FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE

                                  

FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE

The future continuous tense, sometimes also referred to as the future progressive tense, is a verb tense that indicates that something will occur in the future and continue for an expected length of time. It is formed using the construction will + be + the present participle (the root verb + -ing).

The simple future tense is used when an action is expected to occur in the future and be completed. For example, let’s suppose you have a meeting tomorrow at five o’clock.

I will arrive at five o’clock.

I will arrive is the simple future tense of the verb to arrive. You arrive once; beyond that, you can’t keep on arriving. However, once you get there, you may be doing something that goes on continuously, at least for a certain period of time.

At five o’clock, I will be meeting with the management about my raise.

Will be meeting is the future continuous tense of the verb to meet. The construction will + be + the present participle meeting indicates that the meeting isn’t going to happen in an instant, all at once. It will have a duration. The will + be + present participle construction always indicates the future continuous tense.

·         Michael will be running a marathon this Saturday.

·         Eric will be competing against Michael in the race.

·         I will be watching Michael and Eric race.

The Future Continuous Tense Is for Action Verbs Only

It is important to note that the future continuous tense is only used with action verbs, because it is possible to do them for a duration. (Action verbs describe activities like running, thinking, and seeing. Stative verbs describe states of existence, like being, seeming, and knowing.) To use the will + be + present participle construction with a stative verb would sound very odd indeed.

1.       I will be being stressed tomorrow during my science test.

I will be stressed tomorrow during my science test.

2.       When the sun comes out tomorrow, winter will be seeming like a distant memory.

When the sun comes out tomorrow, winter will seem like a distant memory.

3.       After I study, I will be knowing all the answers for the test.

After I study, I will know all the answers for the test.

Make sentences in the future continuous tense.

1. At this time tomorrow, I ..................................

will leave

would leave

will be leaving

2. The baby ....................................... soon.

will walk

would walk

will be walking

3. What ........................................... this evening?

will you do

will you be doing

4. Summer term ...................................... on 20th.

will start

will be starting

5. She ........................................ with us.

will come

will be coming

6. The plane ........................................... at 3 o’clock.

will leave

will be leaving

will have left

7. I .......................................... of you.

will think

will be thinking

would be thinking

8. He ............................................ the conference.

will attend

will be attending

would be attending

Answers

1. At this time tomorrow, I will be leaving.

2. The baby will be walking soon.

3. What will you be doing this evening?

4. Summer term will be starting on 20th.

5. She will be coming with us.

6. The plane will be leaving at 3 o’clock.

7. I will be thinking of you.

8. He will be attending the conference.

Future Continuous Tense Exercise

At three o’clock tomorrow…

1. I ________________________ (work) in my office.

2. You ________________________ (lie) on the beach.

3. He ________________________ (wait) for the train.

4. She ________________________ (shop) in New York.

5. It ________________________ (rain).

6. We ________________________ (get) ready to go out.

7. They ________________________ (meet) their parents.

8. He ________________________ (study) in the library.

9. She ________________________ (exercise) at the gym.

10. I ________________________ (sleep).

Answers:

At three o’clock tomorrow…

1. I’ll be working in my office.

2. You’ll be lying on the beach.

3. He’ll be waiting for the train.

4. She’ll be shopping in New York.

5. It’ll be raining.

6. We’ll be getting ready to go out.

7. They’ll be meeting their parents.

8. He’ll be studying in the library.

9. She’ll be exercising at the gym.

10. I’ll be sleeping.

Complete the sentences.

Questions :

1.       I guess you ______________________________(feel) thirsty after working in the sun.

2.       You ______________________________(wait) for her when her plane arrives tonight.

3.       You ______________________________(miss) the sunshine once you are back in England.

4.       I ______________________________(see) Jim at the conference next week.

5.       When he is in Australia, he ______________________________(stay) with his friends.

6.       I ______________________________(eat) with Jane this evening so I can tell her.

7.       Just think, next Monday you ______________________________(work) in your new job.

8.       In an hour, I ______________________________(sit) in front of my TV.

9.       Tomorrow at this time, I ______________________________(take) my English language exam.

10.   You ______________________________(work) with Miss Cool again when you turn up for work tomorrow.

ANSWERS:

1.       will be feeling

2.       will be waiting

3.       will be missing

4.       will be seeing

5.       will be staying

6.       will be eating

7.       will be working

8.       will be sitting

9.       will be taking

10.   will be working

PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

The past continuous tense, also known as the past progressive tense, refers to a continuing action or state that was happening at some point in the past. The past continuous tense is formed by combining the past tense of to be (i.e., was/were) with the verb's present participle (-ing word).

