Present CONTINUOUS tense
USES
1.  Something that is happening at the moment of speaking
I am speaking English now.
You are listening to the teacher.
We are studying English tenses.
2. Something which we think is temporary
At school, this week we are studying English pronunciation.
I go to school by bike everyday but today, I am walking to school because my bike has broken down.

3. Planned activities: Future Reference
Something which has been arranged or planned for the future.
We are spending our honeymoon in France.
Mary is going to a new school next term.
What are you doing next week?
4. Something repeated that makes people annoyed
She’s always borrowing my money

 always, constantly, repeatedly
Adverb/ Adverb Phrase of Time
now, at present, right now, at the moment, today, at this time, this week, this month, this year.
tomorrow, next week ( future arrangement)
Look! ( Listen!)
PAST CONTINUOUS
USES
Describe an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past.

What were you doing at 3:00?
I was skiing.
We were eating lunch at 3:00.
Used with “while” to talk about 2 actions in progress at the same time in the past.
While my mom was cooking, my dad was teaching my brother and me.
My mom was cooking while my dad was teaching my brother and me.
Used “when” instead of “while” in informal conversation sometimes.
Sorry, I wasn’t listening when you were talking.
Use the past continuous with the simple past tense to talk about an action that was interrupted by another action.
When: introduce the simple past tense action. (an interrupting action)
While: introduce the past progressive action.
Examples

I was crossing the street when the driver honked his horn.

While I was crossing the street, the driver honked his horn.

They were driving too fast when they crashed.

How fast were they driving when the accident occurred?
compare
When the light changed, I crossed the street.

When the light changed, I was crossing the street.
NOTE
The time clause can come at the beginning or the end of a sentence.

Use the “comma” after the time clause when it comes at the beginning of the sentence.

When you called, I was leaving.
I was leaving when you called.
POSITIVE FORM:
S + am/ is/ are + V-ing.
S + was/ were + V-ing.


NEGATIVE FORM:
S + am/ is/ are + not + V-ing.
S + was/ were + not + V-ing.
QUESTION FORM (YES/NO QUESTIONS)
Am/ Is/ Are + S + V-ing?
Was/ Were + S + V-ing?
WH- QUESTIONS
Wh-word + am/ is/ are + S + V-ing?
Wh-word + was / were + S + V-ing?
What are you doing?
What were you doing at 3p.m yesterday?
Where are they playing badminton?
Where were they playing badminton at 8 yesterday morning?