Continuous Tenses

Continuous Tenses

by bonjoni no.3

​This is a review

​Last week we have learned that Continuous tense has three timelines, present, past and future. Today we will be talking about them.

​

​Present Continuous Tense

​Past Continuous Tense

​Future Continuous Tense

WARNING!

​Promise me that you will read all the slides without skipping them.

​

​Swear!

​Present Continuous Tense

​Subject + is/am/are + Verb-ing

​We use it to talk about...

1. ​What is happening right now

2. ​Something in the progress

3. ​Something in the near future (which has been planned before).

​Negative form = Subject + is/am/are + not + Verb-ing

​Interrogative form = Is/am/are + Subject + Verb-ing

Multiple Choice

I ... listening to my teacher.

• is

• am

• are

Multiple Choice

You... talking about science.

• is

• am

• are

Multiple Choice

They ... not gossping, but discussing about their project.

• is

• am

• are

Multiple Choice

She ... helping my father to sell fried banana.

• is

• am

• are

Multiple Choice

... he really telling us the truth?

• is

• am

• are

Multiple Choice

The kids ... not serious about being your fans.

• is

• am

• are

Multiple Choice

I ... going to your house after school.

• is

• am

• are

Multiple Choice

My family ... not going to do any illegal bussiness although it could make us an overnight millionaire.

• is

• am

• are

Multiple Choice

... I talking to students or a wall?

• is

• am

• are

​Nice!

​Those are present continuous tense sentences which use the "to-be" "is,am,are" and "verb-ing".

​

​I hope you got them all correctly, otherwise, you really need to study again.

​Past Continuous Tense

​It has the same function as Present Continous tense, as they are all "continuous" tense, but this time, it all happened in the past.

​

​One of the characteristic of Past Continous Tense is that we often find it together with a Simple Past Tense sentence.

​Past Continuous Tense

​It also talks about:

​1. What is happening "right now" (a certain time in the past)

​2. Something in progress (in the past, probably not doing it anymore)

​3. Something in the near future (in the past, probably has ended)

​

​Actually all the continuous tenses has the same function, they just differ in the timeline. In the Present Continuous Tense, we use it for present time. In the Past Continous Tense, we use it for the past time. That's it.

​Cut!

​I don't want to talk too much about the theories, but I will just let you do the following Past Continous Tense quizizz questions. See how I use Past Continous Tense there.

​

I believe it will work because I was also a student who learned and succeed in English from a lot of practicing.

Multiple Choice

She ... talking to me when you suddenly cut our conversation.

• was

• were

Multiple Choice

I ... thinking about how to solve the puzzle and you told me the answer. I actually was quite angry about it.

• was

• were

Multiple Choice

John and Lisa ... going to their mother's office, but they cancelled it because they saw you asking for help.

• was

• were

Multiple Choice

You and I ... dining in a restaurant when we heard the news about a celebrity's car accident.

• was

• were

Multiple Choice

My brother ... trying to start the engine and the car ran out of electricity.

• was

• were

Multiple Choice

We ... practicing INLA yesterday at about 4 until 5 pm.

• was

• were

Multiple Choice

I just remembered that I saw your lost cat when I ... having a stroll in my backyard pedestrian.

• was

• were

Multiple Choice

Your cat was with my dog. They ... chasing a mouse.

• was

• were

Multiple Choice

My dad told me that our backyard was too large that a lot of pets from neighbourhood started to play in it. He said that he ... going to build a playground for them but he never did.

• was

• were

​How was it?

I hope you were doing well.

​By the way, I forgot to tell you that

​

​You, we, they use WERE

​I, he, she, it use WAS

​

​The formula? I have told you that all the continous tenses are just the same. Try to think by yourself.

​To-be + Verb-ing

​All the continous tenses use the formula "to-be" + "verb-ing". That's all.

​

​

For the present, the to-be = is,am,are

​For the past, the to-be = was,were

​For the future? only WILL BE.

Present.C

• ​I was doing

• ​You were talking

• ​We were laughing

• ​They were running

• ​She was thinking

• ​He was playing

• ​It was running

Future.C

• ​I will be doing

• ​You will be talking

• ​We will be laughing

• ​They will be running

• ​She will be thinking

• ​He will be playing

• ​It will be running

• ​I am doing

• ​You are talking

• ​We are laughing

• ​They are running

• ​She is thinking

• ​He is playing

• ​It is running

Past.C

​Future Continuous Tense

​After looking at the examples of Future Continous Tese from previous slide, do you still need me to tell you the formula?

​

​OK, I will tell you anyway.

​Subject + will be + Verb-ing.

​

​Sooo simple.

​I like future tenses~ ♥️

Multiple Choice

Today, we ... talking about Continous Tenses. Let's click the Quizizz link and we will start the lesson there.

• was

• were

• will be

Multiple Choice

We ... not expecting the stray dog when it suddenly appeared in front of us.

• was

• were

• will be

Multiple Choice

Our principal ... giving a speech again tomorrow.

• was

• were

• will be

Multiple Choice

How do I know? Because yesterday she has told us when she ... giving a speech right after school when we were waiting for our parents.

• was

• were

• will be

​Why continuous...

​Sometimes you might wonder why is there continuous tenses and not just the simple ones?

​

​Why we have to say "She was giving a speech" and not just "She gave a speech" instead?

​

​Because the Continuous Tense gives us the feeling of as we were experiencing the moment of it.

​ Simple Present VS

• ​I talk to you

• ​You listen to me

• ​We do our exercise

• ​They discuss about it

• ​She goes to the market

• ​He runs on a treadmill

• ​It chases a ball.

Present Continous

• ​I am talking to you

• ​You are listening to me

• ​We are doing our exercise

• ​They are discussing about it

• ​She is going to the market

• ​He is running on a treadmill

• ​It is chasing a ball

​Simple Past VS

• ​I talked to you

• ​You listened to me

• ​We did our exercise

• ​They discussed about it

• ​She went to the market

• ​He ran on a treadmill

• ​It chased a ball.

Past Continous

• ​I was talking to you

• ​You were listening to me

• ​We were doing our exercise

• ​They were discussing about it

• ​She was going to the market

• ​He was running on a treadmill

• ​It was chasing a ball

Future Tense VS

• ​I will talk to you

• ​You will listen to me

• ​We will do our exercise

• ​They will discuss about it

• ​She will go to the market

• ​He will run on a treadmill

• ​It will chase a ball.

Future Continous

• ​I will be talking to you

• ​You will be listening to me

• ​We will be doing our exercise

• ​They will be discussing about it

• ​She will be going to the market

• ​He will be running on a treadmill

• ​It will be chasing a ball

The difference between Simple and Continuous

​Simple tenses use verb (without "ing")

​Continous tenses use To-be + Verb-ing

​

​Simple tenses just tell us the fact, for example "I talk to you".

​Continuous tenses give us the feeling as it is happening (feel more "live")

​

​For example, we can say "I talk to you" and "I'm talking to you" and they both happen in the present, but can you tell the difference? Of course for English speakers, you may get the feeling about their difference. But for non English speakers... Take your time to tell their difference.

​To be honest...

​In my opinion, I prefer the Continous tenses than Simple tenses. In Continous, we just need to change the "to-be" from "is,am,are" to "was,were" or "will be" and no matter it is present, past of future, they all use the same "verb-ing"

To be honest (part 2)

​Unlike the simple tenses. For present simple, it uses verb-1. For past simple, it uses verb-2 and we know that there are so many irregular verbs which can change from this to that and we need to remember so many of them.

​

​If you don't know what is irregular verbs? search on google...