5 ways to use the PRESENT CONTINUOUS verb tense in English
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 พ.ค. 2024
- If you think the present continuous is only used to talk about actions that are happening in the present, think again. In this grammar lesson, I look at five different ways the present continuous (also called present progressive) can be used, including a pre-arranged future plan, an event that is happening during a particular period, repeated behaviors, and temporary situations. This is a great way to refresh what you already know about the present continuous and to expand on it. After watching, I am hoping you will check your understanding by completing the quiz at www.engvid.com/5-ways-to-use-t...
TRANSCRIPT
Hey, everyone. I'm Alex. Thanks for clicking, and welcome to this lesson on five ways to use the present continuous, or present progressive, depending on which grammar book you read.
So, today, we are going to look at five different ways that we use this very, very common grammar tense. Now, if you're watching this video, you might say: "Okay, I know the present continuous. I use it to talk about an action that is happening right now." Or maybe you're a little more advanced, and you say: "Okay, you can use it for an action happening now, and I know I can use it for future actions, too." This is correct. These are two ways that we're going to talk about today, but there will also be three more ways.
So just to begin, as a reminder, this is the structure of the present continuous. You have a subject, the verb "to be", and a verb+ing. For example: I (subject) am (verb "to be") studying (verb+ing). "I am studying" is a present continuous sentence. Now, let's look at the five ways that we can use this tense.
Number one, the most basic one: An action that is happening at this moment. -"What are you doing?" -"I'm watching TH-cam videos." Okay? "I am studying.", "I am reading.", "I am listening to music." Now, in this moment. And, again, the most common question in this situation is: -"Hey. What are you doing?" -"I am doing this."
Number two: An action that is happening during this period of time. Now, this means the period of time in your life right now, maybe the past week, two weeks, a few months. For example: "Hey. Are you still practicing piano?" You're not practicing piano at this moment, but practicing piano is something you do or have been doing in your life for a while. So, for example, you can say, you know: "Hey. What are you doing? Where do you go to school?" blah, blah, blah, and a person can say: "Oh, I'm studying at the University of", wherever. Okay? So if a person asks you: -"Where do you study?" -"I am studying at this university" or "this school". You are not studying there right now in the moment, but in your life this is happening right now.
Number three: An action that is prearranged in the future. So this means you are almost 100% certain that this action or this event will happen, is going to happen. So, for example: -"What are you doing tomorrow?" -"Tomorrow? We're going to New York tomorrow. We are going 100%." Other examples: "My mom is visiting me this weekend.", "I'm seeing a movie tomorrow.", "I'm watching a play with my cousin." Okay? So anything where it's scheduled, it's prearranged, it's preplanned, you're almost 100% sure it's going to happen in the future. You can also use the present continuous in this way.
One thing about number three is depending on, you know, who your grammar teacher is, you might hear sometimes: "You only use the present continuous if it's an action that is happening in the near future." This is incorrect. Okay? You can use the present continuous to talk about actions that are definitely in the near future, like: "We're going to New York tomorrow", but you can also talk about something that's going to happen in the distant future, too, using the present continuous, like, for example: "We are going to Cuba in November." Okay? "We are travelling to Australia next year." So here are examples of present continuous for prearranged things in the future, but they can be far away. Not just near future; far future, too.
Number four: A temporary event or state/situation. So a person can be acting a certain way in the moment, and maybe they don't normally act this way; it's a temporary way of acting. For example: "Why are you being so selfish?" You are acting a certain way, you are being selfish in the moment and it's temporary, and maybe normally you are not selfish. Another example is... For example, if you are in a band, and you say: "Oh, normally Jack plays guitar, but today he's playing the bass." Now, again, normally he plays the guitar. Today, temporarily, he is playing the bass.
![เปิดบ้าน เปิด Supercar อั๋นโอกิ เคยเอา rolls Royce เเลกพระ องค์ละ 100 ล้าน l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/FeGwJwXauZ0/mqdefault.jpg)
Мне целый год пытались объяснить разные преподаватели это время. ГОД! А этот парень справился с этим за 6 минут...
Thank you so much!
Thank you very much for your videos l've been watching them for a while and they helped me a lot . You're an excellent teacher 😊
+Heba R. Thanks for clicking and for your feedback.
Thank you
@@dalilaayad7474 Kg
Great job, Alex!
You teach very well.
Thanks for helping us!
+Marcelo Feitoza Not a problem. :) Thanks for clicking.
Hey everyone! Thanks for clicking. If you enjoyed the video and would like to support EngVid, you can always donate here: www.engvid.com/support/ As always, if you would like to keep up with me, you can also check me out on Facebook and Twitter: Facebook: facebook.com/alex.engvid Twitter: twitter.com/AlexEngVid Thanks for studying with EngVid, and good luck!
You are the best teacher I have ever met: your personality,your way of presenting materials out of competition
Thank you so much Alex. I love all your videos. They're very useful, and I have watched both on TH-cam and EngVid.
Good luck on your job.
