Grammar - Tenses- Present Continuous Tense


Present Continuous Tense
is used to talk about
 actions that have begun and not yet finished at the time of speaking

Today Kurulu is joining again with us to continue our discussions



Present Continuous Tense
Let’s begin

As you all know Kurulu goes to the beach every weekend. Today is Sunday and she is at the beach now. The sun is shining brightly in the sky. They all are enjoying a sunny day at the beach. Vihanga, her elder brother is flying a kite. Is he enjoying it? He is enjoying it very much. Her little brother Pavan is riding a pony. Her father is walking beside him. Pavan is enjoying the ride happily. Her friends Smanali and Sepalika are building sand castles. Kokila and Pavan are playing with a ball. Kokila is throwing the ball and Pavan is catching. Some people are bathing in the sea. What is Kurulu doing now?  Is she collecting sea shells? She is not collecting shells now. Kurulu is sitting and watching the rolling waves in the sea. Who is collecting sea shells? Sandaras is collecting sea shells.  Some children are collecting seashells on the beach. They are not idling a single moment. Their mother is sitting on a rock. She is watching them at play. An ice-cream seller is standing under a tree. He is selling ice cream. A Kadala vendor is also selling Kadala. Children are running to buy ice-cream and kadala. The sun is setting. The birds are flying to their nests. They all are getting ready to go home. It is an enjoyable day.

Kurulu and others are doing some actions at the beach.
 Those actions are happening right at this time.
The actions are continuing at the time we are speaking about them.
Therefore we use
Present Continuous Tense
 to talk about them.
Read the sentences taken from the paragraph above paying attention to how the verb is used in the sentences.
 They say what is happening at the beach now.

The sun is shining brightly in the sky.
 They all are enjoying a sunny day at the beach.
 Vihanga, her elder brother is flying a kite.
Is he enjoying it?
He is enjoying it very much.
 Her little brother Pavan is riding a pony.
Her father is walking beside him. 
Pavan is enjoying the ride happily.
 Her friends Smanali and Sepalika are building sand castles.
Kokila and Pavan are playing with a ball.
Kokila is throwing the ball and Pavan is catching.
Some people are bathing in the sea.
 What is Kurulu doing now?
Is she collecting sea shells?
She is not collecting shells now.
Kurulu is sitting and watching the rolling waves in the sea.
Who is collecting sea shells today?
Sandaras is collecting sea shells.
 Some children are collecting seashells on the beach.
They are not idling a single moment.
Their mother is sitting on a rock.
She is watching them at play.
They are not idling a single moment.
 An ice-cream seller is standing under a tree.
 He is selling ice cream.
 He is selling different kinds of ice-cream.
 A Kadala vendor is also selling Kadala. 
 Children are running to buy ice-cream and kadala.
The sun is setting. 
They are getting ready to go home.

 All these sentences talk about

Actions happening

The sun is shining brightly in the sky.


 They all are enjoying a sunny day at the beach.


Actions not happening


They are not idling a single moment.

She is not collecting shells now.
 We can also ask

Questions about actions happen
What is Kurulu doing now at the beach?
Is she collecting sea shells?
Who is collecting sea shells today?


Do you notice any difference in the use of the verb?
Yes, there is a difference.

There are two words in the verb

The main verb is used with a helping verb and ing is added at the end  
Kokila and Pavan are playing with a ball.

The helping verbs, am, is and are shows that the action is happening in the present time and the suffix ing shows that the action is continuing or not yet finished.

Let’s look at how Present Continuous Tense sentences are formed.


When talking about actions happening we use

Subject + helping verb + verb + ing + Object / Adverbial


 If the subject is singular, or if we talk about one person, we use

Subject Singular + is   + verb + ing + Object / Adverbial
                        Pavan            is      enjoying      the ride   happily.      
         
More examples
Vihanga is flying kites at the beach.
Her brother is playing with a ball.
Ice cream seller is selling ice cream.
 If the subject is plural, or if we talk about more than one person we use

Subject Plural + are   + verb + ing + Object / Adverbial
                             They   are       enjoying      a sunny say at the beach.  

