Present Continuous Tense is one of the tense forms of the English language, which has no analogues in Russian. Its exact name is translated as present continuous (continuous), and this already contains the essence of this time: it is used to describe the situation occurring at a given moment in time.

Present continuous tense in English has many peculiarities of use, and due to the fact that in the Russian language there is no division of tenses into long or regular ones, it can cause some difficulties for those who study English.

So, we can give two examples that reflect this situation:

· I’m speaking English - I speak English (meaning the fact that I speak English right now)
· I speak English - I speak English (meaning that I always speak English).

In the second example, the tense Present Indefinite (Simple) is used to show the regularity and constancy of the action. In the first case, the Present Continuous is used to emphasize that the situation is happening in a given specific time period.

Education Present Continuous

It is important to understand not only how the Present Continuous is formed, but also why it happens this way. The basis of this tense is the auxiliary verb to be, the three forms of which in the present tense, as is known, are am (for the pronoun “I”), is (“he”, “she”, “it”) and are (“we” , “you”, “they”). In addition, the tense construction includes a verb form called Present Participle, or Participle I, which ends in –ing. Thus, the present continuous tense in English, or rather, the Present Continuous formula is as follows:

Am
Is + V-ing
Are

Questions and denials

Interrogative sentences

This tense form differs in that no auxiliary words like do and does are used here, as is the case with Present Indefinite. In this case, the scheme is simple: the verb to be is placed first in in the required form, followed by the subject, and then the rest of the construction:

· Are you going to school now? – Are you going to school now?
· Is he watching a new film at the moment? – Is he watching a new film now?

But here you should also pay attention to the fact that, like any other tense, the Present Continuous has different types of questions. And if the above suggestions apply to general issues, then, for example, special questions in the Present Continuous (the question does not apply to the subject here) are formed using a special question word, which comes first, and the further order is exactly the same:

· Where is he going? -Where is he going?
· Why are they running so fast? -Why do they run so fast?

Question to the subject

in present, the continuum has a certain peculiarity: in the first place is the interrogative pronoun who, asking a question about an animate object, or what (about an inanimate object). In Russian, a question to the subject begins with the words who or what.

Examples of what a question to a subject looks like in the Present Continuous:

· Who is making such a strange noise? – Who makes such a strange noise?
· What is flying over that house? -What is flying over that house?

Negative sentences

They do not carry any complexity at all: the particle not is simply added to the verb to be in the required form. Here are some example sentences that illustrate negation in the Present Continuous:

· I’m not walking with my friend now – I’m not walking with a friend now
· They are not talking to their chief at the moment - At the moment they are not talking to their boss.

Rules for writing verb forms in the Present Continuous

Present continuous grammar requires compliance with certain rules for writing certain verbs used in the continuous form:

1. If the last vowel of the verb is an unpronounceable –e, then it will not be written:

to drive – driving
to describe – describing
to dance – dancing

2. There are also situations where consonant doubling occurs:

· if the last consonant of the verb is preceded by a short stressed vowel sound, then this consonant will be doubled:

to stop – stopping
to cut – cutting
to forget – forgetting

· in the event that the last consonant is –l, preceded by a vowel, then this –l will also be doubled:

to tell – telling
to travel – travelling
to spell – spelling

Note: The doubling rule –l is not typical for American English.

3. In the case when the verb ends in the letter combination –ie, then it is replaced with –y:

to die – dying
to lie – lying

Note: if the verb ends in –y, then in this case the ending –ing is simply added to it:

to fly – flying
to cry – crying

Cases of using the Present Continuous

The use of the Present Continuous is typical for the following situations:

1. In order to show long lasting effect,

happening at a specific moment in time. The present tense tense, also called the Present Progressive Tense, often has some so-called markers, the presence of which in the text, as a rule, indicates that the tense will be just that. Such indicator words and constructions are usually now, at the moment. But at the same time, it is important to remember that when talking about the present moment, you should not focus on the fact that the action is performed at one specific moment and only now. If in Russian we use words like now or now, in English we use the Present Continuous in a broader sense:

· John, you are talking nonsense - John, you are talking nonsense
· Jack and Mary are in London now. Mary is studying English – Jack and Mary are now in London. Mary is studying English.

