Learn English with Ellen: the Present Continuous

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Present Continuous Worksheet

We use the Present Continuous to talk about:

  • activities at the moment of speaking: I’m playing the guitar now.

  • · future plans or arrangements: Paul is going to the pub tonight.

  • something which we think is temporary: Michael is at university. He’s studying programming.

  • something which is new and contrasts with a previous state: What sort of clothes are teenagers wearing nowadays?

  • something which happens again and again and irritates us: It’s always raining in London.

  • a book, film or play: Harry Potter is a pupil at Hogwarts school. One day when he is playing Quidditch he sees a strange object in the sky. He wonders what is happening.

The Present Continuous adds energy and action to writing, and it helps us to understand that the action is happening now, frequently, and may continue into the future.

We do not normally use the Present Continuous with stative verbs, e.g. love, appear, belong, etc. We use the Present Simple instead: I love you. Don’t trust McDonalds with its ‘I’m loving it’! This phrase sounds slightly off and it’s not grammatically correct.

1.      What’s the structure again?

 The present simple is formed with:

+ ___________ _______________ _____________

- ___________ _______ + ________ ______________

? ___________ _______________ ______________?

2. Listen and put the verb into the correct form

  1. I ________________ (sit) here in the boring room.

  2. I ________________ (waste) my time.

  3. I _________________(hang around).

  4. I _________________ (wait) for you.

  5. I _________________(drive) around in my car.

  6. I__________________(step) around in the desert of joy.

3. Listen and match the words/expressions with their meanings.

1.    waste one’s time

2.    hang around

3.    wonder

4.    point of view

5.    go out

6.    isolation

7.    turn around

a)    to ask yourself questions or express a wish to know about something

b)    to change position or direction so as to face the other way

c)     an unnecessary or wrong use of time

d)    opinion

e)    to wait or stay near a place, not doing very much

f)      to leave your house to go to a social event

g)    the state of being alone or lonely

4. Listen and match the rhyming pairs

afternoon around bed car down far head joy

me power room see shower sky toy tree

view why you you