Verbs tell time with a quality known as tense. Before you reach for a tranquilizer, here’s the
lowdown on the basic tenses. You have three, and each has two forms — lo-carb and fatfree.
Sorry, I mean plain (called by its basic time designation — present, past, or future) and
progressive (the -ing form of a verb). Progressive places a little more emphasis on process or
on action that spans a time period, and the present progressive may reach into the future.
In manysentences, either plain or progressive verbs may be used interchangeably. Here’s a taste of each