PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE (Part I)

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

 A.  Introduction of present continuous tense

teaching the present continuous usually takes place after the present, past and future simple forms have been introduced. However, many books and curricula choose to introduce the present continuous once the present simple has been taught. Personally, I find this can be confusing as students can have difficulties understanding the subtlety of something that has happens as a routine, and action that takes places at the moment of speaking. Add to this the fact that continuous forms are not used with stative verbs, and you might find students confused. In any case, as with other tenses, it's important to provide as much context as possible by using appropriate time expressions   such as now, at the moment, currently, etc. when introducing the present continuous form. The use of the present continuous to express future scheduled events is best left for intermediate level classes.

Modeling the Present Continuous

Begin teaching the present continuous by speaking about what is happening in the classroom at the moment of introduction. Once students recognized this usage, extend to other things you know are happening now. This can include simple facts such as The sun is shining at the moment. We're learning English at the moment. etc. Make sure to mix it up by using a number of different subjects.

I'm teaching the present continuous right now.
My wife is working in her office at the moment.
Those boys are playing tennis over there.

Choose a magazine or web page with lots of activity, go through a number of pages and ask students questions based on the photo.

What are they doing now?
What is she holding in her hand?
Which sport are they playing?

To teach the negative form, use the magazine or web pages to ask yes / no questions focusing on eliciting a negative response. You may want to model a few examples before asking students.

Is she playing tennis? - No, she isn't playing tennis. She's playing golf.
Is he wearing shoes? - No, he's wearing boots.
(Asking students) Are they eating lunch?
Is she driving a car?

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