There are three continuous tenses in English- Present Continuous, Past Continuous and Future Continuous. They all describe an action or state of being that is ongoing or continuous. Present Continuous is used to talk about things that are happening now, Past Continuous is used to talk about things that were happening in the past, and Future Continuous is used to talk about things that will be happening in the future. In this blog post, we will give you simple examples of how and when to use each tense. Stay tuned!

What is past continuous tense?

– Past continuous tense is used to talk about things that were happening in the past.

– It describes an action or state of being that was ongoing at a specific point in time in the past.

– The main verb is always in the past tense, and the auxiliary verb “to be” is conjugated in its past form (was/were).

For example:

– I was studying English grammar last night.

– He was eating dinner when I called him.

– They were walking on the beach when it started to rain.

– She was sleeping when I came home.

Why we Use past continuous tense?

– To indicate an unfinished action in the past. For example, “I was eating dinner when he called me.” This sentence means that the person was still eating dinner when someone else called them. They may have not been able to finish their meal because they had to go answer the phone.

– To describe a situation or event that was happening over a period of time in the past. For example, “She was sleeping for eight hours last night.” This sentence means that she slept for eight consecutive hours in the past.

– To emphasize how long something lasted in the past. For example, “We were waiting there for three hours.” This sentence emphasizes how long they waited (three hours). It’s important to note that this usage is not very common.

– To talk about repeated or habitual actions in the past. For example, “I was studying English grammar every day last week.” This sentence means that the person studied English grammar every day for a week.

What is present continuous tense ?

– Present continuous tense is used to talk about things that are happening now.

– It describes an action or state of being that is ongoing at the present moment.

– The main verb is always in the present tense, and the auxiliary verb “to be” is conjugated in its present form (am/is/are).

For example:

– I am studying English grammar right now.

– He is eating dinner right now.

– They are walking on the beach right now.

– She is sleeping right now.

why we use present continuous tense ?

– To talk about things that are happening now. For example, “I am studying English grammar right now.” This sentence means that the person is currently studying English grammar.

– To describe a situation or event that is happening at the present moment. For example, “She is sleeping.” This sentence means that she is currently asleep.

– To emphasize how long something has been going on. For example, “We have been waiting here for thirty minutes.” This sentence emphasizes how long they have been waiting (thirty minutes).

– To talk about repeated or habitual actions in the present. For example, “He always studies English grammar every day.” This sentence means that he usually studies English grammar every day.

– To talk about plans or intentions in the future. For example, “I am going to be studying English grammar tomorrow.” This sentence means that the person plans on studying English grammar tomorrow.

What is future continuous tense?

– Future continuous tense is used to talk about things that will be happening in the future.

– It describes an action or state of being that will be ongoing at a specific point in time in the future.

– The main verb is always in the future tense, and the auxiliary verb “to be” is conjugated in its future form (will be).

For example:

– I will be studying English grammar tomorrow night.

-He will be eating dinner when you call him.

Why we use future continuous tense?

Tips for Using Grammar Checkers with the Continuous Tenses

When practicing writing with the continuous tenses – past, present, and future – it can be helpful to use a grammar checking tool. The grammar checker can identify incorrect uses of the tenses, so you can fix them as you write. This allows you to reinforce proper usage and improve your skills. Of course, grammar checkers are not perfect, so it’s still important to study the rules and exceptions for each tense. But when used carefully, grammar checkers can support you in gaining accuracy with the continuous form.

– To indicate an unfinished action that will happen in the future. For example, “I will be studying English grammar tomorrow night.” This sentence means that the person will start studying English grammar at some point in the future, but they may not have finished by the time you call them.

– To describe a situation or event that will be happening over a period of time in the future. For example, “She will be sleeping for eight hours tomorrow night.” This sentence means that she plans on sleeping for eight consecutive hours in the future.

– To emphasize how long something will last in the future. For example, “We will be waiting there for three hours.” This sentence emphasizes how long they plan on waiting (three hours).

– To talk about repeated or habitual actions in the future. For example, “He will always be studying English grammar every day.” This sentence means that he plans on continuing to study English grammar every day into the future.

– To talk about a future event that has already been planned. For example, “I am going to be studying English grammar tomorrow.” This sentence means that the person has already planned on studying English grammar tomorrow.

In this blog post, we have explained what is continuous tense (present, past, future), and when to use it. We hope you now have a better understanding of this topic! 

Thank you for reading!

This was written by me. Bryce Purnell, founder of Learn Laugh Speak.

Check out more on my Medium or send me an email if you’re ever curious about anything at all 

 

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