At the same time, there are also examples of the Present Continuous, when this tense is used to show a certain state or quality characteristic of a person at a particular moment in time:

· You are being a nuisance - you are in the way;
· You are being bitter - you are sorry.

Note: if we're talking about about actions taking place in the present tense, but describing not the process, but the very fact of the action, it is customary to use the tense Present Indefinite:

· Why don’t you answer, Emily? – Why don’t you answer, Emily?
· Your defend him despite all his misdeeds - You protect him, despite all his misdeeds

2. In a situation where there are two actions in one sentence,

and one of them shows regularity, and the other - a process, then in the first case the Present Indefinite Tense should be used, and in the second - the Present Continuous Tense:

· You never talk while you are working – You never talk when you work
· She always dreams while she is walking – She always dreams while she walks

3. To express the future

In English, the Present Continuous can express not only the present, but also. This is typical for situations when we are talking about actions that were decided and planned in advance, and the chance of their implementation is close to one hundred percent:

· I am leaving tomorrow at sunset - I’m leaving tomorrow at sunset
· They are coming to us on Sunday - They will come to us on Sunday

The construction to be going to deserves special attention, which is translated into English as going to do something and is also used to express intentions for the future. Its difference from the Present Continuous is that, as a rule, the exact time is not indicated here:

· I am going to visit you - I’m going to visit you
· She is going to come - She is going to come

Note: Present rule Continuous provides for the use of this tense exclusively in such situations, and not the Future Indefinite, where decisions aimed at the future are usually spontaneous and only probable.

4. With “constantly, always, ever”

With the Present Continuous, those sentences are usually used, situations in which are aimed at demonstrating those actions that are always continuous and never stand still. In this case, special hints often appear in the form of adverbs constantly, always, ever:

· The population of the Earth is always increasing – The population of the Earth is constantly increasing
· The Sun is ever shining – The sun always shines

5. Irritation

Often there are such sentences in the Present Continuous, in which the speaker expresses the idea of ​​irritation and negative emotions in relation to another. Here the same satellites are also usually used - the adverbs always, constantly:

· You are always grumbling! -You're always grumbling!
· She is constantly complaining! “She’s always complaining!”

Verbs not used in Continuous

English, like, perhaps, any other language, has its own strict laws. If we are talking about Present Continuous Active, then it is extremely important to remember that not all verbs can form the Present Participle form and be used to indicate a process. Below are categories of verbs that are not used in the Continuous and cannot form the –ing or so-called form:

· verbs of sensory perception (see, hear, smell, etc.);
· verbs, the essence of which is to express desire and intention (wish, intend, want, etc.);
· verbs illustrating mental activity (think, suppose, believe, etc.);
· verbs showing feelings and emotions (love, hate, like, etc.);
· verbs displaying abstract relationships (have, belong, possess, etc.).

But even in these cases there are exceptions: for example, the verb of sensory perception to see in its direct meaning, to see, has no right to be in the Continuous. But, acting, for example, in the role phrasal verb(to see off - to see off) or being part of some structure (to see the sights of - to see the sights), has every right to form the –ing form. This means that all verbs that are not used in the Continuous can be used in one way or another for a long time, and such situations with them are formed and sound quite natural:

· I’m thinking of tomorrow’s meeting – I’m thinking about tomorrow’s meeting
· What are you doing? – I am having breakfast – What are you doing? I'm having breakfast

Thus, even such a relatively simple time has many nuances that must be taken into account. The Present Continuous has simple rules of use, but each of them has its own characteristics, and once you understand them, it will be much easier to use this tense in speech.

