Present Continuous Part 1: I am cooking

Present Continuous Part 1: I am cooking

Section 1: Check this example situation.

• Sherlyn is a chef. It is lunchtime and she is cooking.
• Ian is a writer. He is working at home. 

Present Continuous Formula 

[ am/is/are + (verb)-ing ] – is the Present Continuous 

• I am working. 
• He is driving.
• She is cooking.
• It is spinning
• We are fighting.
• You are watching.
• They are hiding.

Section 2: I am doing something 

I began doing a certain action and I have not completed it yet. I am still in the process of doing it. 

• We are trying desperately to keep to our schedule.
• I’m having a really bad day.
• It’s raining. Put the hood up.
• She’s out enjoying the sea air.
• The earth is shaking, what is happening? 

Not all action is happening at the time of speaking. We also use Present Continuous when we are talking about it.

• Certain hobbies e.g reading, or watching.
  • I am watching this new series on Netflix. – The person is not watching now. 
  • I am reading the final book. – The person is reading the book but not the time of speaking.  
• Both examples indicate a certain action that is not yet finished and is still in progress.
  • Other examples. 
    • She is learning a new language. – Learning a language takes time, the person is in the progress of learning. 
    • They are building a new cafe around the corner. – Building a structure cannot be done overnight. But we still use Present Continuous as it is in the progress of doing it. 

Present Continuous  or Present Progressive can be used together with (today, this week, this year, and others) 

• She is barely working today. 
• Most businesses are not doing so well due to the pandemic. 

When we talk about changes that have started to happen we often use present continuous. 

• Getting – How are you getting along with your English studies?
• Becoming – She is becoming famous in Australia and elsewhere.
• Changing – She is in the dressing room, changing her outfit.
• Improving – Her French is improving by leaps and bounds.
• Starting – You’re starting to get on my nerves.
• Beginning – The paint’s beginning to flake off.
• Increasing – The police are increasing their efforts to prevent car thefts and subsequent ram-raiding.
• Rising – Unemployment is likely to go on rising this year.
• Falling – We are falling about the lost key.
• Growing – This is a growing trend.

Source: 

1. Grammar in Use – Intermediate 5th Edition
2. https://sentencedict.com/

Ian

Ian Tanpiuco is an ESL and virtual assistant. With a decade of experience, he has become an expert in his field. Dedicated to helping others achieve their goals, Ian works tirelessly in the classroom or as a virtual assistant.