When have is used in continuous. Verbs that are not used in the Present Continuous

Present Continuous Tense (pronounced: present continuus tens) is the present continuous tense, it is also called Present Progressive (pronounced: present progressive). This primarily indicates the action that takes place at the moment of speech. But the Present Continuous can also talk about action in the future.

Education Present Continuous (Present Progressive)

Education of all times in English It's pretty similar. Some parts of speech are taken, put into the required forms and connected to each other. To form the Present Continuous tense form, you need to take the auxiliary verb to be in the present tense and add to it the participle of the semantic verb in the present tense.

to be + verb + -ing ending:

I tremble - I am trembling - I am trembling.
You tremble - You are trembling - You are trembling.
We tremble - We are trembling - We are trembling.
He/she/it trembles – He/she/it is trembling – He/she/it is trembling.
They tremble - They are trembling - They tremble.

Negative sentences in the Present Continuous

To obtain a negative sentence in the present continuous tense, it is necessary to modify the original affirmative sentence. Between to be and the verb you need to place a negative particle not:

Statement: Now he is trying to get back his children - Now he is trying to get his children back.
Negation: Now he is not trying to get back his children - Now he is not trying to get his children back.

Statement: Jack and Lucy are choosing a new TV – Jack and Lucy choose a new TV.
Negation: Jack and Lucy are not choosing a new TV – Jack and Lucy are not choosing a new TV.

Word order of negative sentences

Subject + to be + not + action verb + rest of sentence

Steven Spielberg is not making new film – Steven Spielberg is not making a new film.

Interrogative sentences in the Present Continuous

In order for a question to be formed in the present continuous tense, you need to change the sentence in affirmative form. To do this, you need to swap the subject and the auxiliary verb to be:

Are they listening to progressive rock? – Do they listen to progressive rock?
Is he looking at me right now? – Is he looking at me right now?
Are we buying a new knife this Sunday? – Are we buying a new knife this Sunday?

Word order of interrogative sentences

To be + Subject + Action Verb + Rest of Sentence

Are they cooking Italian food? – Do they cook Italian food?

The verb to be in the Present Continuous

The verb to be in the Present Continuous does not always have the same form. It may change depending on the change of face. In accordance with the change of persons, the verb to be in the Present Continuous tense will have three forms:

Am- 1 person, unit. h. - I am thinking- I think.
Is- 3rd person, unit. h. - He is walking- He walks.
Are- 2nd person unit. h and all forms plural - They are waiting- They are waiting.

Using the Present Continuous

The rules for using Present Continuous are simple - present long time in English, as a rule, it is used in specific cases: when a certain action is relevant at the time of speech, when it began before the moment of speech and lasts after, when we are talking about something temporary, some kind of development or change, etc. We have prepared for you examples of using the present continuous tense in each case.

The action is relevant at the time of speech:

I am listening to the news - I am listening to the news.
You are washing your clothes - You wash your clothes.
Who is Bob talking to on the phone? – Who is Bob talking to on the phone?
Look, he is trying to steal that man’s pen - Look, he’s trying to steal the pen from that man.

The action began before the moment of speech and continues after:

At noon we are usually having brunch - At noon we usually eat brunch.
When she get home the children are doing their homework - When she came home, the children were doing their homework.
I am learning all that stupid tenses!
I am reading the book Moby Dick - I am reading the book “Moby Dick”.

We are talking about something temporary:

I’m looking for a blue beach house – I’m looking for a blue beach house.
She’s thinking about leaving her parent’s house - She is thinking about leaving her parents’ house.
Are you eating enough food? -Are you eating enough?

We are talking about something new that is compared with the previous one:

These days children are using smartphones instead of reading books – These days, children are using smartphones instead of reading books.

We are talking about development, changes:

The puppies are growing quickly, I think their size would be doubling every week! – The puppies are growing quickly, I think their size will double every week!
His Spanish is improving – His Spanish is getting better.

The action occurs again and again over a long period:

Ann is always coming to work late – She is always late for work.
I don’t like her because she is always complaining - I don’t like her because she constantly complains.

