What is the present continuous tense?

The present continuous (also called present progressive) describes actions happening now or around now. It uses am/is/are + verb-ing: 'I am eating', 'She is working'.

How do you form the present continuous?

Use the verb 'to be' (am/is/are) + the main verb with -ing: 'I am reading', 'You are listening', 'He is sleeping'. For negatives: 'I am not reading'.

What is the difference between present simple and present continuous?

Present simple is for habits and routines: 'I work every day'. Present continuous is for actions happening now: 'I am working right now'.

How do you make questions in the present continuous?

Put 'am', 'is', or 'are' before the subject. 'Are you listening?' 'Is she coming?' 'What are you doing?' For the negative question: 'Aren't you listening?'

Which verbs are not usually used in the continuous form?

Verbs for states, not actions. Common ones are: like, love, hate, want, need, know, understand, believe. We say 'I like coffee' (not 'I am liking coffee').

How do I write verbs that end with 'e' in the -ing form?

Remove the 'e' and add -ing. 'make' becomes 'making', 'write' becomes 'writing', 'take' becomes 'taking'. Example: 'She is making dinner.'

Can I use present continuous for future plans?

Yes, for a definite, arranged plan in the near future. 'I am meeting friends tonight.' 'We are traveling next week.' You often use a future time word.

What are common time expressions with present continuous?

Common ones are: now, right now, at the moment, currently, today, this week, tonight. They show the action is in progress. 'He is working right now.'

CEFR A1

Present Continuous

Learn how to use am/is/are + verb-ing correctly. Practice talking about actions happening right now.

Learn Present Continuous

What You Will Learn

The Present Continuous tense is used to talk about actions happening now or around now. Learn how to form sentences with am/is/are + verb-ing.

Learn when to use Present Continuous: actions happening now, temporary situations

Master the form: am/is/are + verb-ing

Learn common time expressions: now, at the moment, right now, currently

Practice with everyday situations: describing what people are doing now

What Is Present Continuous?

Present continuous = subject + am/is/are + verb-ing. Use it for actions happening RIGHT NOW.

I am eating.She is working.They are playing.We are studying English.

Spelling

Most verbs: add -ing (eat→eating). Verbs ending in -e: drop e, add -ing (write→writing). Short vowel + consonant: double consonant (sit→sitting, run→running).

The Present Continuous tense describes actions that are happening right now, at the moment of speaking.

Present Simple vs Present Continuous

Present Simple: I work every day. (routine)

Present Continuous: I am working now. (now)

Present Simple: She studies at university. (fact)

Present Continuous: She is studying for her exam. (now)

Key Difference

✓ Present Simple = routines, facts, habits

✓ Present Continuous = actions happening now, temporary situations

✓ Now = at this exact moment or around now

✓ Use verb-ing after am/is/are

Simple Rule!

Use Present Continuous for actions happening NOW. Look for time words like "now", "at the moment", "right now".

✓ "I am eating lunch now."

✓ "She is watching TV at the moment."

✓ "They are playing football right now."

A Busy Morning at the Office

It is 9 o'clock on Monday morning. Everyone at the office is busy.

Sarah is typing an email to a client.

Tom and Alex are having a meeting in the conference room.

The manager is talking on the phone.

A new employee is learning how to use the computer system.

Notice how every action uses am/is/are + verb-ing because everything is happening right now, at this moment.

Complete Present Continuous Chart

Use this chart to remember how to form Present Continuous sentences.

Subject	Form	Example
I	am + verb-ing	I am reading.
You	are + verb-ing	You are studying.
He	is + verb-ing	He is working.
She	is + verb-ing	She is cooking.
It	is + verb-ing	It is raining.
We	are + verb-ing	We are talking.
They	are + verb-ing	They are playing.

Important Notes

✓ Use am only with I

✓ Use is with he, she, it

✓ Use are with you, we, they

✓ Add -ing to the base verb: work → working, study → studying

✓ For verbs ending in -e, remove -e: make → making, write → writing

Quick Practice

Make Present Continuous sentences:

1. I / study / English → "I __________ English."

2. She / watch / TV → "She __________ TV."

3. They / play / football → "They __________ football."

💡 Check your answers

1. "I am studying English."

