Present Continuous and Present Simple

Kita menggunakan bentuk continuous untuk menyatakan aksi dan kejadian yang telah dimulai tetapi belum selesai ( they are eating/ it is raining) . Beberapa verb (sebagai contoh , know dan like) biasanya tidak digunakan dalam hal ini. Kita tidak mengatakan “I am knowing”, atau “they are liking”; tetapi kita mengatakan ‘I know’atau ‘they like’. 

Verb dibawah ini biasanya tidak digunakan dalam present continuous :

Like         love      hate       want     need       prefer

Know     realise     suppose       mean    understand   believe     remember

Belong    fit     contain    consist    seem

Misalnya :

1.      I’m hungry . I want something to eat. ( Bukan I’m wanting)

2.      Do you understand what I mean?  ( Bukan What I’m meaning )

3.      Ann doesn’t seem very happy at the moment.  (Bukan Ann isn’t seeming)

Lalu bagaimana dengan kata kerja atau verb yang lain? Ok kita akan praktekkan penggunaan verb di bawah ini :

Think

Ketika kata ‘think’ berarti percaya (believe)  atau  mempunyai opini , kita tidak menggunakan continuous. Misalnya :

1.  I think Mary is Canadian, but I’m not sure. (Bukan I’m thingking) 
2.  What do you think about my plan ? ( = what is your opinion) menyatakan pendapat

Ketika think berarti pertimbangan (consider) , kemungkinan think bisa digunakan :

1.       I’m thinking about what happened. I often think about it.

2.       Nicky is thingking of giving up her job. (= she is considering it)

He is Selfish dan He is being selfish

He’s being = he’s behaving / He’s acting, perbandingannya :

• I can’t understand why he’s being so selfish. He isn’t usually like that.      ( being selfish = behaving selfishly at the moment)
• He never thinks about other people. He is very selfish. (bukan he is being) (= he is selfish generally, not only at the moment).

Kita menggunakan am/is/are + being untuk mengatakan bagaimana tingkah laku seseorang, biasanya tidak digunakan pada kalimat lain :

1.       It’s hot today. ( bukan it’s being hot)

2.       Sarah is very tired (bukan is being tired)

See hear smell taste

Normalnya kita menggunakan present simple (bukan continuous ) dengan verb berikut :

• Do you see that man over there? ( bukan are you seing)
• This room smells not good. Let’s open a window.

Dan juga Kita seringkali menggunakan can + see/ hear/ smell/ taste :

1.       I can hear a strange noise. Can you hear it?

Look    feel

 Kita dapat menggunakan present simple atau continuous untuk menyatakan bagaimana seseorang pada saat ini merasakan dan melihat.

• You look well today or you’re looking well today.
•  How do you feel now ? or how are you feeling now ?

Tetapi pada kalimat berikut :

I usually feel tired in the morning (bukan I’m usually feeling)

Untuk contoh kalimat dengan bentuk present continuous dan present simple sebagai berikut :

1.       Are you believing in God ( Wrong) Seharusnya (Do you believe in God).

2.       I’m feeling hungry.  Is there anything to eat? (right )

3.       This sauce is great. It’s tasting really good. (Wrong) seharusnya It taste relly good.

4.       I’m thingking this is your key. Am I right ? (wrong) seharusnya I think this is your key.

5.       Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?

6.       Don’t put the dictionary away, I’m using it.

7.       Don’t put the dictionary away, I need it. ( need tidak biasa digunakan dengan continuous)

8.       Who is that man? What does he want?

9.       Who is that man? Why is he looking at us?

10.   Alan says he’s 80 years old, but nobody believes him.

11.   She told me her name, but I don’t remember it now.

12.   I’m thingking of selling my car. Would you be interested in buying it? (consider)

13.   I think you should sell your car. You don’t use it very often. (opinion)

14.   Air consists of mainly nitrogen and oxygen.

15.   Sarah is being very nice to me at the moment. I wonder why.

16.   You’ll like Debbie when you meet her. She is very nice.

17.   You’re usually very patient, so why are you so unreasonable about waiting ten more minutes?

18.    Why isn’t Steve at work today? He is being ill. (hanya pada hari ini bukan kebiasaan)