“Present Continuous Tense”

Read the following sentences.

• I am accompanying my little sister.                                    

• Miss Regina is teaching her.

Present continuous/progressive tense is used to express an action that is happening at the moment of speaking.

Pattern: is/am/are + verb-ing

Adverbs of time that indicate the use of present continuous tense are now, at the moment, right now, at present, currently, this afternoon, tonight.

Present continuous tense is also used to:

1. say that we are in the process of doing a longer action which is in progress; however, we might not be doing it at this exact second;

2. relate a planned activity that will happen in the near future; and

3. relate bad habit that happen repeatedly (use ‘always’ or ‘constantly’).

There are verbs that are not usually used in the present continuous/progressive tense: senses/perception , mentals states, emotions/desires, opinion, and measurement.

 

“Past Continuous Tense”

Past continuous/ progressive tense is used to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted by a shorter action.

Pattern:   was/were + verb-ing

Uses:

1. To indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The interruption is usually a shorter action in simple past tense.

2. To relate to an action in progress, at the specific time in the past.

3. To indicate two actions or more which were happening at the same time in the past. 

Remember: In simple past tense, a specific time is used to show when  an action began or finished. In past continuous tense, a specific time only interrupts the action.



"Future Continuous"

Future continuous/progressive form is used to relate an action or event which is predicted to happen in progress at a specific time in the future.

Pattern : will + be + verb-ing

Here are the functions of future continuous form.

1. To relate an action that will be happening at a certain time in the future.

2. To indicate that a longer action in the future will be interrupted by a shorter action in the future.

3. To relate two actions or more that will be happening at the same time in the future. 

 

Remember the following difference!

In simple future form, a specific time is used to show the time an action will begin or end.

In future continuous, a specific time interrupts the action.

 

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 EXAMPLE 1

Randy      :    Hi, Ayu. What are you doing here?

Ayu          :   Hi, Randy. I am accompanying my little sister learning how to swim.

Randy      :   Why don’t you swim with her?

Ayu          :   No, I don’t. I have to watch her practicing.

Randy      :   Is she learning by herself?

Ayu          :   Nope! Miss Regina is teaching her.

Randy      :   Where is she now?

Ayu          :   She is taking a swimming board. By the way, do you always swim here?

Randy      :   Yup! Well, I have to change my clothes. Have a nice day!

Ayu          :   You too!

 

EXAMPLE 2

Raka                    : Where were you when the earthquake occurred last night?

Asti                     : I was completing my civics assignment. You?

Raka                    : I was going out from the toilet when my father shouted.

                          Thank God everyone was alright.

Asti                     : Yeah, me too. No one was hurt.

 

EXAMPLE 3

Isna             : Father has been working for more than an hour repairing the car.

Agung          : Unfortunately, I can no longer assisting him. I’m going to the course. I’m sure he will be repairing it when when I arrive home this evening. I’ll help him later.

Isna             : You don’t need to worry. I will be helping him doing his job until you arrive home.



ASSIGNMENT

Please write Present, Past, and Future Continuous sentences based on dialogue examples 1,2, and 3.

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