At the Moment
Indicating temporary activities
My name is Isabela Paras. I am a mother, a student and a nurse. I am married and have one child. Currently, I am working to get my nursing certification. Also, I am taking classes online to improve my use of English. I am trying to get rid of simple grammar mistakes so that I can communicate with my co-workers more effectively. I am taking a grammar course and a speech course at the College of San Mateo.
At night, I work at Children's Hospital in Oakland. I am learning with a group of eight other people. I often get home very late. I am having difficulty balancing my work, study and home schedules. But I hope I can get through this difficult time. I know that I will need to have a good education to get a better job and have a more successful life.
Present Progressive vs. Present Nonprogressive
| PRESENT PROGRESSIVE |
|---|
We use the present progressive for current or temporary activities. That is, the action is ongoing or temporary, exists now, but will change in the future. It is not the usual state. |
I am working to get my nursing certification. |
I am working to get my nursing certification. |
I am trying to get rid of simple grammar mistakes. |
I am taking a grammar course. |
I am learning with a group of eight other people. |
I am having difficulty. |
| PRESENT |
|---|
We use the present nonprogressive tense for descriptions of character, appearance, or habits. The activity is more permanent. It exists now, has existed in the past and will probably exist in the future. |
My name is Isabela. (100% permanent) |
I am a mother. (99% permanent) |
I am married. (50% permanent) |
I work at Children's Hospital. (?% permanent) |
I often get home late. (?% permanent) |
I hope¹ I can get through this… |
Present Progressive
Adverbs
Present Tense Adverbs
| PRESENT PROGRESSIVE – MORE 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
Present Progressive
Word Order
| AUXILIARY VERB | SUBJECT | AUX + VERB-ING | REST OF SENTENCE | CLAUSE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STATEMENT | ||||
I |
am working |
as a nurse. |
|
|
Isabela |
is working |
as a nurse. |
|
|
Isabela and her friend |
are studying |
together. |
|
|
| QUESTION | ||||
Am |
I |
working |
tonight? |
|
Is |
Isabela |
working |
tonight? |
|
Are |
Isabela and her friend |
studying |
tonight? |
|
| TAG QUESTION¹ | TAG AUXILIARY | |||
I |
am working |
tonight, |
aren't I? |
|
Isabela |
is working |
tonight, |
isn't she? |
|
Isabela and her friend |
are studying |
tonight. |
aren't they? |
|
| NEGATIVE | ||||
|
I |
am not working |
tonight. |
|
|
Isabela |
isn't working |
tonight. |
|
|
Isabela and her friend |
aren't studying |
together. |
|
| EMPHASIS IN SPEECH | EMPHSIZED AUXILIARY | |||
No, |
I |
am working |
with her. |
|
No, |
Isabela |
is working |
tonight. |
|
No, |
Isabela and her friend |
are studying |
together. |
|
¹A tag question can also occur with a negative main sentence and a positive final question: They aren't working tonight, are they? See And so / too.
²Use emphasis in speech when contradicting or stating that the opposite is true: "I think Isabela isn't working tonight." "No, she is working tonight."
Sentence Diagrams of Present Progressive
Related page: 3rd Person Agreement.
Common Mistakes
Errors & Solutions
| ERROR | SOLUTION |
|---|---|
*I apply to attend college this semester. |
I am applying to attend college this semester. (Use a progressive verb tense with this semester – a temporary time-frame.) |
*Just for now, I take the bus to work. (Just for now is temporary.) |
Just for now, I am taking the bus to work. (Use a progressive verb tense with just for now – a temporary time-frame.) |
*I study English in the College of San Mateo. (The activity is temporary.) |
I am studying English in the College of San Mateo. (Use a progressive verb tense with a temporary time-frame.) |
*Hurry up! I wait for you. (The activity is temporary.) |
Hurry up! I am waiting for you. (Use a progressive verb tense with a temporary time-frame.) |
*Yellow highlighting indicates example of incorrect usage.
Grammar
Diagrams
Traditional Grammar — Linguistic Description
| TRADITIONAL SYSTEM | CURRENT LINGUISTIC SYSTEM |
|---|---|
For some language learners, it is helpful to see the parts of a sentence. The Reed-Kellogg system diagrams a sentence on a horizontal line. Subject: article: the, noun: wind | Predicate: verb: is \ adjective: strong |
The tree diagram (linguistics) separates the parts of a sentence with angled /\ brackets. Clause; Subject / Predicate; NP –noun phrase; N – noun; VP – verb phrase; V – verb; auxiliary. – gerund-participle; pronoun |
|
|
Also see Subject-Predicate.
Resources (Azar, Biber, Huddleston, Swan)
Practice 1
An Introduction
- Select the response from the menu that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button.
Practice 2
My Morning Routine
Does the verb take a direct object?
- Is the verb intransitive, transitive, or both?
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button.