11) 8 Ways to Use Present Continuous

1 2 3 HAPPENING NOW I’m learning about the continuous tenses in English. I’m trying to work. I’m walking down the street and listening to the video. The simple tense is used for things that happen all the time, and continuous tense is used for things that are happening now. SETTING THE SCENE E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M CONTINUOUS ACTION V BAM ACTION Watch! CLICK TO WATCH LESSON Past continuous is used to describe the situation or to set the scene for a story. It was a cold, winter’s day. The snow was falling , children were building snowmen, the fire inside was burning and keeping us all warm. Then suddenly, someone knocked on the door. The snow was falling (continuous). Someone knocked on the door ('bam'). My daughter was running in the street the other day (continuous), when she fell ('bam'). Sorry, I couldn’t answer the phone ('bam'), as I was working (continuous). A continuous action doesn't happen just one time. It happens over a period of time. A 'bam' action happens once and finishes. When you’re telling a story, a ‘bam’ action often interrupts a continuous action. 4 TEMPORARY HABITS Future continuous is used to describe a situation in the future. At 4pm next Sunday I will be watching football, my wife will be preparing work for school, and the kids will be playing and making it hard for me to watch the football. You’re working late these days, aren’t you? . I’m riding my bike to work these days. I’m going to bed too late at the moment, and finding it hard to get up in the mornings. Present continuous is used if habits are temporary.