Present Continuous: How To Use It Correctly

You know how sometimes English can feel a bit like a mysterious maze?

Well, don’t worry! Today, we’re going to explore the “present continuous” or “present progressive” tense.

Imagine you’re telling someone in German, “Ich fahre ins Büro, um meine Papiere zu holen.“

In English, you might say, “I drive to the office to get my papers.” 

But wait. We need the present continuous to talk about things happening right now!

So, instead of saying, “I drive to the office,” it would be correct to say, “I’m driving to the office.”

Do you see the difference?

Let’s dive deeper and see how to use the present continuous correctly:

1. Right Now Actions: Use it for things that are happening at or around the time of speaking: “I’m talking to my colleague on the phone at the moment.“
2. Future Plans: Use it for things you have already arranged to do in the future. “We’re meeting our client tomorrow.”
3. Always Actions: Use it with words like “always” or “constantly” if something happens often. For example, “She’s always forgetting her keys.” (It means she forgets them a bit too much!)

And there you are!

Before you go, tell me: What’s the funniest language mix-up you’ve ever had?

PS If you’re looking for cool English grammar tips or have specific topics you’re interested in, please tell me!