Go back to the image of time as a line. In the previous use case, the Present Continuous described a single action happening at this exact moment — a snapshot. This use case is different. Here, the Present Continuous describes a situation that is slowly changing over a longer period of time — not just right now in this second, but across days, weeks, months, or even years.
Think of a photograph compared to a slow-motion video. The "actions in progress" use describes a photograph — a frozen moment. The "gradual development" use describes a slow-motion video — a process that is unfolding over time. You are watching something transform, piece by piece, and the Present Continuous captures that ongoing transformation.
The key question to ask yourself is: Is this a trend? Is something slowly becoming different from what it was? If yes, the Present Continuous is the right choice.
Imagine a graph with time on the horizontal axis and some value — temperature, price, skill level — on the vertical axis. Gradual development means the line on that graph is moving: upward, downward, or in some direction. It started moving some time in the past, it is still moving now, and it will continue moving into the future. The Present Continuous sits right in the middle of that movement — it describes the ongoing trajectory.
Certain verbs and constructions are very common with this use of the Present Continuous because they naturally express change and movement:
✗ Prices rise every year. · The climate changes. · More people work from home these days.
✓ Prices are rising every year. · The climate is changing. · More people are working from home these days.
The Present Simple describes permanent facts and fixed habits — things that are always true and do not change. The Present Continuous for gradual development describes a trend — something that is in the process of changing. If the situation is moving, shifting, or developing, the Present Continuous is correct. Ask yourself: is this a fixed fact, or is it an ongoing change? If it is changing — use the Continuous.
✗ Technology developed very fast. · House prices rose recently. · His English got better.
✓ Technology is developing very fast. · House prices are rising. · His English is getting better.
The Past Simple describes a completed action that is finished and over. If the trend is still happening now — if prices are still rising, if technology is still developing, if his English is still improving — the action is not finished. Use the Present Continuous to show the process is still in motion. Only switch to the Past Simple when the trend has completely ended.
✗ It gets hotter every year. (Present Simple — sounds like a permanent fact)
✗ It is being hotter every year. (wrong — be is not used this way)
✓ It is getting hotter every year. (Present Continuous — a trend in progress)
The construction get + comparative adjective (get better, get worse, get hotter, get bigger) is one of the most common ways to express gradual change in English. It is an action verb in this context, not a state verb, so it freely takes the Present Continuous. The structure is/are getting + comparative is a very natural and common way to describe a developing trend.
✗ Prices have been rising for years and they still go up. · The economy has recovered slowly.
✓ Prices have been rising for years and are still rising. · The economy is recovering slowly.
The Present Perfect (or Present Perfect Continuous) focuses on the connection between the past and the present — it emphasizes duration or result. The Present Continuous for gradual development focuses on the current state of change — the trend as it is right now. When you want to say a situation is currently in the process of developing, without emphasizing the duration, the Present Continuous is the most natural choice.