1-Actions happening now or around now

 

We use the present continuous for ;

 

• actions happening while we are speaking :

 

Hurry up. The taxi's waiting.

 

• actions happening around the time of speaking :

 

• temporary situations :

 

We are staying at my mother's while the builders are repairing the roof of our house.

 

• With these uses of the present continuous, we often use time expressions like now, at the moment, today, this week, etc :

 

I can't talk for long because I am cooking at the moment.

Joe isn't working at home this week - he's at a conference in Brasil.

 

• We sometimes use the presentcontinuous with always to criticise another person's actions. In speech we stress always strongly in this type of sentence :

 

Hayley's always calling me late at night. I am getting really fed up with it.

I have lost my keys. Can you come home and let me in ? " You are always losing your keys! "

 

2- Changes ad trends

 

• We use the present continuous to talk about rhings that are changing as we speak :

 

Danny's been really ill but he's getting better now. Price are going up again.

More people are talking theirs pets the vet with behaviour problems these days.

 

4- Describing pictures

 

• We use the present continuous to desribe what is happening in pictures and photos :

 

In the photo on page 81, the scientists are tasting food. The woman in the middle is holding a cup...