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If something is planned you have been imposed, can that be considered as an arrangment to use present continuous?

For example, you received an email saying there will be some work in 3 weeks along your road, and your internet connection is not working during the work.

Can I use present continuous in that case?

ColleenV
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Yves Lefol
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  • Firstly, Can you elaborate more on what you do mean by: If something is planned you have been imposed? Secondly, yes, basically present continuous is signalling that something is happening, either in the past, present or even in the future (will be +ing construction). – Flonne Dec 20 '18 at 18:18

2 Answers2

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You use the Present Continuous tense to indicate something that:

Is happening now, frequently, and may continue into the future Ref

The planning is being done in the present, but the internet will not stop working until the work starts in three weeks.

Because the internet is working now, and will continue to work up until the work starts, you would use the Future Tense to refer to its state of not working.

Rykara
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  • so we can't considerate that it is an arrangement as it is not you that has decided to make the work but why not there are going some work done as it has been planned before – Yves Lefol Dec 20 '18 at 19:58
  • @user5577 Sorry, to clarify: Are you asking "Why do we use the future tense if the work has been planned in the present?" – Rykara Dec 20 '18 at 20:01
  • yes and could you confirm first that it is not an arrangment because it is not something(the work and the non working internet connection) that you have decided – Yves Lefol Dec 20 '18 at 20:06
  • @user557 I've edited the answer to include more information about your question. I'm not sure what you mean by "an arrangement," though. – Rykara Dec 20 '18 at 20:19
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    so what I don't understand is why you can say I am visiting London in three weeks (i have booked my flight) and why you can't say the internet is not working during the work( i have recieved the email it is 100 per cent sure ) what is different – Yves Lefol Dec 20 '18 at 22:00
  • @user5577 Ah. I see your confusion. "Am going" is the present continuous tense. You would not use it to describe the internet not working because that situation has not started yet. – Rykara Dec 20 '18 at 22:15
  • Let us continue this discussion in chat. – Yves Lefol Dec 20 '18 at 22:28
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    but the trip to London has not started yet so what is the difference between those two – Yves Lefol Dec 20 '18 at 22:33
  • I don't think it's anything to do with whether it has started: I think it is about intentional actions. I can say I'm working next week because that is a choice I can make. But working in the sense of "functioning correctly" is not an intentional state - it's contingent. I don't think this is the whole answer, because we can say The festival is happening, but I'm sure the answer is along these lines. – Colin Fine Sep 08 '21 at 15:37
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To indicate that something is being done now or frequently.it is what you continue to do.

I am cooking. She is bathing.

Kehinde
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