FORMACIÓN DEL "PRESENT CONTINUOUS"
El "present continuous" de cualquier verbo se compone de dos partes: el presente del verbo to be + el "present participle" del verbo principal.
(Para formar el "present participle": raíz+ing, e.g. talking, playing, moving, smiling)
| Afirmativa | ||
| Sujeto | + to be | + raíz + ing |
| She | is | talking. |
| Negativa | ||
| Sujeto | + to be + not | + raíz + ing |
| She | is not (isn't) | talking |
| Interrogativa | ||
| to be | + sujeto | + raíz + ing |
| Is | she | talking? |
EJEMPLOS: TO GO, "PRESENT CONTINUOUS"
| Afirmativa | Negativa | Interrogativa |
|---|---|---|
| I am going | I am not going | Am I going? |
| You are going | You aren't going. | Are you going? |
| He, she, it is going | He, she, it isn't going | Is he, she, it going? |
| We are going | We aren't going | Are we going? |
| You are going | You aren't going | Are you going? |
| They are going | They aren't going | Are they going? |
Nota: contracciones de las formas negativas: I'm not going, you're not going, he's not going etc.
FUNCIONES DEL "PRESENT CONTINUOUS"
Como ocurre con todos los tiempos verbales del inglés, la actitud del hablante es tan importante como el momento en que ocurre la acción o el evento. Al emplear el "present continuous", nos estamos refiriendo a algo que no ha terminado o está incompleto
EL "PRESENT CONTINUOUS" SE UTILIZA:
- para describir una acción que está teniendo lugar en este momento: You are using the Internet. You are studying English grammar.
- para describir una tendencia o una acción que está sucediendo en la actualidad: Are you still working for the same company? More and more people are becoming vegetarian.
- para describir una acción o evento futuros que ya están programados: We're going on holiday tomorrow. I'm meeting my boyfriend tonight. Are they visiting you next winter?
- para describir una situación o evento temporales: He usually plays the drums, but he's playing bass guitar tonight. The weather forecast was good, but it's raining at the moment.
- con "always, forever, constantly", para describir y enfatizar una sucesión de acciones repetidas: Harry and Sally are always arguing! You're constantly complaining about your mother-in-law!
¡CUIDADO! Hay algunos verbos que no suelen emplear la forma progresiva
VERBOS QUE NO SUELEN EMPLEAR LA FORMA PROGRESIVA
Los verbos de la siguiente lista suelen utilizar la forma simple porque hacen referencia a estados, más que acciones o procesos.
SENSACIÓN / PERCEPCIÓN
- to feel*
- to hear
- to see*
- to smell
- to taste
OPINIÓN
- to assume
- to believe
- to consider
- to doubt
- to feel (= pensar)
- to find (= considerar)
- to suppose
- to think*
ESTADOS MENTALES
- to forget
- to imagine
- to know
- to mean
- to notice
- to recognise
- to remember
- to understand
EMOCIONES / DESEOS
- to envy
- to fear
- to dislike
- to hate
- to hope
- to like
- to love
- to mind
- to prefer
- to regret
- to want
- to wish
MEDIDAS
- to contain
- to cost
- to hold
- to measure
- to weigh
OTROS
- to look (=parecerse a)
- to seem
- to be (en la mayoría de los casos)
- to have (cuando significa "poseer")*
EXCEPCIONES
Los verbos de sensación y percepción (see, hear, feel, taste, smell) suelen utilizarse con can: I can see... Pueden tomar la forma progresiva pero, en este caso, su significado suele variar.
- This coat feels nice and warm. (percepción de las cualidades del abrigo)
- John's feeling much better now (está mejor de salud)
- She has three dogs and a cat. (posesión)
- She's having supper. (está tomando)
- I can see Anthony in the garden (percepción)
- I'm seeing Anthony later (tenemos intención de vernos)
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