More examples
            
The girls are collecting sea shells.


The children are building sand castles.
The children are playing with a ball.


If the subject is I, or if we talk about one’s own self

Subject + am   + verb + ing + Object / Adverbial
                        I            am    watching      the waves   happily.     
           

 Do the following activities

Activity 1

Fill the blanks with the present continuous form of the verb. Use the verb stems in the brackets.
1

  1.       The birds….....   ………………….  in the sky.(fly)
  2.         Some tourists …… …………………   along the beach. (run)      
  3.           Kurulu’s father  ……   ……………..beside the pony.(walk)
  4.          The children …… ………………… ice-cream.(eat)
  5.           The boats ….. …………….. on the sea.(sail)
  6.      I .........  .................... the waves rolling.(watch)


Remember!

 When we use a pronoun as the subject,

 If the subject is I we use the helping verb am

If the subject is He, She and It we use the helping verb is

If the subject is You, We and They we use the helping verb are




The spelling rules when adding ing to the verb

If the verb ends with the letter e drop it and add ing

No e

Examples
come -  coming
give -   giving
ride – riding
hide – hiding

If the verb ends with the letter, g ,m , n , or t (with a short vowel sound before

 it )  double that letter and add  ing


Double g  , m  , n & t
Examples
dig – digging
swim – swimming
run – running
cut - cutting
 But if there is a long vowel sound before it
 just add ing

Examples
roam – roaming
open – opening

eat – eating

Do the following activities

Activity 2

Fill the blanks with the present continuous form of the verb. Use the verb stems in the brackets
    1.               Kurulu’s younger brother ….. …………………… a pony .(ride)
    2.               Kurulu   …… ………. in a village near the beach these days. (live)
    3.           Pavans’  father ……………. ……………. With him (come)
    4.          The ice cream seller ….. ………………. ice-cream to the   children(give)
    5.           The boys …….. ……… kites.(make)
    6.                I ………… ……………….. my car towards the beach.(drive)

Activity 3


Fill the blanks with the present continuous form of the verb. Use the verb stems in the brackets
  1.           Kurulu’s  mother  ….. …………………… on a rock. .(sit)
  2.                    Some tourists   …… ………. in the sea now. (swim)
  3.             Kurulu’s friends … ……..…...ready to build sand castles (get)
  4.            Sandaras ….. ………………. Hole on the sand.(dig)
  5.            The boys …….. ……… to by  ice-cream.(run)
  6.                  I ………… ……………….. shutters of  my car .(shut)

When talking about actions that are not happening we use

Subject + helping verb +not + verb + ing + Object / Adverbial

If the subject is singular, or if we talk about one person, we use

Subject Singular + is + not + verb + ing + Object / Adverbial

                          kurulu    is   not collecting  sea shell at the beach.      
         
More examples
 
Vihanga is not riding a pony at the beach.
Her brother is not having a bath.
Her mother is not eating an ice cream.
If the subject is plural, or if we talk about more than one person, we use

Subject plural + are + not + verb + ing + Object / Adverbial
  Kurulu’s brothers  are   not     collecting  sea shell   at the beach.      
         
More examples

The girls are not riding ponies at the beach.
Her brother and sisters are not having a bath.


Her mother and father are not eating an ice cream.


Do the following activities
Activity 4
Change the following sentences in to negative form.
  1. The birds are flying in the sky.
  2. Kurulu’s mother is making sand castles.
  3. Kurulu is collecting sea shells.
  4. The ice-cream seller is selling cool drinks at the beach.
  5. Vihanga is buying kites.
  6. You are   building the sand castles well.


When asking about actions happening (interrogative form) we use
Am , Is  & Are

 There are two types of question that we can ask 
they are

‘yes, no’ questions
‘information’ questions

 ‘Yes, No’ Questions

We form ‘yes, no’ questions in the present simple by adding the auxiliary
Am , Is  & Are before the subject of the verb.

What are ‘yes, no’ questions?
They are the questions which get either yes or no as the answer.


