The Grammaring Guide to English Grammar with Exercises

The continuous aspect

BE + PRESENT PARTICIPLE (VERB-ING)

The continuous aspect is expressed with the auxiliary be and the present participle -ing form of the verb. Depending on the time of the action, we use the past (was, were), present (am, are, is) or modal + infinitive (e.g. will be) form of be.

The continuous aspect focuses on the duration of an event. It expresses that the action was, is or will be in progress at a specific point in time or over a period of time. The point in time may be defined by a time expression (now, at 5 o'clock yesterday, this time tomorrow) or a clause (when I came home, when I come home). For the period of time, we can also use a time expression (all day yesterday) or a clause (while she was reading).

Examples of the continuous aspect:

Are

you

enjoying

yourself?

(now)

At 9 o'clock, I

was sitting

on the train.

When I came home, he

was sleeping

.

She

must be waiting

for me.

(now)

Rob

was hiking

all day yesterday.

While she

was reading

, Bill

was working

on the computer.

In January, I

'll be living

at my brother's.

Quotes:

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it. - Henry David Thoreau

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. - Oscar Wilde

Related topics:

The present participle used to form the continuous aspect

Past continuous

Present continuous

Future continuous

The forms of the infinitive

The forms of the participle