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3.3: Grammar

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    179300

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    Grammar Focus: Present Progressive

    The present progressive is used to talk about an action or situation that is in progress and happening right now. We often use these time expressions (signal words) for the present progressive: right now, at the/this moment, now, today, this week/ month/ year.

    Affirmative: Subject + Be + Verb-ing
    Subject Be Verb + ing
    I am watching TV right now.
    You (singular and plural) are watching TV right now.
    He is watching TV right now.
    She is watching TV right now.
    It  is watching TV right now.
    We are watching TV right now.
    They are watching TV right now.

    Examples:  Study the examples below.

    1. It is raining outside right now.
    2. I am doing my homework at the moment.

    Some Spelling Rules: Verb + -ing

    1. If a verb ends in e, remove e before adding -ing.
      come- coming     take- taking     give- giving

    2. If a one-syllable verb ends in a consonant following one vowel, double the consonant before adding -ing.
      hit – hitting     plan- planning     run- running   

    3. If the verb ends in w, x, or y, do not double the consonant.
      tow- towing     play- playing         fix- fixing

    Negative: Subject + Be + not + Verb-ing

    To form a negative sentence, add not after Verb Be.

    Present Progressive Negative Form
    Subject Be + NOT / Contraction Verb + ing
    I am not listening to music at the moment.
    You are not / aren't listening to music at the moment.
    He is not / isn't listening to music at the moment.
    She is not / isn't listening to music at the moment.
    It is not / isn't listening to music at the moment.
    We are not / aren't listening to music at the moment.
    They are not / aren't listening to music at the moment.

    Examples:  Study the examples below.

    1. My sister is not / isn’t studying at a community college this semester.
    2. Peter and Mei are not / aren’t going to class today. 

    Interrogative - Yes/No Questions:  Be + Subject + Verb-ing?

    Present Progressive Yes/No Question Form
    Be Subject Verb + ing Answer
    Am I playing soccer now? Yes, you are. / No, you are not.
    Are you playing soccer now? Yes, I am. / No, I am not.
    Is he playing soccer now? Yes, he is. / No, he is not.
    Is she playing soccer now? Yes, she is. / No, she is not.
    Is it playing with a ball now? Yes, it is. / No, it is not.
    Are we playing soccer now? Yes, we are. / No, we are not.
    Are they playing soccer now? Yes, they are. / No, they are not.

    Interrogative - Wh- Questions:  Wh- + Be + Subject + Verb-ing?

    Present Progressive Wh-Question Form
    Wh- Be Subject Verb + ing Answer
    Where am I going? You are going to the airport.
    Where are you going? I am going to the airport.
    Where is he going? He is going to the airport.
    Where is she going? She is going to the airport.
    Where is it going? It is going to the airport.
    Where  are we going? We are going to the airport.
    Where are they going? They are going to the airport.

    Examples:  Study the examples below.

    Grammar Practice

    Directions:  Complete the sentences with the present progressive form of the verb in parentheses.

    1. My son (come) ____is coming_________ home from school now.

    2. This term, they (take) ________________ four ESL classes.

    3. The girl (do) ________________ her homework in the living room.

    4. The people at the party (wear) ________________ beautiful clothes.

    5. This year, she (live) ________________ in a small town close to her parents.

    6. It (rain) ________________ very hard at the moment.

    7. _______________  they (drive)  ________________ to school now?

    8. When ________________ they (move) ________________ into their new home?

    9. ________________ we (take) ________________ a test today?

    10. Which days ________________ you (go) ________________ to school this week?

    Practice 2

    Directions:  Complete the following paragraph with the correct form of the present progressive.

    Hiroshi and Takura are new to the United States. They are students at Evergreen Valley College. They (1. take) __________________ ESL classes this semester. They (2. study) __________________ English, so they can get better jobs. They (3. practice) __________________ listening and speaking skills with their classmates.  They love their classes. They are busy studying all day, so they (4. not meet) __________________ their friends this month. Right now, they (5. walk) __________________ to the grocery store. It (6. rain) ________________ hard, so Hiroshi (7. hold) __________________ the umbrella to keep them dry. After going shopping, Takura (8. not go) __________________ home, but he is meeting a classmate to finish his homework.

    Directions:  What are the people doing in the pictures? In pairs, describe each picture and write at least 3-5 complete sentences about each picture. Use the correct form of the present progressive. 

    Picture 1

    Ch3 Gram people doing.jpg
    Photo by RDNE Stock project: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-h...award-7551451/

    Picture 2

    Ch3 Gram 3 people.jpg
    Photo by Keira Burton on pexels.com

    Picture 3

    Ch3 Gram singing.jpg
    Photo by Ver vaeck: https://www.pexels.com/photo/group-o...ther-17373358/

     

    This page titled 3.3: Grammar is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Maria Antonini de Pino, Erika Bourne Lawson, Huong Pham, Rebecca Kallen Reddy, Kelly N. Nguyễn-Jardin, Pradeep Reddy, Richard Lawson, and Adam Bloom (Open Educational Resource Initiative at Evergreen Valley College) .