Affirmative form

Subject + to be (am, is, are) + Present Participle (infinitive without to with ending -ing)

1. I am typing a message - I am writing a message (now).

• typing – infinitive type + ending -ing

2. Boris is playing the piano now - Boris is now playing the piano.

• playing – infinitive play + ending -ing
• now (now) – a word denoting the moment of speech

3. We are watching the football match - We are watching a football match (now).

• watching – infinitive watch + ending -ing

Negative form

Subject + to be (am, is, are) + not + Present Participle (infinitive without to with ending -ing)

1. I am not having a bath - I am not taking a bath (now).

• am – auxiliary verb to be
• not – negative particle
• having – infinitive have + ending -ing

2. It is not snowing - It’s not snowing (now)

• is – auxiliary verb to be
• not – negative particle
• snowing – infinitive snow + ending -ing

3. My parents are not sleeping - My parents are not sleeping (now).

• are – auxiliary verb to be
• not – negative particle
• sleeping – infinitive sleep + ending -ing

Question form

to be (am, is, are) + subject + Present Participle (infinitive without to with ending -ing)

1. Is he cutting bread now? – Is he cutting bread now? (general question)

• is – auxiliary verb to be stands on first
• cutting – infinitive cut + ending -ing

2. Is the plane taking off right now? – Is the plane taking off right now?

• is – auxiliary verb to be stands on first place to formulate a question
• taking – infinitive take + ending -ing

3. Why are you shouting at him? - Why are you yelling at him? (special question)

• are – auxiliary verb to be worth after question word why and before subject to
• shouting – infinitive shout + ending -ing

#2 Cases of using the Present Continuous

1. Long-lasting action, which occurs at the moment of speech.

• The cat is playing with its tail - The cat is playing with its tail. (now, at the moment)
• Don't make a noise, Mary is work ing– Don’t make noise, Maria is working.

2. Long lasting action continues now, but not necessarily at the moment of speech.

• I "m looking for a book the Codex Leicester - I am looking for the book “Leicester Codex.” (a person is looking for a book, but not at the time of speech. The action has begun, but has not yet ended)

Present Continuous shows what at the present time Human looking for this book, but usually (at all) he doesn’t do this.

In this case, the Present Simple is not used, since the meaning of such a sentence would be different.

I often buy history books - I often buy historical books. (Present Simple expresses action, which usually happens in general. In this case, it is assumed that the person usually buys historical books).

A few more similar examples.

• Have you heard about John? He is writing a book about bodybuilding – Have you heard about John? He is writing a book about bodybuilding. (currently, but not at the moment of speaking)
• My brother is working on a new online shop – My brother is working on a new online store. (currently, but not at the moment of speaking)

3. Action Expression in the future when it comes about intention or pre-planned action.

• We are going to the cinema tonight - Tonight we are going to the cinema.
• Our manager is leaving London tomorrow - Our manager is leaving London tomorrow.

4. With words always(Always), constantly(constantly), etc. Present Continuous expresses an action that is repeated again and again. Usually in such sentences the speaker expresses impatience, disapproval.

• He is always losing his keys! – He always loses his keys!
• Why are you always criticizing her? – Why do you always criticize her?
• She is constantly stealing our images – She constantly steals our images.

5. Present Continuous is used to show change in situation or trend.

• The weather is improving - The weather is improving.
• The climate is changing rapidly - The climate is changing rapidly.
• The cars are becoming more and more expensive – Cars are becoming more and more expensive.

#3 Turnover TO BE GOING TO

The verb to go in the Present Continuous + the infinitive forms a phrase to be going to, which matters I'm going to, I intend to.

• I am going to work with them – I am going to work with them.
• She is going to complain to the manager about your behavior - She is going to complain to the manager about your behavior.
• How long are you going to wait for him? – How long are you going to wait for him?
• We are going to invite her - We are going to invite her.

#4 Verbs that not used in Present Continuous

The verbs listed below are not used in times Continuous groups. As a rule, these verbs are used in tenses of the Indefinite group. This is explained by the fact that these verbs reflect feelings and states, not actions.

