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§ 10. The use of the Present Continuous.

  1. The Present Continuous is used to denote an action going on at the present moment. It should be borne in mind that the term ‘present moment’ is not limited to the actual moment of speaking. The Present Continuous is used when in Russian we can say сейчас (теперь), which refers not only to the moment of speaking, but has a wider meaning.

My dear,” said Jolyon with gentle exasperation, “you are talk­ing nonsense.” (Galsworthy)

How is Dartie behaving now? (Galswothy)

David Copper field is not to be got. The second-year students are reading it.

Note.—The Present Indefinite, not the Present Continuous, is used to denote actions going on at the present moment wben the fact is important and not the process.

He did such a mean thing and you defend him.

Why don’t you read your examples?

Why do you look at me as if you had never seen me?

Why don’t you answer? Good God, John, what has happened? (Thackeray)

The Present Continuous can be used to denote a certain state or quality peculiar to the person at a given moment.

\r •- i 1 I" t L.C f'

You are being a nuisance.

You are being bitter,” said Karen. (Heym)

  1. When there are two actions one of which is in progress and the other is a habitual action, the first is expressed by the Present Continuous and the second by the Present Indefinite.

You never open your lips while you are painting. (Wilde)

I never talk while I am working. (Wilde)

  1. The Present Continuous is used to denote a future action mainly with such verbs as to go, to come, to leave. The future action is regarded as something fixed.

I’m leaving to-night. (Abrahams)

He is coming to us to-morrow to stop till next month. (Collins)

N ote. — However, in Modern English there are many other verbs which can be . used in the Present Continuous Tense to denote a future action.

Are we playing poker to-morrow? (Williams)

  1. The Present Continuous is used to express a continual pro­cess. In this case the adverbs always, constantly, ever are used.

The earth is always moving.

The sun is ever shining.

  1. The Present Continuous is used to express an action thought of as a continual process (with the adverbs always, ever, constantly). The action is represented as going on without any interval.

She is always grumbling.

She is constantly thinking of you,” I said. (Wells)

The difference between case C and ca§e 5 is as follows: what is said in No. 4 is literally true, wnerlas fri No. 5 there is an element of exaggeration, because the action in this case cannot go on with­out intervals. The exaggeration is generally called forth by emotion.

THE PAST CONTINUOUS

§ 11. The formation of the Past Continuous.

  1. The Past Continuous is1 formed by means of the Past Indefi­nite of the auxiliary verb to be and Participle I of the notional verb.

  2. In the interrogative form the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject.

In the negative form the negative particle not is placed after the auxiliary verb.