Present Progressive
Temporary habit or at the moment of speaking
Present vs. Present Progressive
| PERMANENT HABIT | TEMPORARY HABIT | MOMENT OF COMMUNICATION |
|---|---|---|
Present nonprogressive is used for activities that are long-lasting habits. |
Present progressive is used for activities that are temporary or a change from the usual activities. |
Present progressive is used for activities that are occur at the moment of speaking. |
| FREQUENCY ADV | "THIS" ADV | "NOW" ADV |
Helen exercises everyday. |
Helen is taking a class at Skyline College this year. |
Helen is jogging around the park right now. |
Helen cooks her own meals often. |
Helen is studying Media Arts this semester. |
Helen is listening to her iPod now. |
Helen is working often. |
Helen works this semester. |
Look, Helen jogs there now. |
Also see At the Moment
*Yellow highlighted words are examples of incorrect usage.
Present Adverbs
Permanent – Temporary
Present Tense Adverbs
| PRESENT PROGRESSIVE – TEMPORARY | |
|---|---|
Adverbs for the present progressive indicate a more temporary state, at the moment of speaking. The focus is on the present time period, with a larger range of time, for example this month, and not on time that has passed. |
|
| NOW | THIS ... |
at the moment |
today / tonight (word origin – this day, this night) |
now (for now, just now) |
this morning |
currently |
this week |
presently |
this month |
for a little while (for the time being) |
this semester |
as we speak |
this year |
| PRESENT – (MORE) PERMANENT | |
|---|---|
Adverbs for the present tense indicate a more permanent state and tell how often an activity occurs or is repeated. ¹Statements of fact or general truth rarely occur with adverbs. |
|
| EVERY ... | FREQUENCY |
every day (night, week, month, year, etc.) |
always (routinely, customarily, as a rule) |
each day (night, week, month, year, etc.) |
usually (most of the time, in general, normally) |
every other day (night, week, year, etc.) |
often (frequently, half of the time) |
most weekends (nights, weeks, months, etc.) |
sometimes (occasionally, on occasion) |
GENERAL TRUTH general truth¹ (no adverb) |
rarely (seldom, hardly ever, never, not ever) |
|
never (not ever) |
*Also ee Adverbs of Frequency Adverbs of Time
Grammar Notes
Sentence Structure
Traditional vs. Modern Sentence Diagramming
| TRADITIONAL SYSTEM | CURRENT LINGUISTIC SYSTEM |
|---|---|
In traditional grammar, auxiliary verbs (linking verbs) are treated as auxiliary combinations with other verbs (verb groups). Verbs are grouped. Aux Verb Diagrams |
In current linguistic analysis, auxiliaries are main verbs followed by gerund-participle or past participle verb forms in subordinated nonfinite clauses. In this example, the auxilary is followed by a gerund participle. (CaGEL 104,1218) Also see Secondary Verbs (nonfinite). Click the tree to see a more detailed tree. |
|
More detailed tree. |
CATEGORIES: NP –noun phrase; N – noun; VP – verb phrase; V – verb; Det – determiner; PP – prepositional phrase; P – preposition; AdvP – adverb phrase; Adv – adverb; AdjP– adjective phrase; Adj – adjective
FUNCTIONS: Subject: Subject, Predicate: Predicator (V) Complements: (elements required by verb) Object, Indirect Object, Predicative Complement Adjuncts: (optional modifiers) Adj, Adv
Also see Reed-Kellogg diagram.
Practice 1
Changes in Habits
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right.
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compete (v.) - take part in a sports competion An athlete competes to win.
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skip (v.) - to not do a usual habit or activity.
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Related page: Stative Verbs – verbs that do not take the progressive tense
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