GRAMMAR

THE PRESENT PROGRESSIVE

FORM

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
I am/I’m living	I am not/I’m not living	Am I living?
you are/you’re living	you are not/aren’t living	Are you living?
he/she/it is/it’s living	he/she/it is not/isn’t living	Is he/she/it living?
we are/we’re living	we are not/aren’t living	Are we living?
you are/you’re living	you are not/aren’t living	Are you living?
they are/they’re living	they are not/aren’t living	Are they living?

• Many verbs make the -ING FORM by simply adding -ing to the end of the verb:
  • ➤ eat – eating, speak – speaking, start – starting, do – doing, stay – staying, fix – fixing, try – trying
• Verbs ending in -e (with the exception of those ending in -ee and -ie) drop the -e and add -ing:
  • ➤ hope – hoping, ride – riding, make – making, write – writing
    BUT: agree – agreeing, flee – fleeing, see – seeing
• Verbs ending in -ie, change the -ie into -y before adding -ing:
  • ➤ die – dying, tie – tying, lie – lying
• Verbs ending in one vowel and one consonant (with the exception of w, x, and y):
  • if they are one-syllable verbs, they double the consonant before adding -ing:
    • ➤ jog – jogging, sit – sitting, run – running, stop – stopping
  • if they are two-syllable verbs with the first syllable stressed, they just add -ing:
    • ➤ answer – answering, offer – offering, listen – listening, visit – visiting
  • if they are two-syllable verbs with the second syllable stressed, they double the consonant before adding -ing:
    • ➤ admit – admitting, prefer – preferring, begin – beginning

USE

• To describe actions happening at the moment of speaking:
  ➤ The nurse is checking the patient’s temperature.
• To describe temporary events or situations:
  ➤ The new doctors are attending a course this week.
• To describe pictures and images:
  ➤ The picture shows a paediatrician who is visiting a newborn baby.
• To talk about future events which are already planned and organised:
  ➤ The surgeon is operating at 8 a.m. tomorrow.
• To complain about something annoying that frequently happens:
  ➤ The patient in Room 3 is always shouting at the nurses.

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10. Complete the sentences below with a suitable verb from the box in the Present Progressive Tense when possible.

check • examine • have • run • visit

1. The doctors ......................... some blood samples right now.
2. Look at the ambulance staff — they ......................... to the E.D. entrance.
3. The doctor ......................... the medical report.
4. ......................... you ......................... problems with the new medication?
5. Local authorities ......................... the newly built hospital next week.