Simple and Continuous: Usage
Using the Present Continuous Tense
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Meaning
In English, speakers and writers use the present continuous or progressive tense to describe actions and situations that are in progress or happening right now.
Action |
Sentence Examples |
parallel or overlapping (Something happening at a time in the past while something else was happening or when another action interrupted it). |
You were reading about the past continuous while your friend was watching TV. She was reading about the past continuous when her phone rang. |
in progress at a point in time (Something continuing for a period around a specific time in the past). |
I was listening to you the whole time. |
The video below reviews the use of present continuous tense.
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Signal Words
Signal words for the past continuous are used to link two actions taking place in a given situation in the past. Or, they can show that another action interrupts the continuous action. These words can come at the beginning of a sentence or in the middle of a sentence to create complex sentences.
- as
- when
- while
Examples:
As my husband was washing the dishes, I was baking a cake.
His sister was talking on the phone when someone knocked at her door.
Now that we know how to choose between the past simple and continuous to share our thoughts in English, let’s put our knowledge into practice.
Source: Saylor Academy; videos from Teacher Jake, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dDO7cKIS_0
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.