Present continuous or present simple

Question

Hi,I have a question, I hope not a silly one."Where is she now?" Is it a present continuous or present simple question? If it's a present simple, then why do we use simple present to talk about something happening now? Aren't we supposed to use present continuous?Thanks for any reply.Liya

Ozzourti · Accepted Answer

It is a present simple question.

"to be" is a stative verb and it doesn't take the continuous form in this case (it describes a state that is not continuously changing).

CalifJim · Answer

lawn2llawn2Where is she now?

It has no verb with -ing so there can't be a continuous tense in that sentence.

CJ

Ozzourti · Answer

There are three main uses of the verb "to be" that I can think of right now:

1) the existential "to be":
Where is she? She is in the kitchen.
In this case "to be" means "to exist in or occupy a certain place". It does not take the progressive form when used in this sense.

2) the linking "to be":
He is tall. She is pretty.
Here "to be" describes (but certainly isn't limited to describing) someone's (or something's) external appearance or someone's permanent personality traits. It does not take the progressive form when used with this meaning.

3) the auxiliary "to be":
What is he doing? He is running.
In the above sentences, "to be" is an auxiliary verb and is used to form a progressive tense.

I can tell you are being sarcastic.
Here we have the auxiliary "to be" ("are") and the continuous form of "to be" ("being"). The sentence describes a temporary state, someone is clearly trying to be sarcastic at the moment but /s/he is not a sarcastic person by nature.

Present continuous or present simple

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions