Learn How to Use the Present Continuous Tense

The present continuous tense, also known as the present progressive, is one of the most commonly used verb tenses in English. It is one that English learners  frequently confuse with a similar tense, the present simple. Present Continuous vs. Present Simple The present continuous tense expresses something that is happening at the moment of speaking. It is frequently used in conjunction with time expressions  such as right now or  today to indicate that an action is occurring at that moment. For instance: What are you doing at the moment?Shes reading in the garden now.Theyre not standing in the rain. Theyre waiting in the garage.   In contrast, everyday habits and routines are expressed using the present simple tense. Its common to use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as usually or sometimes. For example:   I usually drive to work.Alice doesnt have to get up early on Saturdays.The boys play soccer on Friday evenings. The present continuous is used only with action verbs. Actions verbs express things that we do. The present continuous is not used with  stative verbs  that express a feeling, belief, or state of being, such as hope or want.   Correct: I hope to see him today.  Incorrect:  I am hoping to be  seeing him today.Correct: I want some ice cream right now.Incorrect: I am wanting some ice cream right now. Using the Present Continuous In addition to expressing actions that are currently taking place, the present continuous can also express actions that are happening at or around the present moment in time. For example: What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?She isnt coming on Friday.Were working on the Smith account at the moment. This tense is also  used for future plans  and arrangements, especially in business. Where are you staying in New York?She isnt coming to the presentation on Friday.Im flying to Tokyo next week. Sentence Structure The present continuous tense can be used with positive, negative, and question sentences. For positive sentences, conjugate the helping verb be and add ing to the verbs end. For example: Im (I am) working today.Youre (You are) studying English at the moment.Hes (He is) working on the report today.Shes (She is) planning a vacation in Hawaii.Its (It is) raining right now.Were (We are) playing golf this afternoon.Youre (You are) not paying attention, are you?Theyre (They are) waiting for the train. For negative sentences, conjugate the helping verb be, then add not plus ing to the verbs end. Im not (I am not) thinking about my vacation right now.You arent (You are not) sleeping at the moment.He isnt (He is not) watching the TV.She isnt (She is not) doing her homework today.It isnt (It is not) snowing today.We arent (We are not) staying in New York.You arent (You are not) playing chess at the moment.They arent (They are not) working this week. For sentences that ask a question, conjugate be, followed by subject and a verb ending in ing. What am I thinking?What are you doing?Where is he sitting?When is she coming?How is it doing?When are we leaving?What are you eating for lunch?What are they doing this afternoon? Present Continuous Passive The present continuous can also be used in the passive voice. Remember that the passive voice conjugates the verb to be.  To construct, a passive sentence, use the passive subject plus the verb be plus ing and the  past participle. For instance: Cars are being made in this factory at the moment.English is being taught by the teacher now.Steak is being eaten by the people at table 12. Additional Resources Want to learn more about the present continuous tense? Check out this teachers guide for additional exercises and tips.

Compare And Contrast Martin Luther King And Thoreau Civil...

When It’s OK to Disobey Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† and Henry David Thoreau’s â€Å"Civil Disobedience† collectively persuade their audiences to disobey authority when it concerns social injustice. King takes a more assertive yet respectful approach, and makes it a point to explicate the intolerable treatment that the black community had to endure under the encroachment of segregation laws. In addition, Thoreau expounds why it is so important for citizens to object and take action upon the corrupt laws that the government had imposed on the blacks, insisting that civil disobedience is a means of freedom. Both of these influential men successfully utilize occasion, purpose, tone, appeals and rhetorical strategies to†¦show more content†¦Though the specifics concerning who these essays were written for can be interpreted differently, the common men and women of America collectively heard and responded to these essays. The primary goal of a persuasive essay is to either convince the reader to agree with the author’s point of view, or at least prompt the audience to proceed in taking a specific course of action. Because Thoreau very vocally opposed the government at this time, he didn’t necessarily urge people to abandon it altogether, rather he desired that â€Å"every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it† (408). In addition, he advocated that people would oppose the unjust laws of the government by performing acts of civil disobedience when it is necessary. King takes a very similar approach in his essay, but also makes it a point to defend both himself and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He aims to bring about reform and immediate action as he states that â€Å"justice too long delayed is justice denied†(224). He seeks to direct national attention to the Civil Rights Movement with the hope that his words might bring about good consequences and thus change. The efforts that