For example:

• I am wanting some coffee(wrong)
• I want some coffee (correct)

Feeling/perception to feel* – to feel to hear – to hear to see* – to see to smell – to smell to taste – taste (taste) Opinion to assume – to assume, to assume to believe – to believe to consider – to believe, to consider to doubt - to doubt to find (= to consider) – consider to suppose - to assume to think - to think State of mind to forget – to forget to imagine – imagine to know - to know to mean - to mean to notice - to notice to recognize - to recognize to remember – remember to understand – to understand

Emotions/desires to envy - to envy to fear - to be afraid to dislike – to experience dislike to hate - to hate to hope - to hope to like – to love, like to love - to love to mind - to object to prefer – to prefer to regret - to regret to want - to want to wish – to wish Measurement to contain – contain in oneself to cost - cost to hold – contain, contain to measure – to measure to weigh – to weigh Other to seem - to seem to have (when it means "to possess")* – to have, to possess to belong - to belong

*Exceptions Verbs of perception (see, hear, feel, taste, smell) usually used with can: I can see... - I see... These verbs can also be used in the Continuous, but with a different meaning. This coat feels nice and warm - This jacket seems (feels) warm and nice. (feeling the qualities of the jacket) John "s feeling much better now - Now John feels much better. (his health is improving) She has three dogs and a cat - She has three dogs and a cat. (possession of something) She "s having supper - She is having dinner. (She eats) I can see Anthony in the garden - I see Anthony in the garden. (perception) I "m seeing Anthony later - I will meet Anthony later. (We plan to meet)

Today we will talk about the differences in Present Simple And ) Tenses(present simple and present continuous).

Present Simple

When do we use this time? Let's look at an example and analyze the use of the simple present tense.

I live . — I live.

If we say that we live somewhere, it means that we are talking about something more or less permanent.

The simple present tense is also used to indicate actions that are always happening. For example:

The sun rises in the East. — The sun rises in the east.

Also used to describe regular actions Present Simple:

Every day I wake up up at this time. I take a shower. — Every day I get up at this time. I'm taking a shower.

We'll look at the simple present tense in more detail a little later. Now we will look at the present continuous tense for comparison with the simple present.

Present Continuous (Progressive))

I am staying. — I'm standing.

I am working. — I am working.

I am speaking— I'm talking.

You are listening or you are writing. — You listen or write.

We use the present continuous tense to describe actions that are happening right now or for a temporarily extended period of time. Those. for example, you can say about someone that he is writing a book, he has been writing it for some time, but at the very moment he may not be writing it, but we still say: He is writing a book.

This period of time can be anything - two minutes, a week or 10 years. The main thing here is that this is not a permanent action, but a temporary one that is happening now.

In order to better understand the difference in the use of these tenses, I will give another example:

Where are you live? — I live in Canada, Toronto. — Present Simple

While you are in Toronto where are you staying? — I’m staying at the hotel. — Present Continuous

Present Simple Tense - in more detail

The “s” ending on verbs with third person nouns is very important. Many students forget about it at the initial stage.

These were examples positive suggestions. Now let's see what the simple present tense will look like in negative sentences.

More examples of sentences with the simple present tense:

He works in the office.

He doesn’t work in the office.

Does he work in the office?

They live in Toronto.

They don't live in Toronto.

Do they live in Toronto?

English Joke

Old farmer Johnson was dying. The family was standing around his bed. With a low voice he sad to his wife: “When I’m dead I want you to marry farmer Jones.”
wife: “No, I can’t marry anyone after you.”
Johnson: "But I want you to."
wife: “But why?”
Johnson: “Jones once cheated me in a horse deal!”

Continuous Tenses, "to continue"- continue, last. The very name of this group of tenses indicates that their main grammatical meaning is duration, the process of action.

Band times Continuous also called Progressive Tenses , and in Russian they are called continuous or long time. Verb used in the form Continuous means that an action is taking place at some specific moment. This point may be clear from the context or is often indicated by additional words - an exact indication of the time (hour), another action, etc. somehow concretizing this moment. Depending on the duration of the action, they are distinguished:

Present Continuous- present continuous (present continuous),

Past Continuous- past continuous (past continuous),

Future Continuous- future continuous (future continuous).

Scene 1 discusses examples of the use of tense The Present Continuous Tense.
Scene 5 contains examples of the use The Past Continuous Tense.
In scene 29 comparison in the use of tenses Future And Future Continuous.

