There are verbs which are normally not used in the Present Progressive, like:
be, believe, belong, hate, hear, like, love, mean, prefer, remain, realize, see, seem, smell, think, understand, want, wish
We sometimes use these words in the Present Progressive in the following situations:
He's seeing his father tomorrow. (fixed date)
The group is seeing the sights of Paris. (see in connection with tourists)
They are having a great time in Kapstadt. (have as an activity verb)
What's the matter with you? What are you thinking? - (to be worried about sth.)
If you are not sure with these verbs, use a good dictionary.
| 1) have as a full verb | ||
|---|---|---|
| affirmative sentence | negative sentence | question |
| I am having a bath. | I am not having a bath. | Am I having a bath? |
| he, she, it: | ||
| He is having a bath. | He is not having a bath. | Is he having a bath? |
| we, you, they: | ||
| We are having a bath. | We are not having a bath. | Are we having a bath? |
| 1) do as a full verb | ||
|---|---|---|
| affirmative sentence | negative sentence | question |
| I am doing an exercise. | I am not doing an exercise. | Am I doing an exercise? |
| he, she, it: | ||
| He is doing an exercise. | He is not doing an exercise. | Is he doing an exercise? |
| we, you, they: | ||
| We are doing an exercise. | We are not doing an exercise. | Are we doing an exercise? |
We often use the short forms with these verbs.
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