I'm always watching Alex's English video classes! I'm studying English at home right now. And this moment is being the happiest one of the day... lol... these are some senteces I made up to practice the grammar taught in this lesson. I hope they're right, teacher Alex! Your classes are awesome! Love them!
+mysecretplacewithyou Thanks for your feedback, as always! It's great to see students using the grammar in their comments.
Hi ..
Thank you for your presentation, and I am watching your videos in the last year and am so feeling upgrading my grammar.
Thank you.
You are really teaching star, Alex 🌟! 🌹 👍 😊.
I appriciate your teaching way! Thank you for your lessons!
+Edilson C.D do Nascimento Any time. Thanks!
I'm adoring to learn with you ,Alex. You're perfect to teach us! Thanks one more time!
Hi, Alex! I very appreciate you always speak clearly and understandable. Thank you!
My pleasure!
hi Alex, its really helping us a lot. currently we (my sister and i) are preparing for IELTS. Please continue your teaching sections like this. thank you so much
This is the best vid explaining this tense. Nice and clear. It helps so much. Teaching is obviously your blessing/gift. Thank you so much!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching.
Thanks Alex! Your lesion is very clear and easy to follow.
sir your way of teaching is very beautiful.
I appreciate you.
Great video, have clear the basic things is very important and this explanation helps a lot to it.
An amazing video, Alex! Very helpful!
Thanks a lot for understandable pronunciation and slow temp, I've understood 95% of this lesson and it's inspiring me! )
Thank you for a well-explained tutorial. I'm learning 3 more new ways to use the present continuous.
Thanks a lot for your video. You explain the lessons really comprehensible and easy to understand. you are a real teacher.
Thanks for such kind feedback, Reza. I really appreciate it, and I'm glad you find my lessons easy to understand!
Hi Alex, your classes are help me !! thank you
such a great explanation and amazing episode thanks for your efforts Mr/Alex
Thanks, great teachers!
+LaShanda V West Thank you very much!
Thank you man, i'm studying basic grammar to take teofl exam and sometimes we need videos like this to understand better when we have to use present continuous or when we have to use will, thank you again.
That's awesome to hear. Good luck on the TOEFL!
Thank you teacher.
You are always trying to do your best to teach us English
Hi Alex!! Thanks for being always so clear in your lessons. I have a question. I'm going to teach present continuos. Since there are a few ways, do you think it should be taught one at a time with examples or all at once in the same day?? Thanks for your response:)
Very good teacher !!! I hope more good lessons like yours, thanks.
Excellent! Thanks Alex!
My pleasure!
Thank you so much Mr.Alex ..Go on your great lessons PLEASE
I will! Thanks a lot.
thanks for the lesson
+Mich Douglas Any time!
When I have a doubt, I’m constantly checking out your videos
Hi Alex! You are a great teacher. Very good.
I watched a few of your videos and I found all of them useful! My English is not good but you are helping others, like me, a lot. Thanks, keep uploading videos. Good luck.
+Gustavo Nieto Thanks, Gustavo. I hope to keep making videos for a long time to come. I appreciate your support!
Alex,I really love the way you speak English.
+Virak Psg Thanks! I'm glad you're able to understand me.
Could I know the name of your facebook account?
Thanks! Teacher. It's great tutorial.
Good lesson. Thank u Mr. Alex...
+Rizal Fauzan Any time!
Hi Alex,
Thanks for the video!
Excellent teacher, i'm watching every day. Thank you
The best class and the best professor.
Thank you so much for your excellent lecture 😊❤️
Hi Alex. Thank you for the good teaching and the clear explanations. I heard you use present continuous tense as in "one thing about number three is depending on who your grammar teacher is," from 3:37 to 4:46 of the video, and I'm wondering which situation it is for? And it is somehow related to a question that I've been having for so long: is there any other way of using present continuous tense? I've heard a bunch of English native speakers seemingly use present continuous tense in daily conversations for none of the situations mentioned in the video and don't know why they use it. If there is, how does it work? Thank you so much for your patience and reply in advance.
This is what I’ve been looking for .
Thanks 🙏
I’m glad you found it useful! I made this video a few years ago, so if you want something more current, I wrote a blog post about this topic recently: www.englishalex.com/post/english-grammar-6-ways-to-use-the-present-continuous
Thank you for this video. It helps me a lot
Thank You for your clear explanation
+mohamed sifahir You're very welcome!
teacher! keep this amazing job! thanks, you're real Master!
Thanks, othon! I'll keep it up!
@@engvidAlex hi sir i need a lesson plan for pre intermediate level on usage of present continuous tense by using straight arrow ESA.could u plz help me
Good morning 😘 sir. Can you teach. Me
@@Raah-e-NijatwithAllah Good. Teacher
@@engvidAlex Thanks. To get know ledge
Great lesson.
Thank you
+Neamul Hassan No problem! Thanks for clicking!
Alex sir! I love watching your lessons
Hi Alex. Cool explanation.
Thank you.
Zaccaro
+ZACCARO Custom Things No problem. Thanks for watching.
So useful! You're great!
you are always teaching us grammar in straightforward method .