Continuous Tense formed by an auxiliary verb "to be" and the fourth main form of the verb (present participle - Present Participle). The only part of the predicate that can be modified is the auxiliary verb. "to be".

Band times Continuous in the active voice. Brief table.

Continuous (Progressive) (process At what time?
Past	Present	Future
Affirmative sentences
was Ving were Ving	am Ving is Ving are Ving	will be Ving
Negative sentences
wasnot Ving werenotVing	am notVing is notVing are notVing	will not be Ving
Interrogative sentences
Was ...Ving? Were ... Ving?	Am...Ving? Is...Ving? Are...Ving?	Will ... be Ving?

Band times Continuous in the active voice. Table with examples.

Continuous (Progressive) (process- action in progress) At what time?
Past	Present	Future
Affirmative sentences
I/He/She/It was Ving We/You/They were Ving	I am Ving (I " m) He/She/It is Ving (He " s/She " s/It " s) We/You/They are Ving (We "re/You "re/They "re )	I/He/She/It/We/You/They will be Ving I "ll be/He "ll be/She "ll be/It "ll be We "ll be/You "ll be/They "ll be
He was playing yesterday at 9 o’clock. He was playing yesterday at 9 o'clock. He played yesterday at 9 o'clock. I was writing yesterday from 6 till 7. I was writing yesterday from 6 to 7. I wrote yesterday from 6 to 7.	He is playing football right now. He is playing football right now. He's playing football right now. I "m writing letter. I am the letter writer. I am writing a letter (now).	He will be playing tomorrow at 3 o'clock. He will be playing tomorrow at 3 o'clock. He will play tomorrow at 3 o'clock. I "I'll be writing when you come. I'll be writing when you come. I'll write when you come.
Negative sentences
I/He/She/It was not Ving (wasn't ) We/You/They were not Ving (weren't )	I am notVing (I "m not) He/She/It is not Ving (He "s not/She "s not/It "s not) (isn't) We/You/They are notVing (We "re not/You "re not/They "re not) (aren't)	I/He/She/It/We/You/They will not be Ving (won'tbe)
He was notplaying when you came. He wasn't playing when you arrived. He wasn't playing when you arrived. I wasn'twriting yesterday at 8 p.m. I wasn't writing at 8pm yesterday. I didn't write at 8 pm yesterday.	He is not playing football now. He is not playing football now. He doesn't play football now. I" m not writing letter. I am not a letter writer. I'm not writing a letter (now).	He won't be playing football tomorrow from 6 till 7. He won't be playing football tomorrow from 6 to 7. He won't play football tomorrow from 6 to 7. I will not be writtening when you come. I won't be a writer when you come. I won't write when you come.
Interrogative sentences
Was I/he/she/it Ving? Were we/you/they Ving?	Am I Ving? Is he/she/it Ving? Are we/you/they Ving?	Will I/he/she/it/we/you/they be Ving?
Was he playing football yesterday from 6 till 7? He was playing football yesterday from 6 to 7? Did he play football yesterday from 6 to 7? Were you writing when did I come? Were you writing when I arrived? Did you write when I arrived?	Is he playing football? Is he playing football? Is he playing football now? Are you writing now? Are you a writer now? Are you writing now?	Will I be writteningtomorrowat 7 p.m.? Will I be writing tomorrow at 7pm? Will I write tomorrow at 7 pm? Will he be playing football tomorrow from 6 till 7? Will he be playing football tomorrow from 6 to 7? Will he play football tomorrow from 6 to 7?
Time Markers - Time markers
yesterday at 3p.m., yesterday from 6 till 7, when you came...	now, right now, at the moment, currently	tomorrow at 3 p.m., tomorrow from 6 till 7, when you come

Conventions used in the table:

Ving- The fourth form of the verb. Present participle ( Present Participle or Participle I) and gerund ( Gerund).

to be + Ving- “to be a doer”

In order to better understand the grammatical essence of continuous tenses, let's use the literal translation of each component:

I am working
I am working
I am working

Not working
He is working
It works

We are working
We are working
We are working

She was working
She was working
She worked

They were working
They were working
They worked

I shall be working
I'll be working
I will work

You will be working
You will be working
you will work

From these examples it is clear that the second component of continuous tenses - the present participle - gives the entire verb a sign of duration of action. It is on the basis of the duration of action that these times are contrasted to the times of the group Indefinite. Latest used to express ordinary, repeatedly repeated actions. Compare:

Where is Ivanov?
Where is Ivanov?

