Learning English

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USES OF PRESENT CONTINUOUS 

Activities happening at the moment of speaking.

• Right now, I’m making a video, and you are learning English.
• The sun is shining now.
• My parents are working at the moment.
• The webpage is currently loading.

Useful vocabulary for activities happening now: at the moment, now, right now, currently, as we speak

Temporary situations happening around the present moment.

• I’m living in a noisy neighbourhood at the moment.
• My parents are working on a home decoration project this year.
• Susie is studying at university.
• My brothers are travelling the world.

Activities that are repeated a lot.

• He is constantly stealing my biscuits.
• It’s always raining in London.
• They are consistently arriving late to class.
• We are regularly testing the computers for viruses.

Useful vocabulary for repeated activities: constantly, always, consistently, regularly, repeatedly, continually, perpetually

Talking about change.

• His health is improving.
• The kids are growing up so quickly.
• The population of the town is increasing slowly.
• Everything in my life is changing.

Talking about future plans or arrangements.

• What are you doing this evening?
  • I’m visiting my grandma.
• We’re watching a movie with Mum later.
• I’m getting the train at 4 o’clock this afternoon.

Useful vocabulary for future plans: at ____ (time), next Monday, next week/month/year/season, this afternoon/evening, tonight, tomorrow, tomorrow morning

 

STRUCTURE 

For positive sentences, use the verb ‘to be’, then add ‘-ing’ to the main verb.

• I am walking
• You are walking
• He is walking
• She is walking
• It is walking
• We are walking
• They are walking

For negative sentences, add ‘not’ after the verb ‘to be’.  We usually contract the form with an apostrophe.

• I am not walking > I’m not walking
• You are not walking > You aren’t/You’re not walking
• He is not walking > He isn’t walking/He’s not walking
• She is not walking > She isn’t walking/She’s not walking
• It is not walking > It isn’t walking/It’s not walking
• We are not walking > We aren’t walking/We’re not walking
• They are not walking > They aren’t walking/They’re not walking

To ask yes/no questions, change the order of the sentence so the ‘to be’ verb is at the beginning.

• Am I walking?
  • Yes, you are
  • No, you aren’t 
• Are you walking?
  • Yes, I am
  • No, I’m not
• Is he walking?
  • Yes, he is
  • No, he isn’t
• Is she walking?
  • Yes, she is
  • No, she isn’t
• Is it walking?
  • Yes, it is
  • No, it isn’t
• Are we walking?
  • Yes, we are
  • No, we aren’t
• Are they walking?  
  • Yes, they are
  • No, they aren’t

To ask for more information, add the ‘who, what, where, why, how, when’ question words at the beginning.

• Why am I walking?
• Who are you walking with?
• Where he walking?
• When is she walking?
• How are they walking?
• When are we walking?

To do

Practise by using the worksheet on this page, and watch other Tenses with Georgie videos.

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