The Continuous Forms. The Present Continuous Tense

Употребление: Настоящее продолженное время (Present Continuous) обозначает действие, происходящее в настоящий момент; действие, представляющее собой непрерывный процесс; будущее действие, если оно запланировано.

He is watching TV now. The Earth is moving. They are spending next winter in Spain.

Образование: Настоящее продолженное время (Present Continuous) образуется при помощи глагола to be в Present Indefinite и -ing формы смыслового глагола. I am = I'm; He is = He's; We are = We're; is not = isn't; are not = aren't

THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE to be + V- ing (participle I)

	Positive form	Negative form	Questions
Sing.	I am reading	I am not reading	Am I reading?
You are reading	You are not reading	Are you reading?
He, she, it is reading	He, she, it is not reading	Is he, she, it reading?
Plural	We are reading	We are not reading	Are we reading?
You are reading	You are not reading	Are you reading?
They are reading	They are not reading	Are they reading?

EXERCISES Ex. 1. Continue in the negative.

Example: Mother is talking on the phone, (sleep) She isn't sleeping.

1. John is standing, (lie down)
2. Father is shaving, (wash)
3. The boys are playing, (fight)
4. We are dancing, (jump)
5. They are speaking, (shout)
6. Mary is running, (walk)
7. I am eating, (drink)
8. The teacher is speaking, (read)

Ex. 2. Answer the questions using the words in brackets.

Example: Are you drawing? (write a story) - No. I'm not. I'm writing a story.

1. Is he writing a letter? (watch television)
2. Are you reading Byron's poems? (learn them by heart)
3. Is Dad smoking in his study? (read a newspaper)
4. Are they listening to the radio? (talk with a friend)
5. Are you hurrying to work? (go home)
6. Is Joan playing the piano? (listen to a concert)
7. Are you working at your essay? (write a film script)
8. Is she washing up? (cook)

Ex. 3. Answer the questions using the words in brackets.

Example: Is Mother very busy just now? (type a report) - Yes, she is. She is typing a report.

1. Is Jerry very busy just now? (study)

2. Are the students very busy just now? (read)

3. Is Susan very busy just now? (have breakfast)

4. Are the Greens very busy just now? (shop)

5. Is Miss Black very busy just now? (sew)

6. Is Jane very busy just now? (wash up)

7. Is Henry very busy just now? (skate)

8. Are the girls very busy just now? (rehearse)

Ex. 4. Answer the questions using the words in brackets.

Example: What are you doing? (daydream) - I'm daydreaming.

1. Why is Father making such a terrible noise? (teach the dog to bark)

2. What are you doing with the scissors? (cut out a dress)

3. Where are you hurrying to? (run to catch my bus)

4. What are you doing in this shop? (buy a mink coat)

5. Why are you leaving so soon? (go to the University)

6. Why is she playing the violin so late? (rehearse for a concert)

7. Why are the children listening so attentively? (listen to a favourite fairy tale)

8. What is George doing in the kitchen? (bake an apple pie)

Ex. 5. Answer the questions using the words in brackets.

Example: Are you busy tonight? (Yes/meet a friend) - Yes. I am. I'm meeting a friend.

1. Is Ivy busy this afternoon? (Yes/go to the library)

2. Are they busy this evening? (No/have a rest)

3. Is Mary busy after tea? (No/have a nap)

4. Are you busy today? (Yes/have visitors)

5. Is Kate busy after lunch? (No/stay at home)

6. Are the Browns busy today? (No/have a holiday)

7. Is Fred busy tonight? (Yes/go to the concert)

8. Are you busy this afternoon? (Yes/do up the flat)

Ex. 6. Put the verb into the correct form.

Examples: Please be silent for a while. I am listening (listen) to the news. Don't speak so loud. The child isn't sleeping yet. Listen to those girls. What language are they speaking (they/speak)?

1. Please be quiet. I____ (try) to sleep.

2. Look! It ____________(rain).

3. Why________ (you/look) at me like that? Am I green or something?

4. You______________ (make) a lot of noise. Can you be a bit quieter?

5. Excuse me, I________ (look) for a phone box. Where can I find one?

6. "I want to lose weight. I____________________ (not/eat) sweets now.

7. Listen! Can you hear these children next door? They _____(cry) again.

8. Why________________(you/wear) your fur coat today? It's very warm.

9. I____________________(not/go) to school this week. I'm on holiday.

Ex. 7. Complete these sentences using some of these verbs:

get, become, change, improve, fall, increase, rise.

Example: The water level is rising very fast.

1. The prices for food __________________at the moment.

2. He is still weak but he ____stronger slowly.

5. These days life___________________________ more and more expensive.

4. The weather__________ every moment: now cold, now hot.

5. The cost of living _. Every year things are more expensive.

6. Victor has gone to work in America. When he arrived, his English wasn't very good but now it ____.

7. The environment is already very bad and it _____ worse.

Ex. 8. Read this conversation between Molly and Fanny. Put each verb into the correct form.

Molly: Hello, Fanny. I'm so glad to see you. What are you doing (you/do) these days?

Fanny: I (1) _____________ (train) to be a secretary.

Molly: Really? (2) __________ (you/enjoy) it?

Fanny: Yes, it's quite interesting. How about you?

Molly: Well, I (3) _______ (get married) soon and I'm very busy. I (4) __ (look for) a house.

Fanny: Really? (5) ____ (you/do) it alone?

Molly: No, my fiance (6) _ (help) me.