Not is working in his study now.
He is now working in his office.

Ivanov usually works in his study.
Ivanov usually works in his office.

Forms in Russian Continuous are translated by verbs of the imperfect form of the present, past or future tense (respectively the tense auxiliary verb).

The interrogative and negative forms of continuous tenses are formed according to the rule of the verb "to be":

I am working.
Am I working?

He was working.
Was he working?

He was not working.

Verbs that do not represent action as a process are not used in the form Continuous.

The main ones are: to accept, to belong, to contain, to consist, to depend on, to deserve, to hope, to hear, to know, to like, to mind, to please, to possess, to prefer, to resemble, to recognize, to result, to see, to understand:

I understand what you are saying.
I understand what you are saying.

I see your drawing and I like it.
I see your drawing and I like it.

Meaning of Continuous time and translation:

Continuous tenses denote actions that are taking place (have taken place, will take place) at a precisely specified time - present, past and future. Additional characteristics of such actions are their incompleteness, dynamism, and visibility. This can be seen from the comparison of infinitives:
To work - to work (Indefinite)
To be working – literally to be working (Continuous), i.e. it shows the process as unfinished and ongoing.

For example, you can say. Our children read and Our children are reading. Both sentences translate as: Our children read.
But in the first case, Present Indefinite, you give only the most general idea: Our children read in the sense that they know how and love to read. At the moment of pronouncing these words, children may not dance, but learn lessons, play, dance.
But the sentence Our children are reading shows a specific picture of children reading: They are reading now.

The Continuous form is formed using the auxiliary verb to be.

Present Continuous

Present Continuous is formed using the auxiliary verb to be in the present tense and the 4th main form of the verb.

Present Continuous Verb Conjugation Table

Affirmative form	Question form	Negative form
I am reading	Am I reading? Am I reading?	I am not reading
He, she, it is reading He, she, it reads	Is he, she, it reading? Does he, she, it read?	He, she, it is not reading
We are reading	Are we reading? Are we reading?	We are not reading
You are reading	Are you reading? Are you reading?	You are not reading
They are working	Are they reading? They are reading	They are not working

Note 1:

It is worth noting that the singular and plural forms are the same.
You are asking. You ask.
You ask.

Note 2:

In spoken English, instead of full forms usually used abbreviations: isn’t, aren’t

Present Continuous is used in the following cases:

1. To express an action, an event occurring at the present moment in time or at the moment of speech. Shows that the action taking place at the present moment began before this moment and will continue after it.
An indication of time such as now (now), at the moment (at the moment) can be either expressed or implied.

She is answering (at this moment). She answers (currently)
She is studying at school (now). She is currently studying at school.
He is writing a letter. He is writing a letter now.
I'm sitting in the park. I'm sitting in the park.
Young woman is reading a book. Young woman reading a book.

2. To express a future action (similarly in Russian), when there is an intention to perform an action or confidence in its completion.
In this case, the future is indicated by the adverb: soon (soon), tomorrow (tomorrow), next week (next week).

Liza is arriving in Moscow soon. Lisa will soon arrive in Moscow.
They are leaving London tonight. They are leaving London today.

Note:

With state verbs:

To love (to love);
- to think (think);
- to want (to want);
- to live (to live);
- to be (life, to be);
- to feel (feel);
- to see (see);
- to know (to know);
- to remember (remember);
- to hear (hear);
- to stay (stay);

Present Continuous is not used.

The exception is the case when they want to show that a given condition is temporary.

How are you feeling? – Great. How do you feel? - Fabulous.
I know I'm being a stupid. But I don't know to do. I know I'm being stupid. But I don't know what to do.

Past Continuous

Past Continuous is formed using the auxiliary verb to be in the past tense and the 4th main form of the verb.