Employees With Passion - An Appreciation Program Sample

Questions: 1. What makes Hot Topic so successful as a retailer? What makes them so popular with their employees? How can they keep their success going?2. How does the idea of no walls and no doors in the corporate headquarters encourage the culture Hot Topic is trying to perpetuate? Do you think you would like to work in such an atmosphere? Answers: 1. Hot Topic Incorporated is successful as a retailer as it authorizes different goods like accessories, T-shirts and clothes geared towards the pop culture by putting an emphasis on the trends of modern music. It can be said that the firm proposes numerous cultural accessories along with clothing and cultural items aimed at young market segment. Moreover, the CEO of the firm considers that the unique corporate culture within the organization is based on an enthusiasm for a concept, which helps the firm to run successfully. The company provides a healthy environment to work, thus, the employees can fit in well and are also appreciated for their contribution to the firm. The company provides various perquisites like concert reimbursement and employee of the month program along with 9/80 program and many more in order to satisfy the employees. The senior executives of the firm can talk to the customers along with their employees regarding the operation and services provided. This will help to generate more innovative ideas and programs and implementation of these will make the firm able to run successfully (Ciccarelli White, 2012). 2. The proposal of no doors, no walls in the commercial headquarters of the particular firm encourages its culture as this takes importance off hierarchy, persuades cooperation and open style announcement (Bernstein, 2012). Yes, any individual would like to work in such an environment as it promotes collaboration and open communication. References Bernstein, D. (2012).Psychology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Ciccarelli, S. White, J. (2012).Psychology. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Who do you think Miller intended us to feel sympathy for Essay Example

Who do you think Miller intended us to feel sympathy for? Essay Marco goes to America solely to make money. He is quiet and serious and he is very protective of Rodolpho, his brother. When Eddie hurts Rodolpho in their friendly boxing match, Marco senses trouble and shows Eddie indirectly that he is stronger by lifting up the chair. This is as if to say, You think you are strong hurting my brother but if you fight me I can beat you. Eddie betrays him and his brother to the authorities so that they will be sent back to Italy. He can no longer achieve his goal of making money to support his poor family in Italy, and because of this Marco accuses Eddie of starving his children and kills him in a fight. The killing is unnecessary and sad. However, Marco is provoked by Eddie who draws the knife and attacks first. Marco is stronger and he acts in self-defense; Eddie brings upon his own death thinking that he is defending his own reputation and name. Throughout the play, Miller uses the character Alfieri as the narrator and as a means to influence the audience. Alfieri is a third party outsider of the situation but he knows what is going on through his talks with Eddie. This means he is inside the action while commenting on it from the outside. This makes him the perfect character to present exactly what Arthur Miller wishes to put across to the audience. His role is very important to tell the audience what is happening and to influence how they feel. Through him, Miller encourages the audience to feel sympathetic towards Eddie. At the start of the play, an introduction is given by Alfieri which ends with him describing how he sat there as powerless as I, and watched it run its bloody course. We will write a custom essay sample on Who do you think Miller intended us to feel sympathy for? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Who do you think Miller intended us to feel sympathy for? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Who do you think Miller intended us to feel sympathy for? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Alfieri knows from the start that a tragedy is in the making. He tells this to the audience right in the beginning, thus projecting a sense of foreboding, of inevitable tragedy. In this way Eddie gains the audiences sympathy because he is presented as a doomed figure. In the middle of the play, after a conversation between Alfieri and Eddie about Catherines relationship, Alfieri says, I could see every step coming, step by step, like a dark figure walking down a hall toward a certain door. Alfieri sees the hopelessness in the whole situation and he tries to persuade Eddie to compromise but he knows Eddie will not listen to reason. Once again Alfieri predicts the inevitable. In the end, Eddie dies a pointless death not realizing that his stubbornness has caused his own demise. The tragedy is avoidable if Eddie is willing to settle for half; yet it is inevitable because of the community he lives in and their own traditional beliefs. The people around him are not normal law-abiding Americans. They are a community of Italian immigrants bringing from Italy with them their virtues, beliefs and ways of life. Justice is not dealed out by the law. Rather it is taken into the citizens own hands to do as they think right. Eddie betrays his own people therefore breaking the code of his own community; yet he tries to defend his own name which leads to the fight and his own death. However, Miller encourages the audience to feel sympathy for Eddie. After Eddie dies, Alfieri says, I know how wrong he was, and his death useless, but, something perversely pure calls me to his memory. He expresses his sympathy towards Eddie pointing out that, although Eddie was very wrong, he died for his name and he died for honor. Alfieri reminds the audience that Eddie was not in the right but he was true to himself not purely good, but himself purely. Due to this Alfieri respects him and mourns him but with a certain alarm. Right till the end, Arthur Miller uses Alfieri to influence the audience to feel sympathy for Eddie. In the end however, I felt most sympathy towards Beatrice. Throughout the play she is neglected by all the other characters especially her husband. All the while watching Eddie and Rodolpho fighting over Catherine. She feels jealous but not angry and tries to persuade Eddie to let Catherine go. She wants Catherine to be happy and encourages Catherine to go away with Rodolpho. She is constantly trying to ease the tension and she tries to resolve arguments between all the characters because she wants to do what is best for everyone. Unfortunately, despite her efforts, she watches her family fall apart and the death of her beloved husband, who dies in her arms saying, My B.! Perhaps, Eddie finally realizes too late what he really has to lose.