SCG Language Tutorials English Grammar - English Verbs

CONTINUOUS TENSES of ENGLISH VERBS

Past Continuous

Forming the Past Continuous/Past Progressive

The Past Continuous is formed by combining the past tense of the helping verb "to be" (was or were) with the "-ing" (or the Present Participle) form of the main verb.

Construction looks like this:

subject + was/were + -ing

For example:

"She was eating breakfast" ("eat" is the main verb and "was" is the helping verb).

The Present Participle of the main verb will always be the same, no matter who or what the subject is. It's the helping verb in Past Continuous conjugation that will change according to the subject. The helping verb will be either "was" or "were" depending on the subject.

Use "TO BE" (SIMPLE PAST TENSE) as the “helping” or “auxiliary” verb. ONLY THIS VERB IS CONJUGATED:-

I WAS. YOU WERE. HE/SHE/IT WAS. WE WERE. YOU (ALL) WERE or YOU WERE (ALL). THEY WERE.

The MAIN VERB always remains unchanged.

(REMEMBER Before adding “-ING”, to DOUBLE the final consonants “B”, “D”, “G”, “M”, “N”, “P”, “R” or “T” after a “SHORT” vowel sound in the main verb, as with “stopping” and “cutting” in the examples above). If the base verb ends with an “E”, REMOVE it before ADDING “-ING” (to exercise becomes exercising).

REGULAR ENGLISH VERBS

TO APPLAUD

I WAS APPLAUDING. YOU WERE APPLAUDING. HE/SHE/IT WAS APPLAUDING. WE WERE APPLAUDING. YOU (ALL) WERE/WERE (ALL) APPLAUDING. THEY WERE APPLAUDING.

At the end of the concert, the audience WERE APPLAUDING for 10 minutes.

TO DANCE

I WAS DANCING. YOU WERE DANCING. HE/SHE/IT WAS DANCING. WE WERE DANCING. YOU (ALL) WERE/YOU WERE (ALL) DANCING. THEY WERE DANCING.

That evening we WERE DANCING a passo doblé.

TO EXERCISE

I WAS EXERCISING. YOU WERE EXERCISING. HE/SHE/IT WAS EXERCISING. WE WERE EXERCISING. YOU (ALL) WERE/YOU WERE (ALL) EXERCISING. THEY WERE EXERCISING.

As the children WERE EXERCISING, the dog WAS EXERCISING as well.

TO JUGGLE

I WAS JUGGLING. YOU WERE JUGGLING. HE/SHE/IT WAS JUGGLING. WE WERE JUGGLING. YOU (ALL) WERE/YOU WERE (ALL) JUGGLING. THEY WERE JUGGLING.

The man WAS JUGGLING with red clubs.

TO LAUGH

I WAS LAUGHING. YOU WERE LAUGHING. HE/SHE/IT WAS LAUGHING. WE WERE LAUGHING. YOU (ALL) WERE/YOU WERE (ALL) LAUGHING. THEY WERE LAUGHING.

Paul and Linda WERE LAUGHING at a joke he’d told her.

TO MEASURE

I WAS MEASURING. YOU WERE MEASURING. HE/SHE/IT WAS MEASURING. WE WERE MEASURING. YOU (ALL) WERE/YOU WERE (ALL) MEASURING. THEY WERE MEASURING.

Burton’s tailor WAS MEASURING him for yet another suit.

TO PAINT

I WAS PAINTING. YOU WERE PAINTING. HE/SHE/IT WAS PAINTING. WE WERE PAINTING. YOU (ALL) WERE/YOU WERE (ALL) PAINTING. THEY WERE PAINTING.

You WERE PAINTING that part of the picture yesterday.

TO WHISPER

I WAS WHISPERING. YOU WERE WHISPERING. HE/SHE/IT WAS WHISPERING. WE WERE WHISPERING. YOU (ALL) WERE/YOU WERE (ALL) WHISPERING. THEY WERE WHISPERING.

Christine WAS WHISPERING a secret to Debbie.

IRREGULAR ENGLISH VERBS

TO BLOW

I WAS BLOWING. YOU WERE BLOWING. HE/SHE/IT WAS BLOWING. WE WERE BLOWING. YOU (ALL) WERE/YOU WERE (ALL) BLOWING. THEY WERE BLOWING.

The last time I showed you this picture, Rafaela WAS also BLOWING bubbles.

TO DRIVE

I WAS DRIVING. YOU WERE DRIVING. HE/SHE/IT WAS DRIVING. WE WERE DRIVING. YOU (ALL) WERE/YOU WERE (ALL) DRIVING. THEY WERE DRIVING.

William WAS DRIVING while his girlfriend WAS NAVIGATING.

TO EAT

I WAS EATING. YOU WERE EATING. HE/SHE/IT WAS EATING. WE WERE EATING. YOU (ALL) WERE/YOU WERE (ALL) EATING. THEY WERE EATING.

