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Cloa513 Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

Are with present participle

Can you tell is there logic behind this usage of "are" such as "Are you swimming?" ?
I always thought "are" is used with plural forms. What is the deal with that usage?
  

Top answer

cloa513 I always thought "are" is used with plural forms. " You are swimming. This is the present progressive form.

— AlpheccaStars

  • cloa513 I always thought "are" is used with plural forms.
  • " You are swimming.
  • This is the present progressive form.
  • The question is formed by inverting the subject with the helping verb.
  • Are you swimming?
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4 Answers
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cloa513I always thought "are" is used with plural forms.
The subject is "you."

You are swimming.
This is the present progressive form. The question is formed by inverting the subject with the helping verb.
Are you swimming?
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And.. what is the rule behind that- how do I explain to a learner?
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You have told us in other threads that you are an assistant language teacher, teaching English. You have also used the present progressive correctly in those threads. I really do not understand why you are asking these questions now,
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cloa513And.. what is the rule behind that- how do I explain to a learner?
The irregular verb "be" is one of the first things that is taught in English.
Have your learners memorize the forms of "be."

I am
You are
He (she, it) is
We are
You are
They are
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