EXAMPLES

The sun was shining every day that summer.

As I spoke, the children were laughing at my cleverness.

The audience was applauding until he fell off the stage.

I was making dinner when she arrived.

At 6 o'clock, I was eating dinner.

She was talking constantly in class in those days

Past Continuous Forms

The past continuous is formed using was/were + present participle. Questions are indicated by inverting the subject and was/were. Negatives are made with not.

• Statement: You were studying when she called.
• Question: Were you studying when she called?
• Negative: You were not studying when she called.

Past Continuous Uses

USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Past

Use the past continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The interruption is usually a shorter action in the simple past. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time.

Examples:

• I was watching TV when she called.
• When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.
• While we were having the picnic, it started to rain.
• What were you doing when the earthquake started?
• I was listening to my iPod, so I didn't hear the fire alarm.
• You were not listening to me when I told you to turn the oven off.
• While John was sleeping last night, someone stole his car.
• Sammy was waiting for us when we got off the plane.
• While I was writing the email, the computer suddenly went off.
• A: What were you doing when you broke your leg?
  B: I was snowboarding.

USE 2 Specific Time as an Interruption

In USE 1, described above, the past continuous is interrupted by a shorter action in the simple past. However, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.

Examples:

• Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
• At midnight, we were still driving through the desert.
• Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work.

IMPORTANT

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

Examples:

• Last night at 6 PM, I ate dinner.I started eating at 6 PM.
• Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.I started earlier; and at 6 PM, I was in the process of eating dinner.

USE 3 Parallel Actions

When you use the past continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions were happening at the same time. The actions are parallel.

Examples:

• I was studying while he was making dinner.
• While Ellen was reading, Tim was watching television.
• Were you listening while he was talking?
• I wasn't paying attention while I was writing the letter, so I made several mistakes.
• What were you doing while you were waiting?
• Thomas wasn't working, and I wasn't working either.
• They were eating dinner, discussing their plans, and having a good time.

USE 4 Atmosphere

In English, we often use a series of parallel actions to describe the atmosphere at a particular time in the past.

Example:

• When I walked into the office, several people were busily typing, some were talking on the phones, the boss was yelling directions, and customers were waiting to be helped. One customer was yelling at a secretary and waving his hands. Others were complaining to each

Fill in the blanks with appropriate past continuous form of the verb given in the brackets.

1. I …………………….. TV at eight o’clock yesterday evening.

am watching

was watching

watched

2. I …………………… all day yesterday.

painted

was painting

have painted

3. They ………………………… the whole time they were together.

quarreled

are quarreling

were quarreling

4. As I …………………….. down the road, I saw Philip.

am walking

walked

was walking

5. The phone rang while I …………………………. dinner.

am having

had

was having

6. It happened while I ……………………….. in Southampton last year.

lived

was living

am living

7. When I entered her room, she ………………………. the piano.

played

playing

was playing

8. When I got up this morning, the sun ………………………….

shining

was shining

is shining

9. At the time when it happened, I ……………………… to the opera a lot.

Went

was going

am going

Answers

1. I was watching TV at eight o’clock yesterday evening.

2. I was painting all day yesterday.

3. They were quarreling the whole time they were together.

4. As I was walking down the road, I saw Philip.

5. The phone rang while I was having dinner.

6. It happened while I was living in Southampton last year.

7. When I entered her room, she was playing the piano.

8. When I got up this morning, the sun was shining.

9. At the time when it happened, I was going to the opera a lot.

FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH PAST CONTINUOUS FORM OF THE VERB

1. Mary  (eat) when the bell rang.

2. Though it  (rain) we went to the cinema last night.

3. When he arrived, we (not/study) any longer.

4. The teacher (write) in the book he was reading.

5. Although my friend  (become) poor, he was still happy.

6. They (build) a new bridge to replace the one that had collapsed.

7. The teacher (punish) us because we cried a lot.

8. The parents  (teach) their children proper eating habits.

9. The dog (not/bark) when I went out last night.

10. While I  (sleep), John stole my pen.

ANSWERS

1.       Mary was eating  when the bell rang.

2.       2. Though it was raining we went to the cinema last night.