+Raaad Ahmed You got it! Thanks for watching. Just make sure to say "In A straightforward manner."
I am very happy with your way to teach, thank you so much.
verrry helpful Alex. Gracias very much !
I PROUD OF PEOPLE AS YOU !!! I COULD UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING , THANKS A LOT
dear,
Mr.alex
thank you very much.
I like your video,
I am from palu, central sulawesi Indonesia
Thank you for making so easy for me and others thank you
Thanks Alex !! You're the best :)
Thanks for your video 🙂🙂🙂🙂😊
Thank you so much for the lesson. I titerally learned a couple more points.
Thanks Alex, as you taught today: I'm liking your classes!
+CommedyKnights Thanks! "Like" is a stative verb, so it's not common or technically proper to use it in the continuous, but it's used in speaking, so feel free to use it this way!
Very useful video Alex. Thanks
you are a super excellent teacher may God bless you
Really useful.i learnt a lot from this clip.
+kyle anuchit Awesome! Thanks for checking it out.
You are a great teacher!
I dont know english just little bit but you re very good teacher. I understand just your lesson
You always are teaching a very interesting english things :) Thanks :)
i think we say : you always teach very intersting things
Alex, thanks a million for the lesson. You rock and the present continuous rocks 👍
I'm glad you enjoyed the lesson! Thanks for the feedback! :D
Thanks a lot, Alex for this useful lesson! I've found a lot of new info about using of Present Continuous. Yoa are great teacher)
+Sonya Ray Thanks for your feedback and for watching the video!
Thx, Alex.
Alex is right. This is official version of rule.
My version: english language have only 3 tenses. It is physical fact.
Plus different type of actions(done and doing). Same thing in the my russian language.
Actions take place in any 3 tenses: past, present, future.
Thank you for such a great lesson
My pleasure! Thanks for checking it out.
Thank you very much for your videos.
This is a superb lesson. This will help me in my exam tomorrow and I will pray for you to always success at your life.
That's very kind. Thank you, pashtana, and good luck on your exam.
thank you so much great teacher
+soran Kurdistani You're very welcome!
Props! Thank you so much.
Hi Alex I'm starting to learn english and I find your videos very helpful. You are an excellent teacher. I have a question about the present continuous when is used to talk about future, Is correct if I say: I'm meeting with my friends after the school? or is better if I say: I´m going to meet my friends after the school?
Thank you so you... We are looking for business English episodes..
regards..
+adamlovejo I made a couple of business-related videos that you'll see at some point, but I can't say when. EngVid.com has a lot of business English lessons by my colleagues.
thanks Alex for the great lesson
+Kawtar kd Any time! Thanks for checking it out.
+English Lessons with Alex (engVid AlexESLvid) 😊
Hi.
Mr. Alex believe me, you are very professional English Tutor. I benefited so
much from your lessons.
My
question is what’s the difference between helping verbs and the verb to be in
this sentence
He is
playing football presently.
thank you so much for these significant rules
Thank you so much! Its that i searched for
THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH.
You're very welcome! Thanks for studying with me.
It’s very nice i am from georgia and i use your lessons for my education. Please continue
Thanks alot ,I love your prononciation cuz it's clear for me 😍
Hello, Mr. Alex. About third way. I have learned this as the verb 'to be going to' not as Continuous. Or are they the same thing?
Thanks friend, thanks to you, I will pass on my English test. I'm brazilian !!
Thanks a lot for your great work
You help me a lot, thank you!
i have learned in many lessons that present continuous is used for only nearest future but not for two months or next year. if we use for a long future we use future plans eg. i am going to visit france next month or next year or next week ( pre planned) but anyway awesome teachings mr. alex
+oswald lobo I know grammar books and teachers say that, but try to tell any native English speaker that they're wrong when they say "I'm starting university in September," and they'll give you a funny look. :)
muy bueno felicidades👌👌
Amazing as usual!
Thank you, Sam! That's very kind of you to say. I appreciate the feedback.
Thank u so much!!! I m HongKonger and I really love your lessons. I m wondering what's the difference between " He's always complaining " and " He always complains "
Thanks so much, it helps me to understand to use 5 ways of Present Continuous now, from Indonesia, Are you still making videos lately?
Very great Sir,It is very easy to understand,Thank you so much
Thank you for sharing
+Talib Ali Thanks for watching!
Thank you. May I ask a question?
Can i say " I am being a teacher for the next three months " when talk about certain or preplanned action.
Thank you so much , I'm learning english and this video help me a lot
استمتعت جدا بشرح حضرتك الدقيق
Thank you so much now i had understanding every thing
Hi Alex.How you doing ?
I've watched many lessons on english by you.They have helped me a lot improving my english. You've been really very helpful to me.i'm very much grateful to you for all your teachings so far.
Can "will" be used for predicting anything that is happening in the very present time(now) ? Like.
Peter asks Ali -Where is John?
Ali answers(Ali predicts and say) - He'll be in his office.
Thank you.
Good day.
Thanks for your video ❤
You're welcome! Thanks for watching.