You are reading are you reading? You are not reading
They are reading are they reading? They are not reading
3. The contracted affirmative forms are:
I’m reading
She’s reading
We’re reading
4. The contracted negative forms are:
She isn’t reading
We aren’t reading
5. The negative- interrogative forms are:
Am I not reading?
Is she not reading?
Isn’t she reading?
Are you not reading?
Aren’t you reading?
II. SPELLING NOTES
1. When a verb ends in a single e, this e is dropped before in:
Argue, arguing
Hate, hating
Love, loving
Except after age, dye and singe:
Ageing
Dyeing
Singeing
and verbs ending in åå:
agree, agreeing
see, seeing
When a verb of one syllable has one vowel and ends in a single consonant, this consonant is
doubled before -ing:
hit, hitting
run, running
stop, stopping
Verbs of two or more syllables whose last syllable contains only one vowel and ends in a
single consonant double this consonant if the stress falls on the last syllable:
admit, admitting
begin, beginning
prefer,preferring
but
budget, budgeting
enter, entering
(stress not on the last syllable).
A final 1 after a single vowel is, however, always doubled:
signal, signalling
travel, travelling
(except in American English.)
3. -ing can be added to a verb ending in ó without affecting the spelling of the verb:
carry, carrying
enjoy, enjoying
hurry, hurrying
III. The Present Continuous Tense is used to denote:
1. actions or events which are in progress at the moment of speaking. To emphasize this, we often use adverbials like now, at the moment, just, etc.:
Someone's knocking at the door. Can you answer it?
What are you doing? - I'm just tying up my shoe-laces.
He's working at the moment, so he can't come to the telephone.
What's the baby doing? ~ He's tearing up a £5 note
Actions in progress are seen as uncompleted.
He is talking to his girlfriend on the phone.
We can emphasize the idea of duration with still.
He is stilltalking to his girlfriend on the phone.
The Present Continuous can be used to denote a certain state or quality peculiar to
The person at a given moment.
You are being nervous.
2. for an action happening about this time but not necessarily at the moment of speaking:
He is teaching French and learning Greek.
Indications of time are not necessary.
They are getting ready to move to their new house.
3. for a definite arrangement in the near future (the most usual way of expressing one's immediate plans):
I'm meeting Peter tonight. He is taking me to the theatre.
He is having a meeting with the boss this afternoon.
Note that the time of the action must always be mentioned, as otherwise there might be confusion between present and future meanings, come and go, however, can be used in this way without a time expression.