continuous aspect
Both tenses have a continuous form. These continuous tenses are formed with the verb be and the –ing form of the verb:
We use continuous aspect:
- for something happening before and after a given time.
He’s getting on the train. [before and after the moment of speaking]
It was quarter past ten. We were watching the news on television.
- for something continuing before and after another action:
Mother will be cooking the dinner when we get home.
We were waiting for the bus when it started to rain.
- for something continuing for some time:
Everybody will be waiting for us.
They had been working hard all day.
- for something happening again and again:
They’ve been doing that every day this week.
The children were always shouting.
He will be practising the piano every night.
- for something temporary:
We are renting an apartment until our house is ready..
He was working in a garage during the vacation.
- for something new:
We have moved from Birmingham. We’re living in Manchester now.
He had left university and was working in his father’s business.
- to describe something changing or developing:
Everything has been getting more difficult.
He was growing more bad-tempered every day.
English Grammar
- Pronouns
- Determiners and quantifiers
- Possessives
- Adjectives
- Adverbials
- Nouns
- Verbs
- irregular verbs
- question forms
- verb phrases
- present tense
- past tense
- perfective aspect
- continuous aspect
- active and passive voice
- to + infinitive
- -ing forms
- talking about the present
- talking about the past
- talking about the future
- verbs in time clauses and if clauses
- wishes and hypotheses
- the verb be
- link verbs
- delexical verbs like have, take, make and give
- Modal verbs
- double object verbs
- phrasal verbs
- reflexive and ergative verbs
- verbs followed by to + infinitive
- verbs followed by -ing clauses
- verbs followed by that clause
- Clause, phrase and sentence
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Comments
Could anyone to explain me the difference between "make money" and "earn money" ?
Thanks!
Hello dear, i suppose this reply is too late and you might have gotten the answer already , but never mind i'm a new member also English learner. so i will explain them to you if they're wrong you can correct me if they're right then say they're right .well here we go,
make money is first you have to find methods to bring money either by working or starting your own business.for instance, to buy my own car first i have to make enough money or I'd like to make some money so i can start my own business
as for earn money,to earn money from either your own business or by working with an employer. for instance, i earn 200 pounds every week.
I earn too much money from my own new business.let me give you an example in the past, i have earned 500 pounds only this week..thanks
I don't know if the question I asked will be read by anyone here, so I'd prefer to cancel it and ask my question elsewhere. Thank you.
Hello!
Can someone explain me at the example "he's driving me mad" the right answer is "something happening before and after a given time"? Because i can't see where is that "given time" in this sentence.
Thanks in advance! :)
team
Hello visovan_cristina,
In this example, the given time is the time the speaker is actually speaking. Like in the example given above the exercises, the speaker is describing something that is occuring both before and after the moment of speaking. I hope that makes sense!
Regards,
Stephen Jones
The LearnEnglish Team
nice ! interesting !
really very useful information and very interesting exercises. Really I like this site and i am so proud to be a member of your site. Thanks.
Hi)))
I am Asya))
I think this is a very interesting information)))
Hi everyone.
I'm new in this club and I'm very glad to be here.
Could someone help me about why "He's driving me mad." is "Something happening before and after a given time"
Thanks for everything.
team
Hi,
This is similar to the first example in the text - it's happening before and after the moment of speaking.
Best wishes,
Adam
The LearnEnglish Team