (I haven't lived here for 10 years.)
Like the Present Continuous, there are verbs that do not need to be strengthened, since their meaning already implies this.
Verbs such as smoke, collect, work, belong, know meaning some kind of long-term habit/acquaintance are best used in the regular Present Perfect.
I've collected stamps since 1985.
He has known me for 20 years. (He has known me for 20 years.)
When Present Perfect Continuous is used
How is formedPresent Perfect Continuous, everything is clear. But there are many nuances in using this time, because it is very similar to the simple Present Perfect. Sometimes the same sentence can be used in both tenses without losing its meaning. We will try to consider all the features of the use of Present Continuous and put them on the shelves.
The action lasted for some time and ended recently. For example, you are working in the garden, you hear that a neighbor has come to you, come up to say hello and say:
Sorry, my hands are dirty. I've been working in the garden. (Sorry, my hands are dirty. I was gardening.) It doesn't matter if you keep working or not.
The action ended, but we can see its result now:
Why are your eyes red? Have you been crying? (Why do you have red eyes? Did you cry?) Red eyes are the result. Cried - prolonged action.
She is so happy! She has been waiting for him for 2 months. (She is so happy! She has been waiting for him for two months.)
They are very angry. They have been trying to get you on the phone for all this week (They are very angry. They have been trying to get through to you all week.) Angry is the result. Trying to get through is a lengthy process.
You need to be careful when using Present Perfect Continuous in negative sentences, because it can be absurd. Agree, it is strange to indicate the duration of the action, which never happened. For example, if there was no snow in the evening, you will say no - It has not been raining in the evening(It didn't snow in the evening), but - It hasn't rained in the evening (Present Perfect).
Perhaps the only use of the Present Perfect Continuous in negative sentences is when the negative is contained in the sentence itself and not in the verb. For example: I haven't been studying Maths, but Science
Indicator words in Present Perfect Continuous
Present Perfect Continuous does not have many helper words, but the following pointers can help you choose the correct tense form of the verb or recognize the time itself:
- all day - all day;
- the whole day - the whole day;
- since - since…;
- for - throughout;
- questions beginning with the interrogative construction how long? (how long?).
He has been living in London since 2000.
She has been listening to music for 2 hours. (She listened to music for 2 hours.)
I have been sleeping the whole day
Sophie has been shopping all day
How long have you been walking in the forest? (How long have you been walking in the forest?)
Difference between Present Perfect Continuous and Present Continuous
The difference between these two long tenses is in their definition: Present Continuous in most cases speaks of actions and situations at the moment of speech. Present Perfect Continuous, on the other hand, always has a link to the past: the action began in the past and continues to this day. In how Present Continuous and Present are formedPerfect Continuous also has a difference.
Confusion may arise due to incorrect translation and misinterpretation of what is read. The absence (or ignorance) of index words, which can be modified, can also cause an error.
In order to be able to insert this or that tense in time, of course, practice is needed (both in writing and in speech). Nowadays, on the Internet, in bookstores, you can find a huge amount of a wide variety of information, textbooks, practical guides, blogs and websites / exercise books. There are resources where you can choose a native speaker as your teacher and ask them to practice their grammatical gaps/problems.
The most important thing is not to give up, and every day to devote at least a little time to learning the language. There is an opinion that even a minute a day bears fruit in the future. It would be a wish!
