Chinese-all-day-breakfast/MD/g1-36.md

Progressive aspect of an action

To show an action which is, was or will be going on, use one of the following patterns:

她在休息。
    She is resting.
她正休息。
她正在休息。

她休息呢。
她在休息呢。
她正休息呢。
她正在休息呢。

Notes:

1. All the above sentences mean the same, stylistic differences excepted.

2. The progressive aspect can be applied not only to the present, but also to past and future actions:

   她現在正在休息。
       She is resting now. /present progressive/
   我去的時候﹐她正在休息。
       When I went there, she was resting. /past progressive/
   我明天去看她的時候﹐她一定正在休息。
       When I go to see her tomorrow, she will surely be resting.
       /future progressive/
   

3. As shown above, either 在, 正 or 正在 can be placed before a verb to indicate the progressive aspect of an action.

4. Alternatively, 呢 can be placed at the end of the sentence to perform the same function. Sometimes 呢 can be used together with 在, 正 or 正在.

5. The negative form of the progressive aspect is indicated by 沒有, not 不, before the verb; and it can be shortened to 沒 alone if it is not at the end of a sentence or a short answer. Otherwise the full form of 沒有 must be used:

   她沒(有)休息﹐她在看報。
   她在休息嗎﹖沒有﹐她在看報。(or simply 沒有)
   

6. If both the 在 of the progressive aspect and the 在 of location exist in a sentence, only one should be used:

   她正在房間里休息。
   but not 她正在在房間里休息。