Present Continuous Tense

The present continuous tense (also called the present progressive) is used to talk about actions happening right now or around the current time period.

When to Use the Present Continuous

1. For actions happening right now

   • I am studying English at the moment.
   • They are waiting for the bus.

2. For temporary situations

   • She is staying with her parents until she finds an apartment.
   • I'm working on a special project this month.

3. For planned future arrangements

   • We are meeting friends for dinner tonight.
   • She is flying to Paris next week.

4. For changing or developing situations

   • The weather is getting warmer.
   • Her English is improving.

5. For repeated actions with 'always' (often expressing annoyance)

   • He is always losing his keys.
   • They are always complaining about something.

How to Form the Present Continuous

Affirmative Sentences

The present continuous is formed with the present tense of the verb "to be" + the present participle (verb + -ing).

• I + am + verb-ing

  • I am working.
  • I am listening to music.

• You/We/They + are + verb-ing

  • You are studying.
  • They are watching TV.

• He/She/It + is + verb-ing

  • He is cooking dinner.
  • She is reading a book.

Spelling Rules for Adding -ing

1. Most verbs: add -ing

   • work → working, play → playing, listen → listening

2. Verbs ending in -e: remove -e and add -ing

   • write → writing, make → making, dance → dancing

3. One-syllable verbs with one vowel and ending in a consonant: double the last consonant and add -ing

   • run → running, sit → sitting, swim → swimming

4. Verbs ending in -ie: change -ie to -y and add -ing

   • lie → lying, die → dying, tie → tying

Negative Sentences

Negative sentences in the present continuous use "am not," "are not" (aren't), or "is not" (isn't) + the -ing form.

• I + am not + verb-ing

  • I am not working today.
  • I'm not feeling well.

• You/We/They + are not (aren't) + verb-ing

  • You aren't listening to me.
  • They aren't coming to the party.

• He/She/It + is not (isn't) + verb-ing

  • He isn't studying right now.
  • She isn't wearing a coat.

Questions

Questions in the present continuous use "am," "are," or "is" + subject + the -ing form.

• Am + I + verb-ing?

  • Am I talking too fast?
  • Am I doing this correctly?

• Are + you/we/they + verb-ing?

  • Are you working tomorrow?
  • Are they staying at a hotel?

• Is + he/she/it + verb-ing?

  • Is he waiting outside?
  • Is she coming with us?

Verbs Rarely Used in the Continuous Form

Some verbs are rarely used in the continuous form because they describe states rather than actions:

1. Mental states: know, believe, understand, think (= believe), remember, forget, imagine, mean
2. Emotions and feelings: like, love, hate, want, wish, need, prefer
3. Possession: have (= possess), own, belong
4. Senses: see, hear, smell, taste, feel (when not deliberate actions)
5. Other states: be, exist, seem, appear, look (= seem), consist, contain, include

Example:

• Incorrect: I am knowing the answer.
• Correct: I know the answer.

Common Time Expressions Used with the Present Continuous

• now, right now, at the moment
• today, tonight, this week/month
• currently, presently
• these days, nowadays
• Look! Listen!

Examples in Context

• I am studying for my exam right now.
• She isn't working today because she's sick.
• Are they coming to the meeting?
• Look! It is snowing outside.
• We are having dinner with friends tonight.
• The children are always playing video games instead of doing homework.

Practice Exercises

Try making your own sentences using the present continuous tense:

1. Describe what you are doing right now.
2. Talk about your plans for the weekend.
3. Make negative sentences about things you aren't doing at the moment.
4. Form questions to ask someone about what they're currently doing.

Remember the difference between the present simple (for habits and routines) and the present continuous (for actions happening now)!