Estudiante

UNIVERSIDAD TECNOLÓGICA EQUINOCCIAL
NAME: Germán Cahuasquí
LEVEL: 4º
CURSE: I 22

HOMEWORK

PROGRESSIVE TENSES

The Present Continuous or present progressive tense

* Structure: S + verb to be (AM/IS/ARE) + -ing form of a verb+ Complement.
* Use: To describe actions that are happening at the moment (NOW).

I) The positive form of the present continuous.
- Remember to use theSubject plus (+) the verb to be in the present tense (am/is/are) and complement (optional).

Common mistakes:

- Students forget to use the verb to be
Example:
a) My father working (INCORRECT) —> My father IS working. (Correct)
- Sometimes students do not use the -ing form.
b) Robert is play with my sister (INCORRECT) —> Robert is playING with my sister. (CORRECT)

II) Thenegative form of the present continuous
The negative form is used by adding “not” after the verb to be in the present tense form. You may use contractions.

Common mistakes:

-Some students place the negative first. REMEMBER TO USE THE S+V+C !!!
a) Not working my father (INCORRECT) —> My father isn’t (is + not) working (CORRECT)
- Students use the don’t/doesn’t to do the negative:
b) Shedoesn’t playing (INCORRECT) —> She isn’t playing (CORRECT)

III) The question form of the present continuous.
We have to put the verb to be + the subject + -ing form + the complement.
Are you watching TV?
Remember that we can use the Question words before the structure:
Examples:
- What are you doing? Answer: I am studying English with my virtual teacher.
- Where is Pedro going? Answer: He isgoing to the shopping mall.

Common mistakes:
- Students do not change the order of the verb to be with the subject:
a) He is working? (INCORRECT) —> Is he working? (CORRECT)
- Students use do or does in questions:
b) Do you studying? (INCORRECT) —> Are you studying? (CORRECT)

Exercises

1) (she / go home now) Correct!
she is going home now

2) (I / read a greatbook) Correct!
I am reading a great book

3) (she / not / wash her hair) Correct!
she isn't washing her hair

4) (the cat / chase mice)? Correct!
is the cat chasing mice

5) (she / cry)? Correct!
is she crying

6) (he / not / study Latin) Correct!
he isn't studying Latin

7) (we / drive to London)? Correct!
are we driving to London

8) (they/ watch TV)? Correct!
are they watching TV

9) (where / she / go now)? Correct!
where is she going now
10) (I / not / leave now) Correct!
I am not leaving now

Past Continuous / Past Progressive
Structure
Positive form
Subject + was/were + (-ing) + Complement
Examples:

Michael was watching the World Cup match.

They were working all night long.

Josh and Silvia weretalking about getting married.

Negative form
Subject + wasn’t/weren’t + (-ing) + Complement
Examples:

-          John wasn’t eating because he was feeling sick.

-          Jeff wasn’t watching TV.

-          My parents weren’t having a good time because it was very cold in Canada

Question Form
(Question Word) + was/were + Subject + (-ing) + Complement
Examples:

-         What were you doing last night at around 8:00pm?

-          Was Jim doing his homework?

-          Were they sleeping all morning?

Past continuous is very similar IN STRUCTURE to the Present Continuous tense. The only difference is that in the present continuous we use the verb to be in the present (am/is/are) but with the past continuous we use the verb to be in the past (was/were)Compare
Present Continuous | Past Continuous |
They are  writing | They were writing |
Pedro isn’t eating | Pedro wasn’t eating |
Where is he staying? | Where was he staying? |
-          We do not use the auxiliary DID with the past continuous.

Conclusions:

Exercises
1) (he / cook) Correct!
he was cooking

2) (she / play cards)? Correct!
was she playing cards...