It's about a plan to do something in the future:

Oscar is going to a new town next week - Oscar is moving to another city next week.
What is Jane doing after work? – What does Jane do after work?
I am not going to the cinema tonight - I won’t go to the cinema today.
Isn’t they coming with you tonight? – They won’t go with you today?

Verbs not used in the Present Continuous

Each tense of the English language has verbs that cannot be used in that tense. And the Present Continuous is no exception. We have prepared for you a list of verbs that are not used in the present continuous tense.

Feelings/perception

to hear – to hear
to feel – to feel
to see – to see
to taste – feel the taste
to smell – to smell

Opinions

to believe – to believe
to assume – agree
to consider – to believe
to feel (= to think) – to feel (= think)
to doubt - to doubt
to find (= to consider) – to find (for example, “to find it interesting”)
to suppose - to believe
to think - to think

Thinking

to imagine – imagine
to know - to know
to forget – forget
to mean - to mean
to notice - to notice
to remember – remember
to recognize - to recognize
to understand – to understand

Emotions/desires

to envy - to envy
to dislike – to dislike
to hate - to hate
to fear - to be afraid
to hope - to hope
to love - to love
to like - like
to mind - remember
to regret - to regret
to want - to want
to prefer – to prefer
to wish – to wish

Measurements

to contain – contain
to hold - to hold
to measure – to measure
to cost - cost
to weigh – to weigh

Other

To look – meaning “to have a resemblance”
to be – to be
to seem - to look
to have – meaning “to have something”

Video about Present Continuous

These verbs, unlike verbs that are used in Continuous tenses, cannot express an action or state as a process occurring at a certain moment. Instead of Continuous tenses, Simple tenses are used with such verbs. These verbs include:

a) verbs of emotional state:
to wish want
to desire want
to want want
to envy envy
to hate hate
to like like
to love be in love
to prefer prefer
to fear afraid
to need need
to satisfy satisfy
to seem seem

b) verbs of mental activity:
to agree agree
to believe believe
to deny deny
to doubt doubt
to expect believe
to forget forget
to know know
to recognize learn
to remember remember
to respect respect
to suppose assume
to think* count/believe
to understand understand

c) verbs of feeling:
to hear* hear
to see* see
to taste* have taste
to smell* smell

d) verbs of possession, relations
to be be
to consist consist
to belong belong
to contain contain
to have have
to include contain
to possess have
to own own, etc.

Do you belong to this strange club?
Whom did he believe but you?

However, there is an exception to this rule. Some verbs (marked *) can convey the meaning of both duration and state (depending on the meaning that the speaker wants to convey).

I am thinking of you now. Now I'm thinking about you.
I think you are very tired. I think (I believe) you are very tired.

If the action is inherent in the subject only in this moment(time period), then the Present Continuous is used:
You are being impatient. You're so impatient.(usually patient, but not now)

Verb to have used in Continuous tenses only in combination with some nouns with which it forms a semantic whole:
Wasn't having dinner when I came. He was having lunch when I arrived.

Note: Sometimes verbs not normally used in the Continuous form can be used in this form to give strong emotional emphasis:
I am hating this country. I hate this country.

Posted on 2013-11-18 by in // 4 Comments

In English, there is a rule according to which verbs of sensory perception and verbs expressing mental activity are not used in continuous tenses. But special mention should be made about the verbs think and see.

Verb think

The verb think can be used in both the Simple and Continuous tenses, depending on its meaning.

• Verb think in meaning " to believe, to have an opinion about something » not used in the days of the Continuous group, since once we have formed an opinion about something, we tend to stick to it for some time. I think she is quite clever. - I think she's pretty smart.
  What do you think of her new boyfriend? – What do you think about her new boyfriend?
  I don’t think he’ll help you with money. Don’t even ask him, it’s just wasting time. “I don’t think he will help you with money.” Don't even ask him, it's just a waste of time.
  Do you think these curtains will match my furniture? – Do you think these curtains will match my furniture?
• think in meaning " think, ponder" used in the times of the group Continuous, as it denotes a temporary thought process: Jim is thinking of moving into a new house - Jim is thinking about moving to a new house.
  What are you thinking about? — About my holiday. - What are you thinking about? - About my vacation.
  Jane is thinking about starting her own business. Jane is thinking about starting her own business.
  I was thinking about you when I got this message. “I was just thinking about you when I received this message.”

