ENGLISH

THE PRESENT PROGRESSIVE AND THE PAST PROGRESSIVE
PRESWT PROGRESS~Y~ (right now)
(a) It's 10:OO now. Boris ia sitting in class.
PAST PROGRHSSIVE (in progress yesterday)
(b) It was 10:OO. Boris was sitting in class.
uuy m LI , ' ~vilfI .;, ; ,
PRESENT PROGRassm FORM: AM, IS, ARE + -NG
(c) ltqs 10:oo. I om dmmw in class.
Boris is sitting in class.
. , , We are sininp in class.
PAST PROGRESSIVE FORM: WAS, WERE
+ -NG
(d) It was 10:oO. Boris was sitting in class.
We were sitting in dass.
The present progressive describes an activity in
progress right now, at the moment of speaking. See
Chart 3-1.
In (a): Right now it is 10:OO. Boris began to sit
before 10:OO. Sitfing is in progress at 10:OO.
The past progressive describes an advity in progress
at a particular time in the past.
In (b): Boris began to sit in class before 10:OO
yesterday. At 10:OO yesterday, sitting in class was in
progress.
The forms of the present progressive and the past
progressive consist of be + -ing.
The present progressive uses the present forms of
be: am, is, and are + -ing.
The past progressive uses the past forms of be: was
and were + -in&
Boris is ~mirg in class right now at ten o'clock.
Boris was sitting in class yesterday at ten o'clock.
434 W CHAPTER 10