| People who learn English as a second language have | | | | I read books. It is my hobby and it happens every time |
| problems mastering the tenses. While the Present | | | | when I have time |
| Perfect tense poses challenge at a cognitive level, the | | | | I am reading books. Now. |
| Present Continuous poses challenge in restraining them | | | | I am reading a new book by Archer. Nowadays. |
| from over use. | | | | Unlike native speakers, speakers of English as a |
| Asian learners, especially, Indian, use this tense left, right | | | | second language find it difficult to understand verbs |
| and center. | | | | that are seldom used in the Present Continuous even |
| I am coming out from the shopping mall, sir, I am | | | | for actions happening now. |
| meeting this man who is asking for money yesterday. | | | | Are you seeing the bus there? |
| It is not difficult and it does not take much time either | | | | Speak, I am hearing you. |
| to understand the tense, but it does take some | | | | I am wanting money. |
| practice, a guided practice, to master it. | | | | Are you understanding me? |
| The primary usage of this tense is to speak about | | | | He is not having any problems. |
| what is happening at the time of speaking-that is the | | | | Verbs such as see and hear are involuntary actions. |
| 'now' of the speaker. | | | | You cannot stop seeing if you keep your eyes open |
| I am reading this article. | | | | nor can you stop sounds entering your ears that are |
| Are you listening to me? | | | | always open. They are always open and not under |
| It is not moving, is it? | | | | your control. |
| The Present Continuous is also used for speaking | | | | The Present Continuous is used only with actions that |
| about an action happening these days or nowadays. | | | | come under your control. Similar is the case with verbs |
| What is he doing? | | | | that denote a state and not action. Have denotes |
| He is writing a new novel. | | | | possession or relationship. It speaks about no action. |
| Where is papa? What is he doing? | | | | Therefore the sentence He is not having any problems |
| He is in Canberra, attending a conference. | | | | is considered non-standard. |
| The examples above show that the tense is used for | | | | So next time when you use the Present Continuous, |
| an action that you consider temporary. It is not an | | | | pause for a while and find out if you have got that |
| action that happens every day, every time, for which | | | | sentence correct. This advice is for learners of English |
| we use the Simple Present. | | | | as second language. |