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tenses - What is the correct present continuous form of "thunder" and "lightning"?


While describing monsoon conditions, what is the correct way to describe the ongoing action of thunder and lightning flashes?



It is thundering


It is lightning



Are the above sentences correct?



Answer



You can use It is thundering, but the verb to describe the accompanying flashes is lighten, so you say It is thundering and lightening. This use of lighten is well attested in the Oxford English Dictionary, but it isn't all that common.


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