Verbs: continuous tense

The continuous tense is named quite well. It describes an action that is continuing to happen. The simple tense described an action in a general way. The continuous tense clearly states an action that is going on at a clear point in time.

Use it to describe something that happens at the time of the sentence. Generally, this means describing something that started earlier and is still continuing.

Continuous tense is for ongoing actions. (They started before the time in the sentence, and are still happening now.)

Continuous Present

For this, we need to modify the verb again. Grab the verb stem and add "-ing" to the end.

Now we use the modal verb to be in front of it. To negate the sentence, as always, contract the modal verb. And we’re done!

It’s used to:

• Describe an action that is going on at this moment.
• Describe something that is generally ongoing, like a trend or long-term project. (I’m still working on this website of mine)
• Describe an event in the future which is already planned and prepared (I’m meeting with my girlfriend tomorrow)
• Describe a temporary event or situation. Something is going on, but it’s special, or not generally true. (It’s raining now, but the sun should reveal herself at any time.)
• Describe an ongoing series of repeating actions. (These need specific words in front: always, forever or constantly in front => You two are always arguing!)

Again, these tenses are often about certainty and intention. If you say “I’m meeting with my girlfriend tomorrow”, you are quite certain this will happen. It’s planned and prepared. You’re so certain that you use continuous tense: if we fast-forward to tomorrow, I will be doing this thing, watch me!

Continuous Past

The continuous present is formed using a modal verb (to be). This means you already know how to create the past version! Simply put the modal verb into its past form.

Use it to describe actions that started and are still going on. Usually, this is used to describe two things at once. Something started and continued, while something else occurred.

The main action is the lion waking up. That uses past simple: it happened at a point in the past, he’s not still waking up. But the secondary action comes from the birds. They started singing some time ago, and are still doing so as the lion wakes up.

It can also be used for very polite (or uncertain) requests. Use it in combination with to wonder or to think.

Continuous Future

And as expected, the future version uses the modal verb will. (For negative sentences, the contraction won’t.)

Use it to describe ongoing actions in the future. This is done in two ways:

• Start a completely new action. (I will be learning English tomorrow.)
• Or one that has already started, but won’t be finished at that point in the future. In that case, always combine it with the word “still”. (I will still be learning English the day after that.)

This tense needs a written time indication. Why? The future is endless and uncertain. If you state an action will be ongoing at the time of the sentence, you need to clearly define what that time is. “She will be working” on its own is incorrect. Although, in speech, this is often used if the context (previous sentences) already clarified the time frame.

Other uses are:

• Predicting or guessing future events. (I think we will be having a hard time tomorrow)
• Asking politely for information about the future. (Will you be working on the assignment tomorrow?)
• Referring to events we expect to happen ( = be ongoing) in the future. (Tomorrow it will be raining cats and dogs)

The continuous future is a more “roundabout way” of saying something. If you want to be polite, or avoid conflict, you say “Will you be attending the meeting tomorrow?”

But if you’re more direct or certain, you can also just say: “Will you attend the meeting tomorrow?”

About sentences and time, again

I said the continuous is used for actions happening at a clear point in time.

But there is no clear point in time for some examples?

There is! It’s just not written.

The simple tense requires you to write a time indication: “I walked home in the evening.”

But the continuous tense is about something that is ongoing. Which means the point in time is automatically there: it’s when the sentence happens.

Novels usually apply a lot of simple tense, instead of continuous tense.

Why? Because stories are told like they are general truths. The writer is recounting what they “see” happening in their story, in short immediate statements. You—the reader—are “there”, in the same time and place as the scene.