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 talk­ingnonsense." (Galsworthy) How isDartie behavingnow? (Qalswothy) David Copperfield is not to be got. The second-year- students are readingit.

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

He did such a mean thing and you defendhim.

Why don'tyou readyour examples?

Why doyou lookat me as if you had never seen me?

Why don'tyou 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.

You are beinga nuisance.

"You are beingbitter," said Karen. (Heym)

2. 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 openyour lips while you are painting.{Wilde) 1 never talkwhile I am working.(Wilde)

3. 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 leavingto-night. (Abrahams)

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

Note. — However, in Modern English there are many other verbs which can be used in the Present Continuous Tense to denote a future action. Arewe playingpoker to-morrow? (Williams)

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

The earth isalways moving.The sun isever shining.

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

She is always grumbling.

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

The difference between case 4 and case 5 is as follows: what is said in No. 4 is literally true, whereas in 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

The formation of thePast Continuous.

1.The Past Continuous is formed by means of the Past Indefi­
nite 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.

Interrogative

Was I reading?

Negative"~

Iwas not reading He was. notreading She was not reading We were not reading You were not reading They were not reading

Affirmative

Iwas reading

Was he reading? Was she reading? Were we reading? Were you reading? Were they reading?

He was reading She was reading We were reading You were reading They were reading

3. The contracted negative forms are:
He wasn't reading

They weren't reading

4. The negative-interrogative forms are:
( Was he not reading?

\ Wasn't he reading?

( Were they not reading?

\ Weren't they reading?

§ 12. Theuse of thePast Continuous.

1. The Past Continuous is used to denote an action which was going on at a definite moment in the past.

It was twelve and Tie wasstill sitting, when the presence of Cowperwood was announced. (Dreiser)

The definite moment is indicated either by another past action expressed by a verb in the Past Indefinite or by an adverbial phrase.

When I returned, she was sweepingthe floor. (Bennett)

At midnight he wasstill working,though he was feelingill

and was longingto go to bed.

The definite moment is often not expressed, but understood from the situation.

He did not notice what was going onaround him — he was reading.

The Past Continuous is used to denote a certain state or quali­ty peculiar to the person at a given moment in the past.

He knew he was beingscientific and restrained. (Cronln)

2. The Past Continuous or the Past Indefinite is often used
after such phrases as the whole day, all day long.

They were workingin the garden all day long. They workedin the garden all day long.

3. The Past Continuous is used to denote an action thought of
as a continual process. In this case the adverbs always, ever, con­
stantly are used. The Past Continuous in this use is often to be
found in emotional speech.

She wasconstantly complainingof being lonely. (Shaw) He was never able to look after his flowers at all, for his friend, the Miller, was always coming roundand sendinghim off on long errands or getting him to help on the mill. (Wilde)

The Past Continuous is rendered in Russian by the past irnper-fective.

When I came home, she was cookingdinner. Когда я вернулся, она готовилаобед.

THE FUTURE CONTINUOUS

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1570