You WERE all EATING slices of a New York pizza.

TO FIND

I WAS FINDING. YOU WERE FINDING. HE/SHE/IT WAS FINDING. WE WERE FINDING. YOU (ALL) WERE/YOU WERE (ALL) FINDING. THEY WERE FINDING.

Until last week I WAS FINDING nothing but rocks, but then today – GOLD!!!

TO KNEEL

I WAS KNEELING. YOU WERE KNEELING. HE/SHE/IT WAS KNEELING. WE WERE KNEELING. YOU (ALL) WERE/YOU WERE (ALL) KNEELING. THEY WERE KNEELING.

Rebecca WAS KNEELING in prayer.

TO RIDE

I WAS RIDING. YOU WERE RIDING. HE/SHE/IT WAS RIDING. WE WERE RIDING. YOU (ALL) WERE/YOU WERE (ALL) RIDING. THEY WERE RIDING.

You WERE RIDING at the quietest time of the day.

TO TAKE

I WAS TAKING. YOU WERE TAKING. HE/SHE/IT WAS TAKING. WE WERE TAKING. YOU (ALL) WERE/YOU WERE (ALL) TAKING. THEY WERE TAKING.

She WAS TAKING the minutes of the meeting.

TO SWIM

I WAS SWIMMING. YOU WERE SWIMMING. HE/SHE/IT WAS SWIMMING. WE WERE SWIMMING. YOU (ALL) WERE/YOU WERE (ALL) SWIMMING. THEY WERE SWIMMING.

Grant WAS SWIMMING the butterfly stroke for the championship selection.

PAST CONTINUOUS VERB CONJUGATION

Here are some examples of conjugated Past Continuous verbs.

1.     I was applauding. I was laughing. I was walking.  I was swimming.

2.     You were measuring. You were whispering. You were kneeling. You were riding.

3.     He/she/it was talking. He/she/it was walking. He/she/it was dancing. He/she/it was thinking. 

4.     We were taking. We were finding. We were juggling. We were driving. 

5.     You were exercising. You were painting. You were blowing. You were taking.

6.     They were swimming. They were eating. They were wearing. They were thinking.

PAST CONTINUOUS VERB FORMS

1.     Affirmative Usage (I was swimming. You were swimming. He/she/it was swimming. We were swimming. You were swimming. They were swimming.)

2.     Negative Usage (I wasn't eating. You weren't eating. He/she/it wasn't eating. We weren’t eating. You weren't eating. They weren't eating.) [“wasn’t “=”was not”, “weren’t”=”were not”]

3.     Yes/No Questions (Was I kneeling? Were you kneeling? Was he/she/it kneeling? Were we kneeling? Were you kneeling? Were they kneeling?)

4.     Short Answers (Yes, I was. No, I wasn't. Yes, you were. No, you weren't. Yes, he/she/it was. No, he/she/it wasn't. Yes, we were. No, we weren't. Yes, you (all) were. No, you weren't. / No, none of you were. Yes, they were. No, they weren’t.)

5.     W/H- Questions (e.g., When was I reading? Where were you reading? Why was he reading? What were we reading? When were you reading? How well were they reading?)

FUNCTIONS OF PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

(when to use the Past Continuous)

The Past Continuous/Past Progressive verb tense has two functions.

Function #1: To express an activity that was in progress at a particular time in the past or when another action happened that interrupted the first activity (the activity that was already in progress).

Here are some examples:

Example 1: "Last night at eleven o'clock, the teacher was still preparing his lesson plan." In this example, the teacher started preparing his lesson before eleven o'clock and was still preparing it at eleven o'clock.

Example 2: "Mary was reading her favourite book when the phone rang." In this example, Mary was reading her favourite book and then the phone rang and interrupted her reading activity. She may or may not have continued reading after the phone rang. We don't know from this sentence.

Function #2: To talk about two activities which were in progress simultaneously in the past.

Example 1: "Jane was cooking dinner while her roommate was setting the table." Both activities were occurring simultaneously.

Example 2: "The baby was crying when we were trying to sleep." Both activities were occurring simultaneously.

You may notice that you can add "when" in both functions of the Past Progressive. "While" is commonly used for the second function of this verb tense. These words emphasise the time period or the coincidence of the two activities.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS CONJUGATION

The verb "to be" is the helping verb (or auxiliary verb) used to form the Present Continuous.

This verb tense is formed by combining the helping verb "to be" with the "-ing" (or the Present Participle) form of the main verb.

subject + am/are/is + -ing

For example, "She is dancing" ("dancing" is the main verb, "is" is the helping verb).

The Present Participle ("-ing") of the main verb will always be the same in the Present Progressive verb tense, no matter who or what the subject is. The helping verb will change according to the subject. (See the examples below.)