If the subject is singular, or if we ask about one person, we use

Is   +   Subject Singular   +   Verb + ing   +   Object / Adverbial

       Is                 she                      collecting          sea shells     now?
No, she is not collecting shells now.

More examples

Is Pavan enjoying the ride?

Yes, he is enjoying the ride.


 
Is mother eating an ice-cream?

No, she is not eating an ice-cream.







Is Vihanga flying a kite?

Yes, he is flying a kite.



If the subject is plural, or if we ask about one person, we use

Are      +      Subject plural   +         Verb          +     Object / Adverbial

              Are               they                flying                  kites?
Yes, they are.


More examples


Are the children buying ice-cream?
Yes, they are.

Are they building sand castles?
Yes, they are.
Are the children bathing in the sea?
No, they are not.


If the subject is I, or if we talk about one’s own self

Am +Subject    + verb + ing + Object / Adverbial

                 Am         I                watching      the waves   happily?               

Do the following activities

Activity 5
Make questions to get the following as the answers.
  1. Yes, the birds are flying in the sky.
  2. No, kurulu’s mother is not making sand castles.
  3. Yes, Kurulu is collecting sea shells.
  4. No, the ice-cream seller is not selling cool drinks.
  5. Yes, Vihanga is flying a kite.
  6. Yes, you are   building the sand castles well.
  7. No, I am not coming to the beach.
  8. No, the children are not sun bathing.
‘Information’ Questions

 We form ‘information’ questions in the present continuous by adding a question word before the auxiliary am, is and are before the subject of the verb.

What are ‘information’ questions?
They are the questions which get certain information as the answer.


When asking information questions we use  a question word according to the information we want.
Example 
if we  want to know about:
 someone - Who
something - What
a place - Where

 If we are asking something about a singular subject we use is after the question word and if the subject is plural we use are. We also use am if the subject is I


If the subject is singular, or if we ask about one person, we use


           Question word + is +Subject +  Verb+ ing +    Adverbial

               What                  is         she          collecting             now?
She is collecting seashells now.

More examples


Where is mother sitting at the beach?
She is sitting on a rock.



What is pavan riding?
Pavan is riding a pony.





If the subject is plural, or if we ask about  more than one person, we use

Question word + are +Subject +        Verb+ ing +    Adverbial

                            What    are    the children   buying       at the beach?               They  are buying ice cream at the beach.

More examples  
         

What are the children building?
They are building sand castles.



Where are they bathing?
They are bathing in the sea.

Do the following activities

Activity 6
Make questions to get the highlighted word or phrase as the answers.
  1. The birds are flying in the sky.
  2. Kurulu’s mother is not making sand castles.
  3. Kurulu is collecting sea shells.
  4. The ice-cream seller is selling ice-cream at the beach.
  5. Vihanga is buying two kites.
  6.  You are   building the sand castles well.
  7. I am not coming to the beach by my car.
  8. They are enjoying a lot because it is a sunny day.

Remember!


There are certain verbs that do not usually appear in the continuous form
What are they?

Mental states:

Believe
Know
Understand
Realize
Recognize
Suppose

Wants & likes:

Want
Like
Love
Hate
Need
Prefer

Appearance:

Appear
Seem
Look like

Example sentences

We say,

I know him very well.
Not
 I am knowing him very well.


Kurulu seems happy today.
Not
Kurulu is seeming happy today.


 I love my mother very much.
Not
I am loving my mother very much.


Important points to remember!
Present Continuous Tense is used to express changes in people and the world around us

Examples 

The p rice of fuel is rising.
Kurulu is growing taller every day.
 Vihanga is getting better.

 It also expresses repeated actions with always

Examples 

 he is always forgetting his spectacles.
Vihanga is always complaining about his brother.
 Pahan is always  bringing  his own laptop to the class.

Present Continuous also speaks about things in the future that we or someone else has arranged

Examples 

Kurulu is going to Kandy tomorrow.

My friend is having  a party tomorrow evening

 I'm going for a movie tonight.

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