Grammar: Chapter 5: The present continuous. Activities in progress: A. Use the present continuous for activities that are in progress (or happening) at the exact moment the speaker is talking. You can use time expressions such as now or right now to emphasize that an action is happening currently (and may end soon). For example: 1. Look! It is snowing. 2. She’s making dinner now. 3. Steve can’t come to the phone right now. He’s taking a bath.