2. "She is watching TV."

3. "They are playing football."

When to Use Present Continuous

Present Continuous is used in these common situations.

Actions Happening Now

Right at this moment

"I am typing on my computer."

"She is cooking dinner in the kitchen."

"They are watching a movie."

With time expressions

"He is working right now."

"We are studying at the moment."

"It is raining currently."

Temporary Situations

Not permanent, just for now

"I am staying with my friend this week."

"She is studying for her exams this month."

"He is working in London for six months."

Changing situations

"My English is improving."

"The weather is getting warmer."

"Technology is changing quickly."

Future Arrangements (A1+ level)

Planned future events

"I am meeting my friend tomorrow."

"We are traveling to Paris next week."

"She is starting her new job on Monday."

With future time words

"They are coming to visit us next month."

"He is flying to Rome on Friday."

Want to try a Present Continuous quiz?

Practice with multiple choice questions

Common Situations & Examples

Practice Present Continuous in everyday situations.

At Home

In the living room

"My father is watching TV."

"My sister is reading a book."

In the kitchen

"My mother is cooking dinner."

"I am washing the dishes."

"What are you doing?" "I am helping my mother in the kitchen."

At School & Work

Classroom

"The teacher is explaining the lesson."

"Students are writing in their notebooks."

Office

"My colleague is talking on the phone."

"We are having a meeting right now."

"Where is John?" "He is attending a conference call."

Leisure Activities

Sports & Hobbies

"They are playing tennis in the park."

"I am learning to play the guitar."

Social Media

"She is posting photos on Instagram."

"He is chatting with friends online."

"What are you doing?" "I am checking my messages on my phone."

Ready to test your Present Continuous knowledge?

Challenge yourself with fill-in-the-blank exercises

Common Mistakes

❌ I am study English.

✓ I am studying English.

Use verb-ing form after am/is/are

❌ She is watch TV now.

✓ She is watching TV now.

Add -ing to the verb: watch → watching

❌ They are play football.

✓ They are playing football.

Playing, not play (add -ing)

❌ He am working now.

✓ He is working now.

Use 'is' with he/she/it, not 'am'

❌ We is studying English.

✓ We are studying English.

Use 'are' with we/you/they, not 'is'

❌ I working now.

✓ I am working now.

Don't forget am/is/are before verb-ing

Master Present Continuous sentence building!

Drag and drop words to form correct sentences

Verb-ing Spelling Rules

Learn how to add -ing to verbs correctly.

Basic Rules

Most verbs: add -ing

✓ work → working

✓ study → studying

✓ play → playing

Verbs ending in -e: remove -e, add -ing

✓ make → making

✓ write → writing

✓ dance → dancing

Special Cases

Short verbs: double last letter, add -ing

✓ run → running (n is doubled)

✓ swim → swimming (m is doubled)

✓ sit → sitting (t is doubled)

Verbs ending in -ie: change to -y, add -ing

✓ lie → lying

✓ die → dying

Practice Exercise

Add -ing to these verbs:

1. eat → __________

2. take → __________

3. run → __________

4. read → __________

💡 Check your answers

1. eating

2. taking

3. running

4. reading

Practice Tips

Remember: Use Present Continuous for actions happening NOW, not for routines

Practice with "What are you doing?" questions and answer with "I am + verb-ing"

Look for time words: now, at the moment, right now, currently

Use the chart: I→am, he/she/it→is, you/we/they→are

Practice with the speaking exercises to improve pronunciation of verb-ing forms

Speaking Practice

To practice your pronunciation, listen to the native speaker audio first. Then 'Record' yourself repeating what you heard, then use the 'Playback' button to compare your pronunciation with the native speaker. If you want to record yourself again, simply click 'Delete'!

I am eating an apple.

You are reading a book.

He is playing football.

She is drinking water.

It is raining outside.

We are watching TV.

They are running in the park.

The baby is sleeping now.

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