Understanding Continuous Tenses: Past, Present, and Future in Context

Understanding Continuous Tenses

Past, Present, and Future Continuous

Dialogue and Interactive Exercise

Mister Guru

English uses different continuous tenses to describe actions that are in progress or happening over a period of time. In this lesson, you’ll see how the Present Continuous, Present Perfect Continuous, and Future Continuous appear naturally in conversation. The dialogue below provides a real-life example of how people use these tenses to talk about what has been happening, is happening, and will be happening. After reading, try the exercises to test your understanding of how continuous tenses connect time and action.

A. An English conversation

David is sitting in a coffee shop when Emily walks in and notices him. Here's their conversation:

Emily: "Oh, hi, David! You’ve already finished your coffee! Have you been here long?"

David: "I’ve been here since just after ten, Emily. I decided to take a break and sit for a while because I felt a bit worn out."

Emily: "You’ve been feeling tired for ages! It’s nearly eleven now! What have you been doing since you finished your coffee? Haven’t you been bored?"

David: "Not at all, Emily. I wasn’t bored. I’ve just been sitting here, thinking."

Emily: "Oh, really? And you’d already been doing that for more than half an hour when I came in? What’s been on your mind?"

David: "Oh, a variety of things. For the past few minutes, I’ve been wondering what Sophie will be up to this time next year."

Emily: "She’ll probably be having dinner at some exotic restaurant. Or maybe she’ll be typing out a lengthy email to one of her friends in Australia, recounting her latest adventures."

David: "Yeah, she’ll likely have all sorts of exciting experiences!"

Emily: "Oh, I can just picture her in Paris, trying to explain something while waving her hands and speaking in a mix of Spanish, English, and terrible French!"

David: "Exactly! She’ll soon regret choosing to learn Spanish over French... Do you think you’ll be getting funny emails from her throughout her trip?"

Emily: "I imagine I will... Honestly, I’m not even sure what I’ll be doing this time next year. Who knows? I might be repeating the same year! If I don’t get serious about studying soon, I’m bound to fail at the end of this one."

David: "Well, Emily, I hate to sound like your Aunt Helen, but—“take my advice and hit the books right away!” Because if you don’t, you probably won’t be working as a journalist in a few years, and that’s something you’ve been aiming for, right?"

Emily: "You’re right, David. I suppose I’ll be spending the rest of this year studying hard. But honestly, I’m not looking forward to it!"

David: "Ah, but just imagine where you’ll be in three or four years! Once you’re a journalist, you’ll be traveling the world, seeing amazing places, and meeting fascinating people."

Emily: "That’s enough motivation, David! Starting now, I’m going to work harder than anyone else!"

Adapted from "Radio Australia, English for You. Victoria: The Dominion Press"

B. Exercise Section

Part A: Comprehension Multiple-Choice Questions

1. Why was David sitting in the coffee lounge?
   1. He was waiting for Emily.
   2. He was feeling tired and decided to rest.
   3. He was drinking coffee and reading a book.
   4. He wanted to meet Sophie.
2. What was David thinking about while sitting in the coffee lounge?
   1. What he would be doing the next day.
   2. What Emily would be doing in the evening.
   3. What Sophie would be doing this time next year.
   4. His plans for a holiday abroad.
3. According to David and Emily, what might Sophie be doing this time next year?
   1. Studying hard for exams.
   2. Writing an email or having a meal in a foreign restaurant.
   3. Traveling back home after an adventure.
   4. Meeting her friends in Australia.
4. What did Emily imagine Sophie doing in Paris?
   1. Shopping at a market and learning French.
   2. Attending a language course and dining in a café.
   3. Meeting local Parisians and taking photos.
   4. Explaining something with gestures and using a mix of languages.
5. Why did David advise Emily to start studying immediately?
   1. So she could write better emails to Sophie.
   2. Because she wanted to travel with Sophie in the future.
   3. To impress her family during the holidays.
   4. To avoid failing her exams and repeating the year.
6. What career does Emily want to pursue?
   1. A teacher.
   2. A travel agent.
   3. A journalist.
   4. A restaurant manager.
7. What did David say Emily would probably be doing if she didn’t start studying hard?
   1. Failing to achieve her goal of becoming a journalist.
   2. Traveling less often in the future.
   3. Writing about her life abroad.
   4. Receiving emails from Sophie.
8. How did Emily react to David's advice about studying?
   1. She felt annoyed but decided to consider his advice.
   2. She agreed and promised to start studying harder.
   3. She ignored him and changed the subject.
   4. She laughed and made another joke.
9. What did David say Emily would be doing in three or four years if she worked hard?
   1. Working as a journalist, traveling, and meeting interesting people.
   2. Running her own magazine.
   3. Writing stories for a famous newspaper.
   4. Studying abroad to improve her skills.
10. What did Emily finally decide at the end of the conversation?
    1. To focus on writing emails to Sophie.
    2. To study harder than anyone else from now on.
    3. To rest and think about her plans.
    4. To meet Sophie and discuss their future plans together.

Part B: Grammatical Multiple-Choice Questions

Instruction:
Choose the most appropriate form of the verb in brackets.

11. Listen! The children _________ in the garden.
    1. will sing
    2. are singing
    3. will be singing
    4. were singing
12. By this time tomorrow, you _________ new students.
    1. will teach
    2. are teaching
    3. have been teaching
    4. will be teaching
13. How would you say this sentence in the past tense?
    “David is sitting in a coffee shop when Emily walks in and notices him.”
    1. David has been sitting in a coffee shop when Emily walked in and noticed him.
    2. David sat in a coffee shop when Emily walked in and noticed him.
    3. David was sitting in a coffee shop when Emily walked in and noticed him.
    4. David had been sitting in a coffee shop when Emily walked in and noticed him.
14. When you arrive home tonight, we _________ a movie at the cinema.
    1. will watch
    2. are watching
    3. have been watching
    4. will be watching
15. When I called David last night, he _________ a novel.
    1. would read
    2. was reading
    3. have been reading
    4. is reading
16. Emily looks exhausted. She _________ all day.
    1. has been working
    2. works
    3. was working
    4. worked
17. I can’t go out now. I _________ a school assignment.
    1. have done
    2. was doing
    3. am doing
    4. will be doing
18. Sophie _________ French for three years before she moved to Paris.
    1. has been studying
    2. was studying
    3. is studying
    4. had been studying
19. Look! It’s already 10 o’clock. The meeting _________ soon.
    1. started
    2. is starting
    3. will be starting
    4. has been starting
20. My laptop crashed because it _________ without rest for several hours.
    1. had been running
    2. has been running
    3. was running
    4. is running
21. This time next month, we _________ for our New Year's celebration.
    1. will prepare
    2. have been preparing
    3. are preparing
    4. will be preparing
22. He knows this area very well. He _________ here for more than ten years.
    1. will be living
    2. is living
    3. has been living
    4. had been living
23. They _________ music when the electricity went off.
    1. were practicing
    2. are practicing
    3. will be practicing
    4. have been practicing
24. They _________ music for two hours when the electricity went off.
    1. have been practicing
    2. had been practicing
    3. were practicing
    4. will be practicing
25. She _________ an experiment since the beginning of November.
    1. will be conducting
    2. are conducting
    3. has been conducting
    4. had been conducting

Now, check your answer and find out your score

Published: Future Continuous Tense, May 8, 2019 PV5679
Updated: Mon, Jan 6, 2025