Verb see

Google shortcode

The verb see is also used in various meanings.

• If see means " see - visually perceive information" , then this verb not used during the time of the group Continuous Can you see the cat in that tree? Isn’t it your Grandma’s? – Do you see the cat on that tree? Isn't this your grandmother's cat?
  I see a very nice park in the photo. – In the photograph I see a beautiful park.
  It's too dark here, I cannot see anything. “It’s too dark here, I can’t see anything.”
  I looked for her but couldn’t see her in the crowd. “I looked for her, but couldn’t see her among the crowd.
• If see means " meet, have a meeting (with someone)" , then this verb used in during the time of the group Continuous I am seeing my accountant tomorrow. – I’m meeting with my accountant tomorrow.
  We are seeing at the cafe, then going to the cinema. – We meet in a cafe and then go to the cinema.
  What are you doing tonight? – I am seeing my friends at 8. – What are you going to do this evening? – I meet my friends at 8.

In general, it’s simple in essence. But there is one catch - here, too, there are peculiar exceptions from the series. But these are the most normal verbs, we just cannot use them to denote an extended, ongoing event. In other words, even in Russian these verbs are not used for continuous actions.

As a rule, these are static verbs and verbs of emotions and feelings: know, love, own, hate, prefer, realize, have, etc. After all, we don’t even say in Russian: “I’m in love now.” fried potatoes" or "Last night I hated that boring movie." So for once we are dealing with a similar situation in Russian and English!
So, verbs not used with -ing ending (that is, always used only in Present or in Perfect):

• Believe- believe
• Depend- depend
• Belong- belong
• Contain- contain
• Forget- forget
• Hate- hate
• Like- like
• Love- be in love
• Matter- matter
• Need- need
• Own- own
• Prefer- prefer
• Realize- realize
• Remember- remember
• Suppose- assume
• Want- want
• Know- know
• Mean- matter
• Seem- seem
• Understand- understand

For example:

Now I don't remember his name.
I am not remembering his name now.
I don't remember his name now.

There is currently no salt in this solution.
At the moment this solution is not containing salt.
At the moment this solution doesn't contain salt.

Unfortunately, this is where the similarities between the situations end. And the usual course of things in the English language begins, when in some cases we can put the verb in the continuous tense, and in others we can put the same verb only in simple tenses. It’s good at least that there are only a couple of such verbs.

Table. Non progressive verbs

For example:

I am thinking of moving to Australia.
I'm thinking of moving to Australia.

I think you should move to Australia.
I think you should move to Australia.

Anna is still seeing that John from the Supplies Department.
Anna is still seeing that John from the supply department.

Now I see who is knocking at my door.
Now I see who is knocking on my door.

When learning the present continuous tense of English, it is imperative to learn exception words. These are verbs that are not used in . They express states that are constant (to love, hear, understand), and not actions (write, jump, scream), which can begin earlier and continue at the moment, as required by the time present continuum.

In this case, exception verbs are used in .

I'm hungry. I want something to eat. (you can’t put I’m wanting)

Do you understand what I mean?

Ann doesn't seem very happy at the moment.

What verbs are not used in Continuous?

The list of verbs that are not used in the Continuous is quite extensive, so it would be better to divide it into groups of words for understanding and quick memorization.

Verbs of reality perception

using the senses:

hear- hear

see- see

smell- smell

taste- have taste

feel- feel

sound- sound

be- be

resemble- to be similar, to remind

seem- seem

appear- seem

State verbs that express feelings and emotions

like- like

love- be in love

adore- adore

dislike- do not like

detest-to feel disgusted

hate- to hate

appreciate- value

forgive- forgive

want- want

wish- wish

desire- to desire passionately

hope- hope

Verbs that express mental actions and operations

know- know

understand- understand

realize- understand, realize

remember- remember

recognize- learn

forget- forget

imagine- imagine

think- think, believe

believe- believe, believe

suppose- to believe

expect- to believe

notice- notice

consider- consider

agree- agree

doubt- doubt

require- demand

mean- to mean, to mean

Verbs that express attitudes and states of belonging

have- have

need- need

possess- to possess

own- own

owe- to be due

belong- belong

contain- contain

include- include

consists- consist

cost- cost

weigh- to weight

matter- to matter, to be important

concern- touch, relate

depend- depend

fit- suit

Download List of verbs not used in Continuous: (downloads: 279)

What verbs can be used in Continuous?