All verbs must be conjugated for the subject pronouns, “I”, “You”, “He/she/It”, “They”, “You” and “We”. Here are some Present Continuous conjugation examples using miscellaneous verbs.

I am talking. I am reading. I am dancing. I am thinking.

You are talking. You are reading. You are dancing. You are thinking.

He/she/it is talking. He/she/it is reading. He/she/it is dancing. He/she/it is thinking.

 We are talking. We are reading. We are dancing. We are thinking.

You (all) are/You are (all) talking...reading...dancing...thinking.

They are talking. They are reading. They are dancing. They are thinking.

NOTE: “TO BE” conjugates in the PRESENT TENSE : –

 NOTA: "TO BE" ['SER'] conjuga no TEMPO PRESENTE:–

I AM. YOU ARE. HE/SHE/IT IS. WE ARE. YOU (ALL) ARE. THEY ARE.

PRESENT PROGRESSIVE VERB FORMS

1.     Affirmative Usage (I am studying. You are studying. He/she/it is studying. We are studying. You are (all) studying. They are studying.)

2.     Negative Usage (I am not playing. You are not playing. He/she/it is not playing. We are not playing. None of you are playing. They are not playing.)

3.     Yes/No Questions (Am I reading? Are you reading? Is he/she/it reading? Are we reading? Are (any of) you reading?  Are they reading?)

4.     Short Answers (Yes, I am. No, I am not. Yes, you are. No, you are not. Yes, he/she/it is. No, he/she/it is not. Yes, we are. No, we are not. Yes, (some of) you are. No, none of you are/you are not. Yes, they are. No, they are not.)

5.     W/H- Questions (e.g., When is she talking? Why are you talking? Where are they studying? Who are we meeting? How are they sleeping? What am I eating?)

FUNCTIONS OF THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

(when to use the Present Continuous)

The Present Continuous/Present Progressive verb tense has two primary functions, and one secondary function:

1.     To express an activity that is in progress at the moment of speaking. The activity is temporary. It began in the past, is happening right now, and will probably end at some time in the future (e.g., I am writing an article for my website. She is sleeping on the couch. They are watching television.),

and

2.     To talk about something that is happening generally at this time (during this week, this year, at this time in one's life, etc.), (e.g., I am taking my summer holiday. She is travelling with friends. He is writing a grammar book. The teacher is preparing a lesson.).

The secondary function:-

3.     Using the Present Continuous for the Future: Depending on the context, the Present Continuous can also be used with a future meaning. For example, "Tonight, I'm cooking dinner for friends."

Remember:

1.     To use the correct auxiliary verb (it is easy to confuse "to do" with "to be"), and

2.     When to use the Present Continuous instead of the Present Simple and vice versa.

FUTURE CONTINUOUS CONJUGATION

This tense is a little more complicated because it involves two concepts:

(1) A progressive action, and

(2) A point in time in the future.

There are two versions of the Future Continuous. They are constructed as follows:

subject + will be + -ing

or

subject + be going to + be + -ing.

Conjugation of the first version is very easy. Only the subject changes. "Will be + -ing" stays the same no matter who or what the subject is.

Here are some examples using subject + will be + -ing.

1.     I will be talking. I will be walking. I will be dancing. I will be eating. 

2.     You will be talking. You will be walking. You will be dancing. You will be eating. 

3.     He/she/it will be talking. He/she/it will be walking. He/she/it will be dancing. He/she/it will be eating. 

4.     We will be talking. We will be walking. We will be dancing. We will be eating.

5.     You will be talking. You will be walking. You will be dancing. You will be eating.

6.     They will be talking. They will be walking. They will be dancing. They will be eating.

For be going to + be + -ing, the verb "be" in the first part of the formula must be conjugated to match the subject. The rest ("going to be + –ing") stays the same.

Here are some examples using be going to + be + -ing.

1.     I am going to be talking. I am going to be walking. I am going to be dancing. I am going to be eating. 

2.     You are going to be talking. You are going to be walking. You are going to be dancing. You are going to be eating. 

3.     He/she/it is going to be talking. He/she/it is going to be walking. He/she/it is going to be dancing. He/she/it is going to be eating. 

4.     We are going to be talking. We are going to be walking. We are going to be dancing. We are going to be eating.

5.     You are (all) going to be talking. You are going to be walking. You are going to be dancing. You are going to be eating. 

6.     They are going to be talking. They are going to be walking. They are going to be dancing. They are going to be eating.

FUTURE CONTINUOUS VERB FORMS

1.     Affirmative Usage

I'll be visiting Brazil next year. / I'm going to be visiting Brazil next year.

You'll be studying English in private lessons. / You're going to be studying English in private lessons.

He/she/it will be leaving soon. / He/she/it is going to be leaving soon.

