Happening Right Now
Present Continuous
To express what is happening at the present moment in time use the present continuous. The present continuous is also sometimes referred to as the present progressive.
The company's lower book value is forcing its liquidation this month.
They are trying to keep the account from being in the red.
The company's liquid assets are not going to stand up to the current market depreciation.
Another use of the present continuous is to express what is happening around the current period of time. This is often used in work settings when discussing a project that is currently in progress.
Master Card is delaying changes to their card holder agreements.
Positive Form:
Subject + to be + verb + ing + (object(s))
We're seeking fees on the bounced check.
Negative Form:
Subject + to be + not + verb + ing + (object(s))
John's stock portfolio isn't making much money in this economy.
Question Form:
(Wh-) + to be + verb + ing?
NOTE: Common time expressions used with the present continuous include:
at the moment
currently
this week
today
now
Example:
The company's lower book value is forcing its liquidation this month.
At the moment, I am going into the vault to open her safety deposit box.
Stative Verbs
Stative verbs express a state. Action verbs express an action, or task that someone performs.
Stative are never used in continuous forms. Here is a list of common stative verbs:
believe
understand
think (opinion)
want
hope
smell
taste
feel
sound
look
seem
appear
Example:
He sounds less than enthused about it.
He feels like the price is not negotiable.
Money seems below market rate today.