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The Present Progressive
The “In Progress Now” Tense
The Present
Progressive (also called Present Continuous) tense is another very common
present verb tense. This can be confusing for francophones since there
is only one present tense in French. This one usually means TEMPORARY
and VISIBLE.
Time References:
When we use the expressions "at the moment," "for the time
being," "presently," "right now," "this
week," "this month," "this year" or "these
days," usually the Present Progressive tense is indicated.
Form:
There are two parts to the Present Progressive:
Be in the present and a present participle
(verb ending in "-ing.")
"I'm doing something," "She's having lunch," "We're
working" and "They're playing."
It is very common to contract the subject and the verb be.
Use:
1 to describe things that are in progress
right now
Look! It's snowing.
I can't talk to you right now. I'm leaving.
Listen! Luciano is singing in the shower.
Shhhh! I'm watching my favourite TV show!
It is not necessary to always use the time reference, since the choice
of verb tense indicates the temporary nature.
2
to describe exceptions to routines
Usually I work downtown, but today I'm working at home.
Sue almost always watches what she eats, but today she's eating at McDonald's.
We normally go to Florida, but this winter, we're going to Cuba.
3
to describe plans -- be going to is the most well known use of this.
Tonight, Gino is going to the movies with my girlfriend.
Tomorrow, my boss is throwing a party for all of the employees.
Next month, my mother is going to the Bahamas.
It's true that the idea of "in progress" is usually translated
by en train de... However, the Present Progressive's use for plans indicates
a future meaning.
4
to describe changes and trends
Global warming is changing the climate.
Nowadays, more and more people are taking cruises in the winter.
Winter is slowly giving way to Spring.
5
to complain
She's always chewing gum at meetings.
They're always making noise in the library.
People are always talking on their cell phones while driving.
Francophones
often use the Present Progressive with always, thinking that they are
generalizing. In fact, this is understood to be complaining. The adverbs
forever and constantly can also be used for this meaning.
Do you see
the differences in meaning between these sentences?
| Generalizations: |
|
Complaints: |
| I always drive when
we to go to Florida. |
|
I'm always driving
when we go to Florida. |
| She constantly smiles. |
|
She's constantly smiling. |
| They always go on vacation. |
|
They're forever going
on vacation. |
| I work every day. |
|
I'm always working
every day. |
| He always buys me flowers. |
|
He's always buying
me flowers. |
| He always changes channels
on TV. |
|
He is always changing
channels on TV. |
| She always changes
her hair colour. |
|
She is always changing
her hair colour. |
| We always work on Saturdays. |
|
We're always working
on Saturdays. |
| Peter always drinks
coffee. |
|
Peter's always drinking
coffee. |
| |
|
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If you don't want to be considered a very negative person, use the Simple
Present to generalize.
Non-Progressive Verbs
Certain
verbs have stative meanings, i.e. they are considered permanent, even
if they can change later. Here are the factors which influence verb tense
choice:
States
| be |
|
He is a big man. She
is a petite woman. |
| cost |
|
That costs $100. |
| fit |
|
This sweater fits very
well. |
States don't
change often. You would never say Il est en train d'être un homme.
He either is or he isn't. Even if he has a sex-change operation, the result
will probably be permanent. Similarly, things either cost and fit or they
don't.
We sometimes
make an exception if someone temporarily behaves strangely.
Don't worry about him. He's just being stupid.
Sensory
Perception
| look/appear/seem |
|
You look/appear/seem
tired. |
| sound |
|
That guitar sounds
off key. |
| feel |
|
This feels smooth. |
| smell |
|
Her spaghetti sauce
smells good. |
| taste |
|
Your soup tastes too
salty. |
Our
senses tell us about the states of things. We can then make judgments
about them. When we use our senses, we basically use synonyms for the
verb be.
The temporary
process of sensing is used in the Present Progressive.
What are you doing? I'm smelling different perfumes. This one smells the
best.
Possession
| belong |
|
We belong together. |
| have / own |
|
They have a nice house
in Laval. |
| include |
|
It includes an owner's
manual. |
| need |
|
You need a haircut. |
Even if
something is sold later, it is still considered to be permanent. You either
have something or you don't. If it's temporary, it's called renting or
leasing.
We use have
in the Progressive for having babies or eating meals. This is not possession,
but an idiomatic use.
You're having a baby? Congratulations!
I can't talk to you right now because I'm having supper with my family.
Mental
Activity
| believe |
|
She believes in God. |
| doubt |
|
I doubt that it's true. |
| envy |
|
I envy you. |
| fear |
|
I fear that it's too
late. |
| forget / remember |
|
Did you forget / remember
to take out the garbage? |
| hear |
|
Do you hear the rain? |
| know |
|
I didn't know that. |
| mean |
|
What does that mean? |
| notice / realize |
|
We noticed that they
weren't there. |
| recognize |
|
I don't recognize her. |
| suppose |
|
Now I suppose you want
to stop. |
| think |
|
I think that it's good. |
| see / understand |
|
I see your point. |
For something
to be in progress, it should be visible. It is very difficult to determine
if something is in progress if we can't see it. Consequently, mental activity,
being invisible, is usually not used in the progressive. If we slowly
change our minds we say I am beginning to... or starting to...
Think in the Simple Present means believe. We use it for opinions, which
don't usually change. If you use think in the Present Progressive, it
refers to the process of reflection, which can be temporary. We don't
think all of the time.
Preferences
& Feelings
loathe - - - - Osama loathes George Bush.
detest - - - They detest hypocrisy.
hate - - He hates tobacco smoke.
dislike - He dislikes liver.
want + Do you want coffee or tea?
prefer ++ She prefers red to blue.
like +++ They like spaghetti.
love ++++ I love ice cream.
adore +++++ They adore Celine Dion.
These verbs
differ in intensity. They can be appropriate for anything, depending on
one's feelings toward them. And YES, you can love your dog and like your
spouse (even though many don't think that it is a very good idea).
Languages
change over time. There is a tendency to simplify English, and some of
these distinctions are disappearing. These are, however, not completely
implanted yet and are still considered to be slang or low class.
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