Present continuous

A2 Talking about the present Grammar

Describe actions happening now and temporary situations.

1. Overview

The Present Continuous is used for actions that are happening now or around the present moment. It can also describe temporary situations, even when the action is not happening at the exact moment of speaking. Expressions such as now, right now, at the moment and currently are often used with this tense.

The Present Continuous is formed with the present form of be (am, is, are) followed by the main verb ending in -ing: She is reading, They are working. Negative sentences add not after be, while questions place be before the subject: She isn’t reading and Are they working?

2. When do we use the Present Continuous?

We use the Present Continuous to talk about:

actions happening right now: She is reading a book right now.
actions happening around the present time, even if they are not happening at this exact moment: I am taking an English course this month.
temporary situations: He is staying with his parents this week.
changes and developing trends: More people are working from home.
arranged future plans, usually with a time expression: We are meeting the client tomorrow.

3. Form

We form the Present Continuous with the present form of be and the -ing form of the main verb.

3.1. Affirmative

Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing

Subject	Form	Example
I	am + verb-ing	I am studying.
You / We / They	are + verb-ing	They are studying.
He / She / It	is + verb-ing	She is studying.

Contractions are very common: I’m, you’re, he’s, she’s, it’s, we’re, they’re.

3.2. Negative

Subject + am/is/are + not + verb-ing

I am not working today. / I’m not working today.
He isn’t listening.
They aren’t waiting for us.

3.3. Questions

Am/Is/Are + subject + verb-ing?

Are you watching the film? — Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.
Is she coming with us? — Yes, she is. / No, she isn’t.
Are they staying here? — Yes, they are. / No, they aren’t.

With question words, the structure is: Question word + am/is/are + subject + verb-ing?

What are you doing?
Where is he going?
Why are they laughing?

4. Spelling rules for -ing

Rule	Example
Usually add -ing	work → working, read → reading
Drop a final silent -e	make → making, write → writing
Keep the final -ee	see → seeing, agree → agreeing
Change final -ie to y	lie → lying, die → dying
In short consonant-vowel-consonant verbs, double the final consonant	run → running, sit → sitting
Do not double final w, x or y	snow → snowing, fix → fixing, play → playing

5. Common words and expressions

The Present Continuous often appears with expressions such as now, right now, at the moment, today, this week, this month, these days and currently.

I can’t talk now. I’m driving.
She is working from home this week.
People are using electric cars more frequently these days.

Always can also be used with the Present Continuous to express annoyance about a repeated action: He is always losing his keys.

6. Present Simple or Present Continuous?

Use the Present Simple for habits, routines, facts and stable situations. Use the Present Continuous for temporary situations or actions happening now.

Present Simple	Present Continuous
I work in a bank. (usual situation)	I am working from home today. (temporary situation)
She usually walks to work. (routine)	She is walking to work now. (now)
They live in Madrid. (stable situation)	They are staying in Madrid this month. (temporary situation)

Some stative verbs are not normally used in the continuous form: know, understand, believe, want, need, love, hate, remember, own and belong.

I understand the question. (not I am understanding)
She wants a new laptop. (not She is wanting)
This bag belongs to me. (not This bag is belonging to me)

7. Future arrangements

We also use the Present Continuous for future arrangements that have already been made. A time or date usually makes the future meaning clear.

I’m meeting Anna at six o’clock.
We’re flying to Dublin next Friday.
Are you coming to the party tonight?

Compare:

I work in London. (usual situation)
I’m working in London this week. (temporary situation)
I’m meeting my manager tomorrow. (arranged plan)

8. Common errors

Leaving out the verb be: She working now. → She is working now.
Using do/does to form questions: Do you watching TV? → Are you watching TV?
Using the base form after be: They are work. → They are working.
Using the Present Continuous for a routine: I am going to the gym every Monday. → I go to the gym every Monday.
Forgetting to double the final consonant: He is runing. → He is running.

9. Exercises

1. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the Present Continuous.

Answers

Look! The children ______ (play) in the garden.
I ______ (not / watch) television at the moment.
______ you ______ (wait) for someone?
My sister ______ (study) for her exams this week.
We ______ (have) dinner with our friends tomorrow.

2. Read or listen to the text, then answer the questions.

It is Saturday afternoon, and Lucy is spending the day in the city centre. She is sitting in a café near the station and waiting for her friend Tom. People are walking past the window, and some children are playing in the square. A man is talking on the phone, and two women are looking at a map.

Lucy is drinking a coffee and checking her messages. Tom is running late because he is looking for a place to park. While she is waiting, Lucy is watching the people outside and listening to music. A street musician is playing the guitar nearby, and a small crowd is stopping to listen.

Answer the questions

Where is Lucy sitting?
Who is she waiting for?
What are the children doing?
Why is Tom running late?
What is the street musician doing?

3. Choose the correct Present Simple or Present Continuous form.

Answers

She usually ______ (drives / is driving) to work.
Be quiet! The baby ______ (sleeps / is sleeping).
We ______ (live / are living) in Seville this year.
He ______ (doesn’t understand / isn’t understanding) the question.
They ______ (meet / are meeting) their teacher after class today.

4. Read or listen to the text, then answer the questions.

It is early in the evening, and Ben is cooking dinner at home. He is making pasta while his sister Anna is setting the table. Their parents are sitting in the living room and watching the news. The dog is lying near the kitchen door and waiting for some food.

Ben is cutting vegetables, and Anna is putting plates and glasses on the table. Their mother is talking to someone on the phone, and their father is looking for the television remote. Outside, it is raining heavily, so nobody is going out. Everyone is getting ready to eat together.

Answer the questions

What is Ben doing?
Who is setting the table?
What are their parents doing?
Why is nobody going out?
Where is the dog lying?

5. Correct the mistakes in the text

Read the sentences. Each contains one Present Continuous mistake. Find it and write the correct form.

Corrections

It is Sunday morning, and I am sit in the park with my friends.
My brother is play football near the lake.
Two children are ride their bikes along the path.
A woman is talking on her phone, but she not listening to her dog.
The dog is runing after a ball.
We are have a picnic under a big tree.

am sit → am sitting: It is Sunday morning, and I am sitting in the park with my friends.
is play → is playing: My brother is playing football near the lake.
are ride → are riding: Two children are riding their bikes along the path.
not listening → isn’t listening: A woman is talking on her phone, but she isn’t listening to her dog.
runing → running: The dog is running after a ball.
are have → are having: We are having a picnic under a big tree.

6. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the Present Continuous

Use the verbs in brackets. Pay attention to affirmative, negative and question forms.

Answers

My brother ______ (study) in his room.
We ______ (not / wait) for the bus.
______ Sarah ______ (make) lunch?
The children ______ (swim) in the pool.
I ______ (write) an email at the moment.
Why ______ you ______ (laugh)?
It ______ (not / rain) now.
Tom and Alex ______ (plan) their holiday.

1. Overview

2. When do we use the Present Continuous?

3. Form

3.1. Affirmative

3.2. Negative

3.3. Questions

4. Spelling rules for -ing

5. Common words and expressions

6. Present Simple or Present Continuous?

7. Future arrangements

8. Common errors

9. Exercises

1. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the Present Continuous.

2. Read or listen to the text, then answer the questions.

3. Choose the correct Present Simple or Present Continuous form.

4. Read or listen to the text, then answer the questions.

5. Correct the mistakes in the text

6. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the Present Continuous

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