#12 A1 Present continuous

#12 A1 Present continuous Transcript Hi , and welcome back to English for French podcasts .I’m Alison and today we are talking about an action happening right now—the Present Continuous. This tense is used to describe actions happpening at a certain time and ongoing ( c’est le “en train de” en français) Imagine you’re calling a friend. You ask, "What are you doing?" They don't answer with habits like "I eat lunch every day." They say, "I am eating lunch right now." That's the Present Continuous! How to Build It To form the Present Continuous, follow this simple formula: Subject + be (am/is/are) + Verb-ing • I am studying. • She is drinking coffee. • They are listening to music. For negative sentences, just add not after the verb to be: • He is not (isn't) sleeping. For questions, flip the subject and the verb to be: • Are you watching TV? Adding -ing to a verb is usually straightforward, but a few specific spelling rules depend on how the verb ends. Here is the quick breakdown to help you get it right every time. Rule 1: The General Rule (Just add -ing) For most standard verbs, simply add -ing to the end of the base verb without changing anything. • walk -walking • play -playing• study -studying (Note: unlike present simple rules, verbs ending in -y keep the - y!) • read -reading Rule 2: Verbs Ending in Silent -e (Drop the -e) If a verb ends with a silent -e, drop the -e before adding -ing. • Make-making • Write- writing • Dance- dancing • Live-living Exception: If the verb ends in -ee, keep both e's (e.g., see-seeing, agree -agreeing). Rule 3: The CVC Rule (Double the final consonant) If a one-syllable verb ends in a Consonant + Vowel + Consonant (CVC) pattern, double the final consonant before adding -ing. • s - i - t (CVC) sitting • r - u - n (CVC) running • s - w - i - m (CVC) swimming • s - t - o - p (CVC) stopping Exception: Never double the final letter if the verb ends in w, x, or y (e.g., snow -snowing, fix -fixing, buy -buying). Rule 4: Verbs Ending in -ie (Change to -y) If a verb ends in -ie, change the -ie to -y before adding -ing. • Die-dying • Lie-lying • tie- tying Summary Table Rule Type Base Verb Present Continuous What Changed? General cook cooking Added -ing Ends in -e ride riding Dropped -e CVC Pattern get getting Doubled -t- Ends in -ie lie lying Changed -ie to -y Reading Practice: A Busy Sunday Afternoon Read the short text below and notice how every action is happening in the current moment. Today is Sunday. It is 2:00 PM, and the Miller family is at home in the garden. Mr. Miller is cooking lunch on the grill. He is making burgers. Mrs. Miller is sitting under a large tree. She is reading a new book and drinking iced tea. Their young son, Leo, is playing with a red ball. The family dog, Max, is running around Leo and barking happily. Their daughter, Emma, isn't playing outside today. She is sitting in her bedroom, and she is studying for an English test. Everyone is enjoying their afternoon! Reading Comprehension Questions 1. What is Mr. Miller doing? 2. Is Mrs. Miller reading a book or sleeping? 3. What is the dog, Max, doing? 4.Is Emma playing outside with Leo? Grammar Exercises Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks Complete the sentences using am, is, or are + the verb in parentheses. 1.Look! The train __________ (come) now. 2.I __________ (write) an email to my friend. 3.We __________ (not watch) TV right now; we're listening to the radio. 4.What __________ you __________ (do) at the moment? 5.Sarah __________ (wear) a blue dress today. Exercise 2: Fix the mistake Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence. 1. They reading a book right now. 2.He is play tennis in the park 3.I am not like this noise right now. (Hint: remember the action verb + -ing rule!) I hope you enjoyed this podcast with me, Alison, atr English for french.See you soon.The answer key is below. Cheers Answer Key • Comprehension: 1. He is cooking burgers on the grill. • 2. She is reading a book. • 3. He is running around Leo and barking. • 4. No, she isn't. She is studying in her bedroom. • Exercise 1: • 1. is coming • 2. am writing • 3. are not watching • 4. are / doing • 5. is wearing • Exercise 2: • 1. They are reading a book right now. • 2. He is playing tennis in the park. • 3. I am not listening to this noise / I am not enjoying this noise.