Progressive Form

To describe an event that is presently happening or not happening, use the appropriate form of the verb iru or imasu after the -te form.

• ともこさんはいまなにをしていますか。
  Tomoko san wa ima nani o shite imasu ka.
  What is Tomoko doing at the moment?

• その会社でもう働いていません。今銀行で働いています。
  Sono kaisha de mou hataraite imasen. Ima ginkou de hataraite imasu.
  I don't work at that company any more. Now I am working at a bank.

• 今英語を勉強していません。
  Ima eigo o benkyou shite imasen.
  I am not studying English now.

Past Progressive

The past progressive is formed by using the -te formed followed by the past or the past negative.

• トラコが椅子の上で寝ていました。
  Torako ga isu no ue de nete imashita.
  Torako was sleeping on the chair.
• 昨日の晩私はテレビを見ていませんでした。
  Kinou no ban watashi wa terebi o mite imasen deshita.
  I wasn't watching television last night.

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This page is a part of "Some Notes on Japanese Grammar" published for your personal use, with the kind permission of Keith Smillie (http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/~smillie/)

 

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