1. The Present Progressive The present progressive is used to describe actions that take place now, in the present.

2. He’s meeting her at two o’clock tomorrow afternoon. Imagine the scene, exactly one year ago. It is two o’clock on a Wednesday afternoon. I am standing near the old factory. He’s always complaining!

3. What’s the difference? I’ll see her tomorrow I’ll be seeing her tomorrow. I’m seeing her tomorrow I’m to see her tomorrow I see her tomorrow.

4. When do we use it? To express an incomplete action happening at the moment of speaking (usually a temporary activity); often with now, at the moment, right now. We are discussing the problem right now. [----------------] __________________|_________________ now, i.e. the moment of speaking

5. To express incomplete actions that are taking place, but not necessarily at the moment of speaking I am reading an interesting book.

6. To express an arrangement or plan in the near future (usually with time expression). She is giving a party tonight.

7. To express actions that are repeated regularly, often with a negative meaning (and with the words always and forever). He is always losing his glasses.

8. When we change our routine or break a habit, we move from the Present Simple to the Present Progressive. He always travels to work by car, but today he is taking a bus.

9. When we talk about what is going on around a particular time that we are thinking of. You look lovely when you're smiling.

10. When we talk about developing and changing situations, even if these are very long-lasting (verbs like become, decline, decrease, develop, expand, get, grow). The climate is getting warmer. X X X X X X _______________________|_________________ now, i.e. the moment of speaking

11. When we talk about repeated actions and events, if these are happening around the moment of speaking. Why is he hitting the dog?

12. Verbs that refer to physical feelings (feel, hurt, ache). How are you feeling?

13. Time expressions now, at the moment, right now, today, tonight, this week, this month, tomorrow, next week, next month

14. Form POSITIVE Subject + am/ is/ are + verb ing NEGATIVE Subject + am/ is/ are not + verb ing YES/NO Am/ Is/ Are + subject + verb ing QUESTIONS

15. Spelling rules When the verb ends with the letter e, drop the single e and add ing. love – loving smile – smiling dance - dancing

16. For verbs ending in ie, change ie to y before adding ing. die – dying tie – tying lie – lying

17. When the last syllable of the verb is written with a consonant-vowel-consonant and is stressed, double the last letter before adding ing. beg – begging plan – planning begin – beginning

18. But, when the stress is on the beginning of the verb, just add ing. Listen – listening Happen – happening Visit – visiting

19. Difficulties In Hebrew we have only one way of expressing the present and the idea that you can do it in more than one way can be confusing.

20. Although we tell our students that we can't use stative verbs in the Present Progressive, in reality we sometimes use verbs that express likes, wants, mental states, senses and appearance in this tense in order to give special emphasis to the temporariness of the state. Sssh, I'm thinking what I want to say. I'm loving every moment of it. I'm hearing voices…

21. Our students sometimes are taught that we use the Present Progressive for "things that happen now", and they can get into the habit of tagging now onto every expression which contains the Present Progressive. She is having lunch now. He is sleeping now

22. The problem is that we also use the Present Progressive to refer to future time, and we can also use many other tenses to refer to what is happening now (she's remembered now; he's been reading for the last hour). We also use the adverb now with different tenses (now she tells me!).

23. What am I doing right now? I am looking at the snowy mountains. I am petting my lead sled dog on the head. I am listening to her breathing Where am I? Alaska!