2015-08-21
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The present progressive tense
Form of the present progressive tense
The progressive is formed with the present of be + the -ing form See under be for details about form [> 10.6]
| I am | waiting writing running beginning lying | I’m | waiting writing running beginning lying |
| You are | You’re | ||
| He is | He’s | ||
| She is | She’s | ||
| It is | It’s | ||
| We are | We’re | ||
| You are | You’re | ||
| They are | They’re |
Spelling: how to add '-ing' to a verb
Wait/waiting
We can add -ing to most verbs without changing the spelling of their base forms. Other examples: beat/beating, carry/carrying, catch/catching, drink/drinking, enjoy/enjoying, hurry/hurrying
Write/writing
If a verb ends in -e, omit the -e and add -ing. Other examples: come/coming, have/having, make/making, ride/riding, use/using This rule does not apply to verbs ending in double e: agree/agreeing, see/seeing; or to age/ageing and singe/singeing
Run/running
A verb that is spelt with a single vowel followed by a single consonant doubles its final consonant. Other examples: hit/hitting, let/letting put/putting, run/running, sit/sitting
Compare: e.g. beat/beating which is not spelt with a single vowel and which therefore does not double its final consonant.
Begin/beginning
With two-syllable verbs, the final consonant is normally doubled when the last syllable is stressed. Other examples: for'get/forgetting, pre'fer/prefernng, up'set/upsetting Compare: 'benefit/benefiting, 'differ/differing and 'profit/profiting which are stressed on their first syllables and do not double their final consonants. Note 'label/labelling 'quarrel/quarrelling, 'signal/signalling and 'travel/travelling (BrE) which are exceptions to this rule. Compare: labeling, quarreling, signaling, traveling (AmE) [compare > 9.14.2]. -ic at the end of a verb changes to -ick when we add -ing: panic/panicking picnic'picnicking traffic/trafficking
Lie/lying
Other examples: die/dying, tie/tying
Uses of the present progressive tense
Actions in progress at the moment of speaking
We use the present progressive to describe actions or events which
The present progressive tense
are in progress at the moment of speaking. To emphasize this, we
often use adverbials like now, at the moment, just, etc.:
Someone's knocking at the door Can you answer it?
What are you doing? - I'm just tying up my shoe-laces
He 's working at the moment, so he can't come to the telephone
Actions in progress are seen as uncompleted'
He's talking to his girlfriend on the phone We can emphasize the idea of duration with still [> 7. 25]:
He's still talking to his girlfriend on the phone