3.       3. When he arrived, we were not studying

4.       4. The teacher was writing in the book he was reading.

5.       5. Although my friend was becoming poor, he was still happy.

6.       They were building a new bridge to replace the one that had collapsed.

7.       The teacher was punishing us because we cried a lot.

8.       The parents were teaching their children proper eating habits.

9.       The dog was not barking when I went out last night.

10.    While I was sleeping, John stole my pen.     

FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH PAST CONTINUOUS FORM OF A VERB

1.     I …………………… all day yesterday. ...

2.     They ………………………… the whole time they were together. ...

3.     As I …………………….. ...

4.     The phone rang while I …………………………. ...

5.     It happened while I ……………………….. in Southampton last year. ...

6.     When I entered her room, she ………………………. ...

7.     When I got up this morning, the sun ………………………….

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

Present Continuous Tense

The present continuous tense is used for actions happening now or for an action that is unfinished. This tense is also used when the action is temporary.

Spelling Tip

Verb-ing (Present Participle)

Add -ing to most verbs. Ex. play > playing, cry > crying, bark > barking

For verbs that end in e, remove the e and add ing. Ex: slide > sliding, ride > riding

For verbs that end in ie, change the ie to y and add ing. Ex: die > dying, tie > tying

For a verb whose last syllable is written with a consonant-vowel-consonant and is stressed, double the last letter before adding ing. Ex: beg > begging, begin > beginning. However: enter > entering (last syllable is not stressed)

Examples of Present Continuous Tense:

1.      I am writing articles on different topics.

2.      He is reading various kinds of books.

3.      They are playing football now.

4.      She is drinking coffee.

5.      He is going to the library.

6.      We are coming for shopping in this market.

7.      We are watching a movie in this Cineplex.

8.      You are shopping in that market.

9.      I am singing different kinds of songs, especially modern.

10.  I am listening to melodious songs.

11.  He is traveling around the world.

12.  They are playing cricket in that field.

13.  The poet is writing romantic poems.

14.  The lyricist is writing realistic songs.

15.  Are you listening to realistic songs?

16.  I am not quarreling with you.

17.  Are you coming to our home?

18.  I am helping him to do the task.

19.  My mom is cooking beef with cabbage.

20.  Are you watching cricket on television?

How to Form the Present Continuous Tense

The present continuous tense is formed with the subject plus the present particle form (-ing) of the main verb and the present continuous tense of the verb to be: am, is, are.
One simple example of this tense is: He is swimming. "He" is the subject, "is" is the present tense of the verb to be and "swimming" is the present participle verb form. Some other forms of this verb tense are:

1.      I am singing at church today.

2.      The boys are playing ball after school.

3.      Examples of the Present Continuous Tense

4.      The following are basic examples of the present continuous tense. She is crying.

5.      He is talking to his friend.

6.      The baby is sleeping in his crib.

7.      We are visiting the museum in the afternoon.

8.      Present continuous tense can be used to express something happening right now or to express something that is not happening right now. Examples of this use include:

9.      He is not standing.

10.  Anthony is sitting in the chair.

11.  You are not watching the movie.

12.  Rose is reading a book.

13.  Present continuous tense can also be used to show that something will or will not happen in the near future. Examples of this use include:

14.  She is not going to the game tonight.

15.  He is meeting his friends after school.

16.  Are you visiting your cousin this weekend?

17.  I am not going to the meeting after work.

18.  Is John playing football today?

How to Use the Present Continuous

The present progressive is used:

To describe something which is happening at the exact moment of speech.

Example:

Jim is watching television at the moment.

To describe an action that is taking place now but not at the exact moment of speech.

Example:

John is working in London.

To describe an event planned in the future.

Example:

I’m taking my French class on Tuesday.

To describe a temporary situation.

Example:

I’m staying with a friend for a few days.

To emphasize the frequency of an action.

Example:

That child is always crying for no good reason.

To describe changing situations.

Example:

Her health is improving by leaps and bounds.

Present continuous tense can be used in questions as well. Here are some more examples of this use:

1.      Is she laughing?

2.      Are they listening to the teacher?

3.      Is the baby drinking his bottle?

4.      Are you going?

More Uses of Present Continuous Tense

In addition to the above, the present continuous tense can be used to describe actions that are being repeated. Words like always, constantly and forever are used along with the verb. Examples of this use include:

1.      Jack and Jill are always fighting.

2.      She is constantly complaining about her sister.

3.      Her mother is forever misplacing her keys.

Present continuous tense can be used when speaking about current trends.

