These meanings may also apply to the ‘future in the past’.

9 WORK I was meeting them the following week, so he gave me the

documents to take with me.
C O N T IN U O U S F O R M S When I joined, they said I’d be travelling a lot, but I didn’t
Continuous forms use a combination of the verb be + -ing. realise how much!
'assives use a form of be + being + past participle. W e
E x e rc is e 1
jsually only use passive forms with the present and past
ontinuous. C o m p lete the p airs o f sentences w ith the verbs in bo ld -
'mnot the only one who’s being taken on now, then. one sentence w ith a continuous form , the other w ith a
sim ple form .
Vie were being pressurised to work late.
1 draw up
lodals can be followed by both a present and perfect
a I ___________the contract. You just need to sign it.
lfinitive o f be.
b I ___________the guidelines for the new project and I’ve
I wouldn’t be investing our money in it if I didn't think it
got a couple of issues I need your input on.
vould be a success, (present)
2 lose
He shouldn’t have been driving so fast, (past)
a They had to make huge cuts because th e y ___________
Unfinished activities / events so much money.
We use continuous forms to show an activity or event is / w as b It w as strange but w hen I ___________ my job, it actually
(will be unfinished at a particular moment in time or when gave me a new lease of life.
another action took place. 3 deal with
I wasjust emailing one o f them to schedule a time for us all a On this new project M o lly__________ finance, so any
0meet when you arrived. queries about that - go to her.
The car’s being repaired. (= So I have no car here now.) b I Martin if you want. I know how awkward he
can be.
We’ve been working on a big infrastructure project, but it’s
been hit by financial problems. (= before now) 4 have
a We so many problems with him that in the
1wouldn’t be telling you if I didn’t think it was important!
end w e decided to let him go.
He caught me surfing the Net when I should’ve been
b I w as really upset to lose that watch because I
working.
____________it since I w as a kid.
lust imagine - this time next week w e’ll be sunning
5 process
ourselves on the beach. I can ’t wait!
a O ver 200,000 o rd e rs ____________in this plant every
Temporary activities / situations week.
Continuous forms em phasise that w e se e an activity b My visa application____________as w e speak, so
or situation as temporary - rather than permanent or hopefully I’ll receive it sometime in the next w eek or so.
characteristic. (W e may also assume it’s unfinished.) 6 not / sit
I’mnot the only one who’s being taken on now, then. a If it hadn’t been for that chance meeting, I ___________
She’s probably being all kind and helpful now. here now.
They’ve been complaining a lot for some reason. (= before b I there if I w ere you. That’s the C E O ’s chair!
and including now) 7 interview
The economy’s improving. a It w as mildly embarrassing because I got a bout of
hiccups while I ___________ I had to ask for some water.
They must be struggling now they are both unemployed.
b Before I ___________ , I did som e meditation to calm
Focus on the activity and duration myself down.
We sometimes use the continuous form about completed 8 show
actions or characteristic habits to focus on the activity. a You’re supposed t o ___________ your ID card when you
I’ve actually been hanging around in the coffee bar over the com e in, but half the time the security guard doesn’t
road for the last hour. look.
I’d been thinking about moving out there for a while and I b Can you cover the phone for me after lunch? I’m
happened to get the house just before I got this job. supposed t o ____________a client round the factory - if
I was working all weekend. I could really do with a break. they actually turn up, that is.
They’re constantly letting us down, but they’re the only local Trends
supplier. We’d change them if we could. W hen describing trends, you can use either the present
Arrangements and activities based on a previous decision continuous or the present perfect continuous.
We tend to use the present continuous for future Jobs are becoming more insecure.
arrangements unless there is som e uncertainty about it, in Jobs have been becoming more insecure.
which case w e often use be supposed to be + -ing or might However, certain time phrases go with one form but not the
be +-ing. other.
Three or four more are joining in the next couple o f weeks.
I’m not sure if I can make it. I ’m supposed to be attending a present continuous present perfect continuous
conference that day, but maybe someone else could go.
at the moment over the past / last
We often use will + be + -ing (the future continuous) to
currently for
talk about an arrangement or activity based on a previous
these days since
decision.
nowadays
Ishould’ve said - w e’ll be working alongside each other.
To be honest, you w on’t be having that much to do with
them in your day-to-day dealings.

Grammar reference 175