Persian Lesson 69 – Present Continuous Tense

Salam! Khosh amadid!

Quiz:

1- Listen to the audio files first (preferably once). Repeat it for a couple of times. Write it down on a paper. Find their English equivalents. (Seen)

One

Two

Three

2- Find the Persian equivalent for the following words and make four sentences with each of them (one in simple past tense, one in present perfect tense using ‘for’, one in simple future tense, and one in past perfect tense).

To receive
To turn on
To turn off
To resign

3- Say these numbers in Persian:

513-313-505-105-503-53-13

4- Follow the examples, combine the letters, and make words using the given letters. You’ll have to change the big letters into the small ones whenever needed.

Friend <= /du:st/ < == 

Book <= /keta:b/ < == 

To say <= /goftæn/< == 

Award <= /ja:yezeh/ < == 

Driver <= /ra:nændeh/ < == 

Taxi <= /ta:ksi/ < == 

Hello every one,

I hope you are doing well in your Persian studies as well as in your daily life.

Today, we are going to learn a new tense. Guess what?

This tense is Present Continuous Tense. Look at the following example:

A – I am going.

As you see, we use “To be” plus the “ing” form of verbs to express ourselves in English. That is to say, we have Subject + am/is/are + verb + ing.

Now look at the following example:

B – I am a teacher. (Unlike the above one, this sentence is in simple present tense).

In these two sentences, we use “I AM” with two different functions. In sentence “B”, “AM” plays the main role, which is the main verb of our sentence. However, in sentence “A”, “AM” is helping us do something in a particular tense. Here, “AM” is an auxiliary or the helper of the main verb.

In short, in sentence “A”, “I AM” does not mean “I am”!! It means “I am doing something”! Am I right? Hopefully yes!

In Persian too, we need an auxiliary verb to help us.

In Persian, instead of saying “I am going”, we should say “I have going”!! It means that we should use “to have” for “to be”. Interesting? Good!

We already know “to have” in Persian. Let’s try it again:

I have =  /mæn da:ræm/, or simply  /da:ræm/.

You have =  /da:ri/.

He/she/it has =  /da:ræd/.

We have =  /da:rim/.

You have =  /da:rid/.

They have =  /da:rænd/.

Easy, isn’t it?

So far, we have this in present continuous tense:

I am = I have (in Persian).

Now, let’s see what we should do with the second verb (going). The second verb (in this tense and in this situation) should be used in the same way as we use in simple present tense.

In simple present tense, I go =  /mæn mirævæm/. Do you remember it? No? Please go to previous lessons to remember!!

So, the problem seems gone!

I am going =  /mæn da:ræm mirævæm/, or simply  /da:ræm mirævæm/. Now, let’s continue:

You are going =  /da:ri mirævi/.

He/she/it is going =  /da:ræd mirævæd/.

We are going =  /da:rim mirævim/.

You are going =  /da:rid mirævid/.

They are going =  /da:rænd mirævænd/.

Was it difficult?

Let’s see one more example:

I am writing.

I am = I have  /mæn da:ræm/.

I write =  /mæn minevisæm/.

I am writing =  /mæn da:ræm minevisæm/. Or  /da:ræm minevisæm/.

You are writing =  /da:ri minevisi/.

He/she/it is writing =  /da:ræd minevisæd/.

We are writing =  /da:rim minevisim/.

You are writing =  /da:rid minevisid/.

They are writing =  /da:rænd minevisænd/.

Any problem? Read the lesson again, of course patiently!!

Now, let me ask you a question,

How do you say this one?
My friend is writing. (you have ten seconds!)

Did it? Great!

Let me explain:

My friend = he or she

So, my friend is writing = he or she is writing.

Got it?

Good!

I hope you enjoyed the lesson.

See you next week!

Khoda Hafez!