Past Continuous conjugation table

Affirmative form	Question form	Negative form
I was asking	Was I asking? Did I ask?	I was not asking
He, she, it was asking	Was he, she, it asking? Did he, she ask?	He, she, it was not asking
We were asking	Were we asking? Did we ask?	We were not asking
You were asking	Were you asking? Did you ask?	You were not asking
They were asking	Were they asking? Did they ask?	They were not asking

Past Continuous is used in the following cases:

1. To express an action that took place (lasted) at a certain moment in the past, which is indicated either by a circumstance of time or by another action in the past. However, neither the beginning nor the end of the long-term action is known.

You were reading a book at 5 o’clock. You were reading a book at five o'clock.
You were reading a book when they came. I was reading a book when they arrived.
At weekend I was preparing for my exams. Over the weekend I studied for my exams.

2. To express a long-term action that took place during a certain period of time in the past (from five to six, all day long, the whole day yesterday)

I was writing letters the whole day yesterday. I wrote letters all day yesterday.

Important!
In this case, the beginning and end of the action are unknown, all that matters is that it lasted the entire specified period of time.
In both cases, 1 and 2 Past Continuous is used when it is necessary to emphasize the process of action itself, its duration.
If only the fact of the action is important, then Past Indefinite is used.

In addition, the Past Continuous can be used to express simultaneous actions that took place in the past at the same moment.

The children were playing in the yard while their mother was watching TV. The children were playing in the garden while the mother was watching TV.

As I was taking a shower, my girlfriend was cooking breakfast. While I was taking a shower, my girlfriend was preparing breakfast.

3. Past Continuous is used with verbs of motion to express a future action that is planned in the past and viewed from the point of view of the past.

My mom was glad that I was leaving for Moscow. My mother was glad that I was going to Moscow.
They said that I was returning the next week. They said I was coming back next week.
She wrote she was arriving on Sunday. She wrote that she was coming on Sunday.

Note 1:

The Past Continuous, like the Present Continuous, is usually not used with state verbs. State verbs are used in the Past Continuous only in cases where it is emphasized that this state is temporary.

Note 2:

The Past Continuous sometimes expresses a constant characteristic of someone in the past. In this case, the sentence contains the adverbs always, constantly.

He was always coming and staying for hours giving pointless advice and asking endless questions.
He always came and sat for hours, giving useless advice and asking endless questions.

Future Continuous

Future Continuous expresses a future action in the process of its completion, i.e. an unfinished long-term action. Formed using the auxiliary verb to be in the future tense and the 4th main form of the verb.

Conjugation table for the Future Continuous

Affirmative form	Question form	Negative form
I shall be speaking. I will speak.	Shall I be speaking. Will I speak?	I shall not be speaking. I won't talk.
He, she, it will be speaking. She, she, it will speak.	Will he, she, it be speaking? She, she, will it speak?	He, she, it will not be speaking. She, she, it won't speak.
You will be speaking. You will talk.	Will you be speaking? Will you speak?	You will not be speaking. You won't speak.
We shall be speaking. We will talk.	Shall we be speaking? Are we going to talk?	We shall not be speaking. We won't talk.
They will be speaking. They will talk.	Will they be speaking? Will they talk?	They will not be speaking. They won't talk.

Future Continuous is used:

1. To express a continuous action that will begin before a certain moment in the future and will still continue, last at that moment. This may be indicated by the circumstance of time (at that moment, at six o’clock, at midnight)

At seven o'clock tomorrow she will be having exam. Tomorrow at seven o'clock she will take the exam.
If you ring him up at midnight, she won’t answer. She will be sleeping. If you call her at midnight, she won't answer. She will sleep.

2. To express a long-term action that will be performed at a certain period of time in the future.

Don’t call my friend tonight between 7 and 11. She will be wring a letter. Don't call my friend between 7 and 11 o'clock. She will write a letter.
I shall be reading the whole day tomorrow. Tomorrow I will read all day.

3. To express the intention to perform an action in the future or confidence in its completion.

I shall be reading tonight. I'm going to read this evening.
She will be visiting me tomorrow. Tomorrow she is going to visit me.