The Present Continuous

(I am doing)

 

Study this example situation:

Ann is in her car. She is on her way to work.

She is driving to work.

 

This means that she is driving now, at the time of speaking. This action is on-going and is not completed.

 

Am/is/are +ing is the present continuous

I am doing something. = I'm in the middle of doing something. I have started doing it and I have not finished yet.

 

Often, the action is happening at the time of speaking:

 

•   Please don't make so much noise. I'm working.

•   Where's Margaret? She's having a bath.

•   Let's go out. It isn't raining any more.

•   Hello Jane! Are you enjoying the party?

•   I'm tired. I'm going to bed now. Goodnight!

 

However, the action is not necessarily happening at the time of speaking. For example:

Tom and Ann are talking in a café.

 

Tom says: I'm reading an interesting book at the moment. I'll lend it to you when I finish it.

 

Tom is not actually reading the book at the time of speaking. He means that he has started reading it but has not yet finished it. He is in the middle of reading it.

 

 

 

Catherine wants to work in Italy, so she's learning Italian. (but she is not learning Italian at the exact time of speaking – she is in the process of learning Italian)

 

Some friends of mine are building their own house. They hope it will be finished before next summer. (but they are not building it all the time … they are doing other things as well!)

We use the present continuous when we talk about things happening in a period around now (for example today/this week/this evening/this year)

 

•   You're working hard today.

•   Is Susan working this week?

•   They are building an extension to their house this year.

 

We also use the present continuous to talk about changes happening around now:

 

•   The population of the world is rising very quickly these days.

•   Is your English getting better?