Independent work theme: The Present Continuous Tense Student: bt 105-group Baydullayeva Zilola Tashkent 2023 The Present Continuous Tense

The Present Continuous Formula

To form the present continuous, follow this formula:
To Be [Am, Is, Are] + Verb [Present Participle]

When to Use the Present Continuous Tense

Use the present continuous tense with the appropriate “to be” verb and a dynamic verb. A dynamic verb shows action and/or process. For example,
Scott’s little sister is arriving at the diner two hours late because her roller-derby team, Chicks Ahoy, won the national championships early today. As she is walking into Polly’s Pancake Diner, she is yelling goodbye to her friends outside, and Scott hopes she doesn’t cause a scene since she is always embarrassing him in public.

When Not to Use the Present Continuous Tense

Do not use the present continuous tense with stative verbs. Stative verbs show a state of being that does not show qualities of change. These verbs can stay in the simple present. For example,
Aunt Christine is preferring the maple walnut pancakes over the banana peanut butter ones that Scott loves.
Aunt Christine prefers the maple walnut pancakes over the banana peanut butter ones that Scott loves.
Here, the stative verb to prefer shows opinion, and therefore should not be conjugated into the present continuous. Stative verb categories include emotion (to love), possession (to belong), and thoughts (to recognize), and none of these should use the present continuous form.

The Exception to the Rule

Some verbs can be both dynamic and stative! Think about the verbs to be and to think. In its dynamic form, the verb to be can show action:
Sarah, Scott’s little sister, is being bold by ordering the jalapeno-chipotle pancakes.
But in its stative form, the verb to be is awkward if conjugated in the present continuous.
Sarah is being a tall teenager, who loves her food spicy and her sports dangerous.
Sarah is a tall teenager, who loves her food spicy and her sports dangerous.
Here are some more examples:
The waiter thinks Scott should save room for pumpkin pie. (Stative and in the simple present)
The waiter is thinking about getting a new job that requires less human interaction, like a veterinarian. (Dynamic and in the present continuous)