Present Continuous (I am doing) Study this example situation: Sarah isin her car. She is on her way to work She is driving to work This means: she is driving now, at the time of speaking. The action isnot finished ‘Am/is/are + -ing is the present continuous | am he/shelit is welyou/they are driving working doing etc lam doing something = I'm in the middle cf doing it; I've started doing it and | haven't finished: Please don’t make so much noise. I'm trying to work. (not | try) “Where's Mark?’ ‘He's having a shower.” (not He has a shower) Let's go out now. It isn't raining any more. (not It doesn’t rain) (ataparty) Hi, Jane. Are you enjoying the party? (not Do you enjoy) What's all that noise? What's going on? (= What's happening?) Sometimes the action is not happening at the time of speaking. For example: Steve is talking to a friend on the phone. He says ‘'m reading a really good 200k at the moment. Is about aman who Steve is not reading the book at the time of speaking He means that he has started it, but has not finished it yet. He is in the middle of reading it Some more examples: Kate wants to work in Italy, so she's learning Italian. (but perhaps she isn’t learning Italian at the time of speaking) Some friends of mine are building their own house. They hope to finish it next summer. ‘You can use the present continuous with teday / this week / this year etc. (periods around now): You're working hard today. (not You work hard today) : Yes, Ihave a lot to do. The company I work for isn’t doing so well this year. ‘We use the present continuous when we talk about changes happening around now, especially with these verbs: get change become increase rise fall grow improve begin start Is your English getting better? (not Does your English get better) The population of the world is increasing very fast. (not increases) At first | didn’t like my job, but 'm beginning to enjoy it now. (not | begin)Exercises 1 sentences on the right follow those on the left. Which sentence goes with which? 1 Please don't make so much noise. a It's getting late. Vf 2 Ineed to eat something soon, b They’ lying 2 3 Idon’t have anywhere to live rightnow. | ¢ It's starting to rain 3 4 We need to leave soon. | 4 They're trying to sell it. 4 5. They don't need their car any more. I'm getting hungry. 5 6 Things are not so good at work f stmtryingte-work- 6 7 Itisn’t true what they said I'm ooking for an apartment. 7: 8 We're going to get wet. h The company is losing money. 8 © complete the conversations. 1a: saw Brian a few days ago. 8: Oh, did you? . What's he doing these days? (what /he /do) a: He's at university 8 2 (what /he / study) x: Psychology. 8: it? (he / enjoy) x Yes, he says it's a very good course, 2 & Hi,Nicola. How ? (your new job / go) : Not bad. It wasn't so good at first, but better now. (it/ get) ‘4: What about Daniel? Is he OK? : Yes, but his work right now. (he / not / enjoy) He's been in the same job for a long time and to get bored withit. (he / begin) © Pur the verb into the correct form, positive (I'm doing etc.) or negative (I'm not doing etc.). 1 Please don't make so much noise. __|'m “rying._(I/ try) to work 2 Let's goout now. It isn’t. raining (it/ rain) any more. 3. You can tum off the radio. ((/ listen) to it. 4 Kate phoned me last night. She's on holiday in France. (she / have) 2a great time and doesn’t want to come back 5 Iwant to lose weight, so this week (eat) lunch, 6 Andrew has just started evening classes. {he / learn) Japanese. 7 Paul and Sally have had an argument. (they / speak) to each other. 8 (1/ get) tired. | need a rest. 9 Tim (work) today. He's taken the day off. 10 (100k) for Saphie. Do you know where she is? ED complete the sentences using the following verbs: start get increase change __rise 1 The population of the world is increasing. very fast. 2 The world Things never stay the same. 3. The situation is already bad and it worse. 4 The cost of living Every year things are more expensive. 5 The weather soimprove. The rain has stopped, and the wind isn't as strong, iis