Some of these verbs can be used in Continuous tenses if they change their meaning and denote actions rather than states, i.e. will express the duration of the action, its process.

Verb to be

Not used in Continuous

Jane is quiet. (She is always quiet)

He never thinks about other people. He is very selfish. (He is selfish generally, not only at the moment)

It 's hot today.

Sarah is very tired.

Use in the Continuous is possible when someone’s behavior at the moment is different from usual, i.e. someone behaves in an unusual way

Jane is being very quiet today. (Only today, usually she isn’t so quiet)

I can't understand why he 's being so selfish. He isn't usually like that. (behaving selfish at the moment)

Verb to have

In the meaning of “to have”, “to own” is not used in the Continuous

She has two cars. (It has)

In stable phrases in which have changes its meaning depending on the next word, use in Continuous is possible:

• have breakfast/lunch/dinner/supper - have breakfast, lunch, dinner
• have tea - drink tea
• have a shower/a bath - take a shower/bath
• have a headache/toothache/backache - headache, tooth, back hurts
• have a lesson - be in class
• have fun - have fun
• have a rest - to rest, etc.

She 's having dinner. (has lunch)

Verb think

In the meaning of “believe”, “believe”, “have an opinion” is not used in the Continuous

In the meaning of “to ponder”, “to consider”, “to consider” the use in the Continuous is possible

Nicky is thinking of giving up her job. (= she is considering it)

He is thinking about their offer. (thinks)

I 'm thinking about what happened.

Verb enjoy

Always used in Continuous, in contrast to like, love, adore

‘Are you enjoying this film?’ - ‘Yes, we like it very much’.

Verbs hear, see, smell, taste

Often used together with can

I can hear a strange noise. Can you hear it?

Hear in the meaning “to hear”, see in the meaning “to see”, smell in the meaning “to smell”, taste in the meaning “to have taste” are not used in the Continuous

Hear in the meaning of “listen, receive news”, see in the meaning of “meet”, smell in the sense of “smell”, taste in the meaning of “taste” can be used in the Continuous

She is smelling the flowers. (sniffs)

I 'm seeing my friends tonight. (dating)

Other verbs

She appears to be busy. (Seems)

The opera singer is appearing on stage tonight. (will appear)

The bag weighs 15 kilos. (weighs)

They are weighing their bag. (weigh)

Exercises

1. Are the underlined verbs right or wrong? Correct them where necessary.

1. Nicky is thinking of giving up her job. - OK
2. Are you believing in God? - _____________________________
3. I"m feeling hungry. Is there anything to eat? - _____________________________
4. This sauce is great. It's tasting really good - ___________________________________
5. I"m thinking this is your key. Am I right? - _____________________________

2. Put the verb into the correct form, present continuous or present simple.

1. Are you hungry? Do you want(you / want) something to eat?
2. Don't put the dictionary away. I _____________________ (use) it.
3. Don't put the dictionary away. I _____________________ (need) it.
4. Who is that man? What _____________________ (he / want)?
5. Who is that man? Why _____________________ (he / look) at us?
6. Alan says he "s 80 years old, but nobody _____________________ (believe) him.
7. She told me her name, but I _____________________ (not / remember) it now.
8. I _____________________ (think) of selling my car. Would you be interested in buying it?
9. I _____________________ (think) you should sell your car. You _____________________ (not / use) it very often.
10. Air _____________________ (consist) mainly of nitrogen and oxygen.

3. Complete the sentences using the most suitable form of be. Sometimes you must use the simple (am/is/are) and sometimes the continuous is more suitable (am/is/are being).

1. I can't understand why he's being so selfish. He isn't usually like that.
2. Sarah _____________ very nice to me at the moment. I wonder why.
3. You"ll like Debbie when you meet her. She _____________ very nice.
4. You"re usually very patient, so why _____________________ so unreasonable about waiting ten more minutes?
5. Why isn't Steve at work today? _____________ ill?