present,past,andfuturecontinuoustense

Present Continuous

I am putting on sunscreen. Jessie is putting on makeup.
John is putting on a sweater. Ryan is putting on his sneakers.
I'm just leaving work. I'll be home in an hour.
My nose is tickling, I think I'm going to sneeze.

✦ Expressing a repeated action happening around the present moment

My sister is learning to drive.
I am living with my sister.
I am still working for the same company.
There is something wrong with my car, so I am walking to work these days.
A: What's keeping you busy these days?
B: I am taking evening classes to learn Chinese now.

✦ Talking about future events that have been planned

Like the present simple tense, the present continuous tense can also be used to express future events that have been planned. The time frame of this usage is usually the future not far from now. For example:

When are you starting your new job?
I am going on a business trip to Kaohsiung tomorrow.
We are having an early meeting tomorrow morning.
I am having an appointment with Dr. Lee next Monday.
I am having lunch with Joe next Monday.
We're eating at Joe's Cafe tonight. We've already booked the table.
We are throwing Emily a surprise birthday party tomorrow.
The last flight is leaving at 10 p. m.
The train is arriving at 10 p. m. tonight.
Hurry up, the train is leaving in five minutes.

✦ Expressing current gradual changes and trends

The present progressive tense can express the changing trend of "gradually."

More and more people are becoming vegetarians.
Housing prices are rising in Taiwan.

More and more teenagers are becoming addicted to violent video games.
The problem of wealth inequality is getting worse.

Past Continuous

We were taking a hot spring bath an hour ago.
Last night at 7 pm I was watching the baseball playoff game at the stadium.
I was working at 10 pm last night.
The last time I saw him, he was shopping at the mall.
This time last week, we were taking a walk on the beach in Hawaii.
Yesterday at this time, I was hiking on the Elephant Mountain hiking trails.

We can also use “when/while” adverb clauses. For example:

I was taking a shower when my dad called.
When my dad called, I was taking a shower.
I was taking a bath when the phone rang.
Paul was waiting for us when we got off the plane.
She was baking a cake when she realized she was out of sugar.
When we were cooking dinner, the power went out.
While I was writing the email, my laptop suddenly crashed.
While I was listening to music on You Tube, the Internet got cut off.

In addition, we can also use the past continuous tense in both the main clause and the adverb clause to express "when ~, ~ is in progress", for example:

Were you listening while he was talking?
I wasn’t paying attention while the professor was giving a lecture.

(wasn’t = was not)

While the teacher was asking for volunteers, I was pretending to be asleep.

✦ Talking about ongoing actions that were in progress at a certain time period in the past

I was looking for a job earlier this year.
She was living with her roommates last summer.
David was working two jobs last winter.
I didn't have a car last year, so I was biking to work every day.

✦ Talking about future events that had been planned at some point in the past

Last night, I told my mom I was meeting my boyfriend later.
Yesterday, James said he was going on a business trip to Kaohsiung on Friday.
This morning, Anita said that she was having dinner with her family at Luke's Cafe tonight.
Last week, I was told they were throwing Alex a going away party this Friday.

✦ Talking about gradual changes and trends in the past

Future Continuous

I will be playing tennis at 10 a. m. tomorrow.
What will you be doing at 7 p. m. tonight?
Kids won’t be studying at home tonight.

(won’t = will not be)

They will be out of town to visit their grandfather.
By this time tomorrow, I will be sitting on a beach, enjoying the sun and the sound of the waves.
What will you be doing when I get home?
She will not be sleeping when you call her.
We'll be having dinner when the film starts.
Take your umbrella. It will be raining when you return.

When used with “still”, the future continuous means that something is "happening now" and that we expect it to continue until some point in the future. Example sentences:

In an hour I'll still be ironing my clothes.
If you don't take medicine now, Tomorrow you'll still be suffering from your cold.

Ten years from now, I will still be working on improving my language skills.
Unfortunately, sea levels will still be rising in 20 years.

✦ Talking about ongoing actions that will be in progress at a certain time period in the future

I will be looking for a new job next month.
When he is in Australia, he will be staying with his friends.
Emma will be starting school in September.
I want to go away on Saturday, but I will be working all weekend.

✦ Talking about future events that have been planned

The future continuous tense can also be used to express "planned future events", for example: vacations, meeting with friends, meetings, etc. These are all situations related to personal arrangements and future plans. This usage is similar to the present continuous tense.

He will be having an interview at 3 p. m. tomorrow.
My sister will be moving to London next week.
I will be having a tooth extraction tomorrow afternoon.
I will be taking a three-month vacation starting next month.
Our company will be relocating to a larger office in the city next month.

✦ Using the future continuous tense to ask for information about the future, and the tone is more polite

Will you be bringing your friend to the pub tonight?
Will you be driving past the post office later?
Will you be coming to work tomorrow?
Will you be attending the conference next month? I would love to meet him in person.
Will they be bringing their own equipment, or will we have to provide it for them?