- PRESENT PROGRESSIVE VERBS
The PRESENT PROGRESSIVE TENSE indicates continuing action, something going on now. This tense is formed with the helping "to be" verb, in the present tense, plus the present participle of the verb (with an -ing ending): "I am buying all my family's Christmas gifts early this year. She is working through the holiday break. Dierdre is being a really good girl in these days before Christmas".
The present progressive can suggest that an action is going to happen in the future, especially with verbs that convey the idea of a plan or of movement from one place or condition to another: "The team is arriving in two hours. He's moving to Portland this summer." Because the present progressive can suggest either the present or the future, it is usually modified by adverbs of time.
+ Verbal: S + is/am/are + Verb-ing
Example : I am working right now
He is working right now
You are working right now
+ Nominal: S + is/am/are + nominal
Example : Amir is busy now
- Verbal : S + is/am/are + not + Verb-ing
Example : I am not working right now
He is not working right now
You are not working right now
- Nominal: S + is/am/are + not + nominal
Example : You are very arrogant
? Verbal : Is/am/are + S + Verb-ing
Example : Am I working right now?
Is he working right now?
Are you working right now?
? Nominal : Is/am/are + S + nominal
Example: Am I a bad boy?
The progressive forms occur only with dynamic verbs, that is, with verbs that show qualities capable of change as opposed to stative verbs, which show qualities not capable of change.* For instance, we do not say, "He is being tall" or "He is resembling his mother" or "I am wanting spaghetti for dinner" or "It is belonging to me." (We would say, instead: "He is tall," "He resembles his mother," "I want spaghetti," and "It belongs to me.") The best way to understand the difference between stative and dynamic verbs is to look at a table that lists them and breaks them into categories and then to build some sentences with them, trying out the progressive forms to see if they work or not.
Dynamic Verb
Activity Verbs
I am begging you. I was learning French. They will be playing upstairs..
Virtually identical in meaning to simple tense forms:
I beg you. I learned French. They will play upstairs.
Abandon Ask
beg call
drink eat
help learn
listen look at
play rain
read say
Process Verbs
The corn is growing rapidly. Traffic is slowing down.
Virtually identical in meaning to simple present tense forms:
The corn grows rapidly. Traffic slows down.
change deteriorate grow
mature slow down widen
Verbs of Bodily Sensation
"I feel bad" and "I am feeling bad" are virtually identical in meaning.
ache feel
hurt itch
Transitional Events Verbs
Progressive forms indicate the beginning of an event, as opposed to the simple present tense.
"She was falling out of bed [when I caught her]" as opposed to
"She falls out of bed every night."
arrive die falll
and leave lose
Momentary Verbs
Progressive forms indicate little duration and suggest repetition.
She is hitting her brother.
He is jumping around the house.
hit jump kick
knock nod tap
Stative Verbs
Verbs of Inert Perception and Cognition
I detest rudabaga, but not I am detesting rudabaga.
I prefer cinnamon toast, but not I am preferring cinnamon toast.
abhor adore astonish
believe desire detest
dislike doubt feel
forgive guess hate
hear imagine impress
intend know like
love mean
Relational Verbs
I am sick, but not I am being sick.
I own ten acres of land, but not I am owning ten acres.
My brother owes me ten dollars" but not
My brother is owing me ten dollars.
be* belong to concern consist of
contain cost depend on deserve
equal fit have include
involve lack matter need
owe own possess require
require resemble seem sound
- PRESENT PROGRESSIVE VERB FOR FUTURE MEANING
I read that some times we can use present progressive for future meaning
to say what we have already arranged to do.
example:
i'm going to the theater
what time is your friends arriving tommorow?
And we alse use future progressive for future.
example:
what time will your friends be arriving tommorow?
NOW, i'm confused Emotion: tongue tied
Note :
Verb + ing function can be used for simple future or explain the future
Progressive is the same as continuous.
Formula :
Subject + shall/will + be + not a verb
Formula :
Subject + shall/will + infinitive
Simple Future Tense was formed by using “shall/will + infinitive without to“. Shall be used for the first single/plural (I/We). Will be used for the second and third single or plural.
