Search results for 'tag:Tenses tag:Present continuous' matching tags 'Tenses' and 'Present continuous'

Present Simple vs. Present Continuous

Jeanne-Eliza — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:06:20 GMT

Present simple vs.Present Continuous

Could you please help me: what is the best way to explain the difference between Present Simple and Present Continuous Tenses using the topic of "Travelling" .The learners are adults (Elementary).
Thank you very much in advance!

Re: The Continuous tense

Tanit — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 16:41:53 GMT

"Have you ever had the feeling that you're being followed?"

Hi again

Anonymous
Ah ok, so is that entire sentence classed as Present Perfect Continuous, or are the clauses treated separately?

Look at the main clause only: "Have you ever had (+ direct object)" is present perfect, and so the whole sentence is in the present perfect, too.
It could have been one of the following:
    Have you ever had a dog?
    Have you ever had a dog that barks all day?
    Have you ever had a dog that is always barking?
    Have you ever had a dog that used to follow you wherever you go?
and it would always be in the present perfect, irrespective of what follows "have ...had" (I've tried to put various verb tenses after "that" ... I hope my examples are correct, but I cannot guarantee it!)

Anonymous
My understanding is that for it to be 'perfect' the word 'have' (or a form of have) needs to be in there

Yes, it's present perfect if you have
have or has + past participle if it's active (have/has gone, have/has told, have/has written etc)
have or has + been + past participle if it's passive (have/has been told, have/has been written etc)

Anonymous
don't understand the 'passive' thing so I suppose I'm a bit unclear still

my comment about the passive referred to "are being followed":
you are following > present continuous, active
you are being followed > present continuous, passive

Does this help?

Re: The Continuous tense

Tanit — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 12:26:48 GMT

Hi,

It's present continuous (or present progressive).

Q: What are you doing?
A: I am doing my homework.

The tense is present; continuous (or progressive) is the aspect.

Re: I am working here for 2 years/since 2 years before

Philip — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 15:19:40 GMT

I also have never seen the present continuous tense with "since". [quote from Doll]
It's o.k. with a specific time: I've been working here since last January.

I am working here for 2 years.
I have been working here for 2 years.
I am working here since 2 years before.
I have been working here since 2 years before. I don't like this. See my comment above.

Re: Names of different tenses

Cool Breeze — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 14:34:54 GMT

I am taking her to the movie. continuous / progressive present or present continuous / progressive

He will be working for your father's law firm. future continuous / progressive

I took the test and passed! simple past

She has taken the medicine for her cold. [present] perfect

She had taken the job before she moved here. past perfect / pluperfect

I have been thinking about going abroad for higher education.[present] perfect continuous / continuous [present] perfect

He had been living in France before he was caught. continuous past perfect /continuous pluperfect

It would have cost me a fortune to buy that coat. perfect conditional / in some countries also called the second conditional

He would have ~~had~~ completed the task if he had asked for help. same as the one above

It would have been better if we had gone. same as the one above (better is an adjective and as such has nothing to do with tenses!)

Terminology varies from country to country a little but I think you'll be all right with these names.

Re: I am working here for 2 years/since 2 years before

Doll — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:40:20 GMT

User_gary
I am working here for 2 years.
I have been working here for 2 years.
I am working here since 2 years before.
I have been working here since 2 years before.

Please correct my sentences.

I don't like using the present continuous tense with "for" even in some situations it is wrong.

I also have never seen the present continuous tense with "since".

Present/Present Continuous?

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:30:32 GMT

1. She is losing her temper very often now.
2. She loses her temper very often now.

May i know whether present tense or present continuous tense is the correct tense to be used. Thanks

Present /Present continuous

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:58:44 GMT

1. She is losing her temper very often now.
2. She loses her temper very often now.

May i know whether present tense or present continuous tense is the correct tense to be used. Thanks

Re: Teaching the Present Continuous

ayvied — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:55:46 GMT

when i teach the Present Continuous tense (elemenentary level) I usually ue these easy steps:

1. Introduce/ review the Verb BE, in it's different forms..AM, IS, ARE ( Present Tense)

2. Introduce/revi Personal Pronouns, I , HE, SHE, IT, WE, YOU, THEY.

3. Explain/expound the relationship of these two (the verb BE and the Personal Pronouns) when used in a sentence and give examples;
                I -       AM                       HE, SHE, IT - IS
                YOU   - ARE
                 WE    - ARE
                 THEY - ARE

Example:  HE IS dancing.

4. Introduce/review Verbs...ask for examples e.g   dance,

5.Explain how to from the Present Participle:Participles = VERB+ ING
example : dance+ ing= dancing (explain that the E in danceshould be dropped)

4. Now, you are ready to present your lesson on PRESENT CONTINUOUS: Define
    PRESENT CONTINUOUS = Verb BE + VERB+ ING (present participle)

example: He IS DANCING.

I hope this will help.

chossing correct tense/tense consistency

MaxMaximus — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:08:59 GMT

Greetings,

I have a pretty big favour to ask.

I've been struggling with this topic for quite awhile now.It goes without saying that my English "leaves something to be desired".

Having in mind the subtle differences that occur from using particular tenses, I have often wondered how the authors of following exercises expect anyone to choose the correct form, without providing sound and unambiguous references.

I've uploaded 2 exercises that I stumbled upon :

1. http://rapidshare.com/files/138835945/HP.txt.html
and
2.http://rapidshare.com/files/138835946/redundancy.txt.html

I have converted them into .txt files to ease moderators' job.

They present the essence of my inability to comprehend and do right.

First text:
1. First sentence, adverb "always" stands before the verb (author did not bother to put it in the brackets (always/be)). If she is dead (we don't know that until we have finished reading) or if she is not "a fighter" anymore (we are clueless about that either), - we could use Past Simple. Of course, Present Perfect is more likely choice, but the position of adverb puzzles.

2."But, prior to..." - Past Continuous or Past Perfect?

3.The sentence : "it (be)__ slow to notice..".I'm not sure whether Past Simple or Past Perfect should be used here.There is no strong reference whether this "slow noticing" occurred prior to her arrival or about the time when she came on board.

4."Those three years are not over..". The starting point is present time, but, that has nothing to do with the moment when she realized how things stand, which I know nothing about.Even the Present Simple is possible if she keeps realizing everyday that things are harder than she expected.For the rest of the paragraph I'm not certain whether Present Perfect should be used.

5."Above all,.." - from Present Simple (finds, is trying, is going to embark)...to Present Perfect (has found, has tried/has been trying, has embarked)...The tenses chosen in these sentences determine the tenses of the last paragraph in the text.

Second text:
1. First sentence: we could use Future Simple as well as Present Simple for the verb "have to"?

2. "Although no business or industry..". If there was a recent survey - do interviewed subjects still claim what they have said - or the use of Past Tense is obligatory? The word "any" is used in interrogative or negative sentences - but here, no question is being asked nor it is possible to be negative. Instead, "some" should have been used, I think.

3. "Those who have..." - Present Continuous or Present Simple? Former is more likely choice although the latter is possible also.

4. "In the past.." - as far as I know this presents the "indefinite moment in time". The Present Perfect could be used - but the position of adverb "always" confuses, again.

I would be more than grateful to anyone who can shed some light on these issues.
If I could reach to any other decent credible source I wouldn't ask for help in this way.

Thanks in advance,
Georgie.