Introduction
In midwifery practice, effective communication is the key to successful patient care. Healthcare providers, including midwives, often need to describe events that are happening right now or were in progress in the past while attending to patients. Two grammatical structures that are highly relevant are the Present Continuous Tense and the Past Continuous Tense. This article discusses both tenses systematically, complete with midwifery-related examples and structured exercises.
A. Present Continuous Tense
1. Definition
The Present Continuous Tense is used to express:
- Actions happening at the moment of speaking.
- Temporary situations or actions.
- Definite future plans (in a scheduled context).
2. Formula
Sentence Type Formula Example Positive S + to be (am/is/are) + V-ing + O The baby is crying loudly. Negative S + to be + not + V-ing + O The patient is not feeling well. Interrogative To be + S + V-ing + O? Is the midwife checking the fetal heart rate?
Note:
- Am is used with subject I
- Is is used with he, she, it
- Are is used with you, we, they
3. Examples in Midwifery Contexts
Example 1
The midwife is monitoring the progress of labor.Example 2
The pregnant woman is feeling nauseous this morning.Example 3
We are preparing the delivery room for the patient.Example 4
Is the client taking iron supplements regularly?
4. Time Signals
- Now
- Right now
- At the moment
- Today / This week / This month (for temporary situations)
- Look! / Listen! (to draw attention)
B. Past Continuous Tense
1. Definition
The Past Continuous Tense is used to express:
- An action that was in progress at a specific time in the past.
- Two or more actions happening simultaneously in the past.
- An action that was in progress when another action interrupted it.
2. Formula
Sentence Type Formula Example Positive S + was/were + V-ing + O The nurse was assisting the delivery. Negative S + was/were + not + V-ing + O The patient was not responding to the treatment. Interrogative Was/were + S + V-ing + O? Were they waiting for the doctor?
Note:
- Was is used with I, he, she, it
- Were is used with you, we, they
3. Examples in Midwifery Contexts
Example 1
The mother was pushing when the baby’s head appeared.Example 2
While the midwife was explaining the birth plan, the husband was taking notes.Example 3
The baby was not sleeping well last night.Example 4
Was the obstetrician performing a C-section at 8 a.m. yesterday?
4. Time Signals
- At this time yesterday / last night
- At 7 p.m. last Monday
- When + Simple Past (interrupting event)
- While (during the time that)
Brief Comparison
Aspect Present Continuous Past Continuous Time Present (now) Past (then) To be am, is, are was, were Example She is checking the baby’s temperature.She was checking the baby’s temperature when the phone rang.
Exercises
A. Choose the correct answer (Present Continuous)
- The midwife _ the mother’s blood pressure right now.
a. check
b. checks
c. is checking
d. are checking - Listen! The newborn _.
a. is crying
b. are crying
c. cry
d. cries - The students of midwifery _ a simulation in the lab at the moment.
a. is doing
b. am doing
c. are doing
d. doing
B. Fill in the blanks with the correct Past Continuous form
- At 9 p.m. last night, the mother _ (rest) in the ward.
- The baby _ (not / sleep) when the nurse came in.
- _ the health worker _ (prepare) the vaccine when the electricity went out?
C. Translate into English (midwifery context)
- Pasien sedang mengeluh sakit perut bagian bawah sekarang.
- Kemarin sore jam 3, bidan sedang memeriksa kontraksi pasien.
- Ketika suami pasien tiba, tim medis sedang mencoba menghentikan perdarahan.
Answer Key
A. 1. c (is checking)
- a (is crying)
- c (are doing)
B. 4. was resting
Mastery of the Present Continuous and Past Continuous Tenses helps midwifery students describe patient conditions accurately according to the time of the event. Regular practice using clinical contexts will strengthen the professional English skills needed in daily practice.
- was not sleeping / wasn’t sleeping
- Was, preparing
C. 7. The patient is complaining of lower abdominal pain now.
- Yesterday at 3 p.m., the midwife was checking the patient’s contractions.
- When the patient’s husband arrived, the medical team was trying to stop the bleeding.
Conclusion
Keep learning and practicing your English!
References
Azar, B. S. (2017). Understanding and Using English Grammar. Pearson.
Murphy, R. (2019). English Grammar in Use. Cambridge University Press.
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