Present Continuous, Comparatives & Superlatives
تعلمي قواعد الإنجليزية بطريقة بسيطة تساعدك تفهمي وتطبّقي بسهولة
Present Continuous Structure
The present continuous is easy to form. We use the verb “to be” plus the verb in the ____ing form.
For example:
He is swimming in the river.
They are talking about their holiday.
Here is the verb talk conjugated in the present continuous.
Present Continuous
Positive
I am talking
You are talking
He is talking
She is talking
It is talking
We are talking
You are talking
They are talking
Negative
I’m not talking
You aren’t talking
He isn’t talking
She isn’t talking
It isn’t talking
We aren’t talking
You aren’t talking
They aren’t talking
Question
Am I talking?
Are you talking?
Is he talking?
Is she talking?
Is it talking?
Are we talking?
Are you talking?
Are they talking?
Note. There are certain spelling changes when verb are put into the continuous form:
Consonants after a vowel are doubled.
get – getting
swim – swimming
Final “e” is dropped.
love – loving
type – typing
Exceptions to these two rules.
A word of more than one syllable with the first syllable stressed does not double the consonant.
visit – visited NOT doubled as first syllable is stressed.
prefer – preferred IS doubled as second syllable is stressed.
be – being final “e” is NOT dropped.
Present Continuous Use
The Present Continuous is used to describe an action that is going on at this moment, at the time of speaking.
You are using your computer to study the internet.
You are sitting on a chair at the moment.
It is also used to describe an action that is going on during this period of time but not necessarily at this exact moment.
I am reading a good book about Polish mushrooms.
She is doing a course in flower arranging at the local arts centre.
We can use the Present Continuous to describe an action or event in the future, which has already been planned or prepared
He usually goes to work by bus but this week, he is using the train because there is a strike on the buses.
I am living at my sister’s for a month until she has her baby.
Many verbs aren’t used in the continuous form
I don’t understand what you mean.
NOT I am not understanding….
Verbs like this include: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, believe, consider, doubt, forget, imagine, know, mean, notice, recognise, remember and understand.
Comparatives and Superlatives
We use comparative and superlative adjectives when we want to compare and contrast things.
Look:
a) India is a big country.
b) Canada is bigger than India.
c) Russia is the biggest country in the world.
Sentence a) uses the base adjective, sentence b) uses the comparative and sentence c) uses the superlative.
Here is how we form these adjectives
Comparatives
For Short Adjectives
Add -er
Bigger
Longer
Faster
Adjectives Ending “-y”
Add -ier
Heavier
Prettier
Faster
For Long Adjectives
More / Less
More beautiful
Less interesting
More intelligent
Superlative Adjectives
For Short Adjectives
Add "The -est"
The biggest
The longest
The prettiest
The fastest
Adjectives Ending “-y”
Add "-iest"
The heaviest
The prettiest
The easiest
For Long Adjectives
The most / least
The most beautiful
The least interesting
The most intelligent
Examples:
Madrid is bigger than Lisbon but London is the biggest city in Europe.
Your exam was easier than mine. You are always luckier than me!
There are some irregulars:
Good – Better – The Best
Bad – Worse – The Worst
Far – Further – The Furthest
Tina Turner is not the best singer in the world.
But I am worse than her!
We use “as ____ as” to describe things which are equal:
Rome is as hot as Madrid in August.
I am not paid as much as John as he is more experienced.
She ran as far as possible and then stopped.
We can use other expressions before these adjectives to give emphasis.
She is much taller than her husband.
We spent a bit more than expected.
Julia Roberts is fifty times prettier than my sister.
Los Angeles is quite a lot more polluted than San Francisco
etc, etc.