continuous tense
- noun
- /kənˈtɪn.ju.əs tɛns/
- Specialized
:
tiempo continuo
- In the present continuous tense, we say, "She is reading a book right now."
Examples
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She explained the continuous tense to her students using simple examples.
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They practiced changing simple present sentences into the continuous tense during class.
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In English, the continuous tense is used to talk about actions happening right now.
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The continuous tense is often used in English grammar.
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Can you explain the continuous tense to me?
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To describe ongoing actions, English uses the continuous tense like in the sentence, "They are playing soccer."
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The continuous tense allows us to express actions in progress, such as, "He is studying for his exams this week."
Synonyms
1
5.5
A verb tense that shows an action is continuing
A verb form that shows an action is continuing at a specific time
A verb form that shows an action happening now
A verb form showing actions happening now using am, is, or are plus -ing
A verb form that shows an action or state is happening now
How Ongoing
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a verb tense for actions that are ongoing' is directly derivable from combining 'continuous' (occurring without interruption) with 'tense' (verb form indicating time). This is a standard grammatical label with cross-linguistic equivalents, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will very likely infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The term continuous tense comes from the idea of a verb form that shows an action that keeps going. Continuous means 'continuing' and tense means the verb form, so it is used to talk about actions that are happening or 'in progress' right now.