http://www.englishforums.com/English/EslGeneralEnglishGrammar-Questions/Forum12.htmAsk your questions on grammar and get your sentence checked. We answer lots of different types of general English grammar questions here. <font color=red>DO NOT post paragraphs and compositions here. Post them in our <a href="http://www.englishforums.com/English/EssayReportCompositionWriting/Forum9.htm"><b>Essay, Report and Composition Writing Forum</b></a>.</font>enXMOD (Build: 3615.39139)http://www.englishforums.com/English/ProgressiveTense/gpkbm/post.htm#577787Sun, 24 May 2009 23:46:53 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:577787Lakshwadeep0http://www.englishforums.com/English/ProgressiveTense/gpkbm/post.htm#577787http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-577787.xmlMy answer is similar to Yankee&#39;s. The present progressive (&quot;is beginning&quot;) can refer to a future event  when used in conjunction with an adverb or adverbial phrase. Examples: It is beginning to rain. (no adverb/adverbial phrase) The farmer is beginning his work on Tuesday . (adverbial phrase) For the past progressive (&quot;was beginning&quot;), it is discussing something that was going for a while but not now. So, I don&#39;t know how the past progressive could refer to a future event if it can&#39;t involve the present. It doesn&#39;t seem that &quot;is beginning to rain&quot; can refer to a future event very well; the best I can think of is this: It is beginning to rain a deluge next week. This sentence is really...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ProgressiveTense/gpkbm/post.htm#577774Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:46:53 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:577774alexclx1http://www.englishforums.com/English/ProgressiveTense/gpkbm/post.htm#577774http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-577774.xmlThank you all for your reply. You make it clear for me.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ProgressiveTense/gpkbm/post.htm#577751Sun, 24 May 2009 23:46:53 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:577751AlpheccaStars2http://www.englishforums.com/English/ProgressiveTense/gpkbm/post.htm#577751http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-577751.xmlBoth could be correct. It is begiining to rain. The future event -- relative to the time frame of the sentence -- might be a gullywasher.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ProgressiveTense/gpkbm/post.htm#577749Sun, 25 Jan 2009 00:46:53 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:577749Yankee3http://www.englishforums.com/English/ProgressiveTense/gpkbm/post.htm#577749http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-577749.xmlBut some grammars say &quot;begin&quot; in progressive tense refers to a future event That is misleading. The present progressive can refer to an on-going present activity, or it can refer to an arranged/planned future activity. Rain is not something that people can arrange or plan the beginning of. If you say &quot;It is beginning to rain&quot;, that means that there have already been some raindrops, and it suggests to me a gradual start or build-up to a full-fledged rainfall. In the case of the past progressive, the explanation that you received from your native-speaker friend sounds good to me. .http://www.englishforums.com/English/ProgressiveTense/gpkbm/post.htm#577744Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:46:53 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:577744RayH4http://www.englishforums.com/English/ProgressiveTense/gpkbm/post.htm#577744http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-577744.xmlIt was beginning to rain. A native speaker of English told me that means the speaker was experiencing a process of raining from no rain drops to more and more rain drops. This is correct.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ProgressiveTense/gpkbm/post.htmWed, 25 Feb 2009 00:46:53 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:577740alexclx5http://www.englishforums.com/English/ProgressiveTense/gpkbm/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-577740.xmlHi. I am not sure of the grammatical meaning of the following sentence: It was beginning to rain. A native speaker of English told me that means the speaker was experiencing a process of raining from no rain drops to more and more rain drops. But some grammars say &quot;begin&quot; in progressive tense refers to a future event. Which is correct? please help. Thanks.