 Examples of this use include:

1.      Shopping online is growing in popularity nowadays.

2.      The stocks are dropping constantly due to the economy.

3.      Today, most people are using text messages instead of the phone.

Another use of this tense is when talking about a planned event in the future.

Examples of this use include:

1.      We are leaving for the beach tomorrow morning.

2.      The kids are arriving at six o'clock.

3.      She is speaking at the conference this evening.

When Not to Use Present Continuous Tense

There are certain verbs that cannot be used in the present continuous tense. The following verbs are non-continuous:

Communication: agree, promise, surprise

Feelings: like, love, hate

Senses: hear, see, smell, taste

Thinking: believe, know, understand

Choose the correct answer

1. Hurry up! We ……………………….. for you.

waiting

are waiting

wait

2. ‘What are you ……………………….?' ‘I ………………………. letters.’

doing, writing

done, writing

doing, write

3. He …………………………. in Italy at the moment.

works

working

is working

4. She doesn’t like to be disturbed when she …………………………..

works

working

is working

5. That child ……………………………… bigger everyday.

gets

getting

is getting

6. Who is that girl …………………………….. on the table?

stand

standing

is standing

7. I …………………………….. for the shops to open.

wait

am waiting

waiting

8. I …………………………….. Jane tomorrow.

see

am seeing

seeing

9. The universe ………………………, and has been so since its beginning.

expands

is expanding

expanding

10. My sister ……………………. at home for the moment.

lives

living

is living

Answers

1. Hurry up! We are waiting for you.

2. What are you doing? I am writing letters.

3. He is working in Italy at the moment.

4. She doesn’t like to be disturbed when she is working.

5. That child is getting bigger everyday.

6. Who is that girl standing on the table?

7. I am waiting for the shops to open.

8. I am seeing Jane tomorrow.

9. The universe is expanding and has been since its beginning.

10. My sister is living at home for the moment.

Complete the following sentences using Present Continuous Tense. (Capitalize when needed)

Top of Form

1. My son  (talk) on the phone right now.

2.  (you / sleep)?

3. Jason  (do) his homework at the moment.

4. Tom  (work) on a project nowadays.

5. My kids  (play) in the garden now.

6. Some people  (wait) to talk to you.

7. My wife  (not cook) today.

8.  (Lucas / study) for his exam right now?

9.  (Ryan / play) the piano now?

10. Lea and I  (paint) the fences today.

11. Andrea  (help) me at present.

12. My children  (not listen) to the radio now.

13. Selena  (not drink) tea now.

14. I  (vacuum) the carpet right now.

15. My father  (watch) TV now.

16. What  (she / eat) right now?

17.  (your dog / hide) from me?

18. What book  (you / read) nowadays?

19. Thomas  (drive) me home now.

20. I  (wash) my face at the moment.

Fill in the blanks with the present continuous tense form of the verb.

1. The students ………………… (go) to school.

2. I ……………… (look) to launch a new business.

3. I ………………. Mathews tomorrow. (see)

4. I ……………….. fine today. (feel)

5. He ……………….. on the bed. (lie)

6. She ……………….. presently ………. on cattle diseases. (work)

7. It …………… (begin) to rain.

8. We ………………. (hope) to hear from them soon.

9. She ……………….. (look) for a job.

10. I ………………. (read) the newspaper.

11. We ……………….. (arrange) some picnics.

12. The baby …………….. (cry).

13. The child ……………. (sleep).

Answers

1. The students are going to school.

2. I am looking to launch a new business.

3. I am seeing Mathews tomorrow.

4. I am feeling fine today.

5. He is lying on the bed.

6. She is presently working on cattle diseases.

7. It is beginning to rain.

8. We are hoping to hear from them soon.

9. She is looking for a job.

10. I am reading the newspaper.

11. We are arranging some picnics.

12. The baby is crying.

13. The child is sleeping.

Bottom of Form

Complete the sentences.

Use the present continuous form of the verb in brackets.

Top of Form

1. You (use) my mobile phone!
2. My dad (wash) his car.
3. It(not rain) today.
4. Who(she / chat) to now?
5. What(you / do) at the moment?
6. We(sit) on the train.
7. The students(have) lunch in the canteen.
8. 'Are you making dinner?' 'Yes, I.'

Bottom of Form