Example of Simple Future Tense
1. He will take the subject over next year (Verbal Sentence)
2. I will be a rich person ten years later (Nominal Sentence)
3. You will have the money after going to the bank (Verbal Sentence)
4. The massage will be here at some minutes (Nominal Sentence)
The word “have” in the example number 3 above stands as verb, not a formula. It is indeed that we use the word “have” in simple present and past perfect tense also, but here it stands not as the formula. “Have” is an abstract verb (it has more than one function and more than one meaning), it can be “already” and “possessing”
Negative Sentence of Simple Future Tense
The negative sentence of simple future tense can be formed by the usual way; where we need the word “not” before verb of each sentences of this tense for verbal sentence, and “not” before the word “be” in nominal sentences. Consider the following example below:
- He will not take the subject over next year (Verbal Sentence)
- I will not be a rich person ten years later (Nominal Sentence)
- You will not have the money after going to the bank (Verbal Sentence)
- The massage will not be here at some minutes (Nominal Sentence)
Taking a look at the example number 3 (c), we can see that the word “not” stands together with the word “have”. While in discussion about base function of the word “have” in possessive form, it is impossible to say “I have not money or She has not money”, alright the sentence consist of error grammar system, it should be “I have no money or He has no money ”, does it means the example (c) is wrong???
As the agreement we learnt before, one again that the word “have/has” in English language stands as the abstract noun; it can be a verb, an auxiliary, and an adjective. It indicates that the word “have” in example (c) stands as a verb. It can be interpreted as “possessing” or “getting something (You will not get the money after going to the bank)”. Moreover, actually we can modify the sentence to nominal form such as “You will have no money after going to the bank”.
In addition, the most important point is that simple future tense used to tell our future experiences with varieties of context. The word “have” not only stands in this tense, we usually find this form of “have” in all cases of tenses and sentences.
Will vs. Going to
It has been customary that English language learners especially second language learners have some difficulties in using and understanding “simple future tense” and “going to”. Most people/students ask when and where do we have to use it and how to differentiate it.
“Going to” and “Simple Future Tense” is used in the same manner, its distinction is only at its time contextual meaning and usage. Here is the explanation from the Administrator of this blog to differentiate both forms:
Going to
It is a compounding of three morphemes, where we have (go, ing/as a bound morpheme, and to). Native speaker of English coined this phrase by the means of “future”. We use it for expressing/telling any activities in the short future. When we want to do something, or when something will be happen in few minute/second/hours letter and there is no possibility to cancel the events/activities. Furthermore, we use “going to” when we want to do something or something will be happen certainly in the short future and it has little possibility to be canceled.
The other interesting fact about “going to” is we can use it in two kind of tenses; Simple Present Tense, and Simple Past Tense. We just need to adapt the form of the “going to” based on the two tenses formula.
The formula of “going to” is (S + to be + going to + Verb I + 3 complement (noun, adjective, or adverb)); this form stands in Simple Present Tense, for example:
- I am going to write a book two years later
- She is going to make a cake this morning
- We are going to have a holiday next week
- My Mom is going to visit our grandfather next month
Just like the other, “going to” also has its own form to create nominal sentence. To form nominal sentence of going to, we just need the word “be” anymore by placing it after the “going to”. The formula is (S + to be + going to + be + 3 complement (noun, adjective, or adverb)), for instance:
- We are going to be at Bali tomorrow morning
- She is going to be happy with me
- You are going to be at home for few minute
- They are going to have a vocation two weeks later
Moreover, to create negative sentence with “going to” we need to put the word “not” after to be (before “going to”), for instance:
- I am not going to write a book two years later (Verbal Sentence)
- We are not going to be at Bali tomorrow morning (Nominal Sentence)
- She is not going to make a cake this morning (Verbal Sentence)
- She is not going to be happy with me (Nominal Sentence)
- My Mom is not going to visit our grandfather next month (Verbal Sentence)
- We are not going to have a holiday next week (Nominal Sentence)
In contrast, the word form of simple future tense “will” is used for expressing/telling the future events or experiences that will be happen/occur in in the future but has big possibilities to be canceled. People use the word “will” usually only for making or expressing their planning to the future and indefinite events (it can be done or not absolutely. Consider the illustrations formed by the administrator below:
- I am going to write a thesis after this semester (certainty events)
- I will write a thesis after this semester (uncertainty events)
- She is going to be happy (certainty events)
- She will be happy (uncertainty events)
To sum up, we can take the point that simple future tense stands with varieties of complexity and contextual events, where we need to open our mind larger for using this kind of tense, the word “will” and “going to” is one of complexities we can find in this tense. Even moreover, some people also state that simple present tense has future contextual element, but we are going to discuss it more in the next post.