We'll be arriving at noon. / We're going to be arriving at noon.

You’ll be climbing Mount Snowden tomorrow morning. / You’re going to be climbing Mount Snowden tomorrow morning.

They'll be preparing homework all night long. / They're going to be preparing homework all night long.

2.     Negative Usage

I won't be visiting Brazil next year. / I'm not going to be visiting Brazil next year.

You won't be studying English in private lessons. / You're not going to be studying English in private lessons.

He/she/it won't be leaving anytime soon. / He/she/it is not going to be leaving anytime soon.

We won't be arriving at noon. / We're not going to be arriving at noon.

You won’t be climbing Mount Snowden tomorrow morning. / You’re not going to be climbing Mount Snowden tomorrow morning.

They won't be preparing homework all night long. / They're not going to be preparing homework all night long.

3.     Yes/No Questions

Will I be visiting Brazil next year? / Am I going to be visiting Brazil next year?

Will you be studying English in private lessons? / Are you going to be studying English in private lessons?

Will he/she/it be leaving soon? / Is he/she/it going to be leaving soon?

Will we be arriving at noon? / Are we going to be arriving at noon?

Will you (all)/all of you be climbing Mount Snowden tomorrow morning? / Are you (all)/all of you going to be climbing Mount Snowden tomorrow morning?

Will they be preparing homework all night long? / Are they going to be preparing homework all night long?

4.     Short Answers

Yes, I will. No, I won't. / Yes, I am. No, I'm not.

Yes, you will. No, you won't. / Yes, you are. No, you aren't.

Yes, he/she/it will. No, he/she/it won't. / Yes, he/she/it is. No, he/she/it isn't.

Yes, we will. No, we won't. / Yes, we are. No, we aren't.

Yes, you will. No, you won’t. / Yes, you are. No, you aren’t.

Yes, they will. No, they won't. / Yes, they are. No, they aren't.

5.     W/H- Questions (for example)

Why will I be travelling to Brasilia? / Why am I going to be travelling to Brasilia?

When will you be teaching Future Progressive tenses? / When are you going to be teaching Future Progressive tenses?

What will he/she/it be reading tonight? / What is he/she/it going to be reading tonight?

Who will we be meeting? / Who are we going to be meeting?

How will you be travelling there? / How are you going to be travelling there?

Where will they be studying next year? / Where are they going to be studying next year?

FUTURE CONTINUOUS FUNCTION

The Future Continuous (aka the Future Progressive) is used to talk about an activity that will be in progress at some time in the future.

Here are some examples:

I will be vacationing in France next summer. / I'm going to be vacationing in Brazil the summer after next.

You will be meeting your bank manager tomorrow at 11 a.m. / You are going to be meeting your bank manager tomorrow at 11 a.m.

She will be eating dinner when I get there. / She is going to be eating dinner when I get there.

We will be playing tennis at 5:30 a.m. / We are going to be playing tennis at 5:30 a.m.

You will all be running in the cross-country race on Saturday. / You are all going to be running in the cross-country race on Saturday.

They will be waiting for me at the train station when I arrive. / They are going to be waiting for me at the train station when I arrive.

REMEMBER

There are two ways to express the Future Continuous Tense.

Sometimes either the Future Continuous or the Future Simple can be used with very little or no difference in meaning.

Here's an example:

"Don't eat too much. We'll eat dinner soon." (Simple)

"Don't eat too much. We'll be eating dinner soon." (Continuous)

EXERCISES:

Past Continuous

Fill in the gaps:-

This time last year Olympic fever                                    the country. (To Grip)

We                                  the beginning of an exciting spectacle. (To Witness)

The whole country                            in the success. (To Be Swept Up)

The success of the opening ceremony                                to us. (To Surprise)

Present Continuous

I                              the best time of my life. (To Have)

I                             this book, I                              it. (To Read, To Enjoy)

We                            older all the time. (To get)

They                          banjos in Alabama. (To play)

Future Continuous

The paperwork                                  you mad! (To drive)

They                             the votes in the office. (To count)

Where        they                          the next Olympics? (To hold)

How      we        the bees? (To Save)

Answers:

Past Continuous

Fill in the gaps -

This time last year Olympic fever was gripping  the country. (To Grip)

We were witnessing the beginning of an exciting spectacle. (To Witness)

The whole country  was being swept up  in the success. (To Be Swept Up)

Present Continuous

I am having the best time of my life. (To Have)

I  am reading this book, I am enjoying it. (To Read, To Enjoy)

We are getting older all the time. (To get)

They are playing banjos in Alabama. (To play)

Future Continuous

The paperwork  is going to be driving you mad! (To drive)

They  will be counting the votes in the office. (To count)

Where are  they going to be holding the next Olympics? (To hold)

How will we be saving the bees? (To Save)

Use other verb/noun/pronoun combinations to make new sentences.