A1–A2 English grammar

Present Continuous Tense: Rules and Exercises

The present continuous shows an activity in progress, a temporary situation, a developing change or a future arrangement. Build it with am, is or are plus an -ing form, and learn when the meaning: not only a signal word: makes it the right tense.

A1–A231 minutesGuided practiceScored quiz

Created by Denis M., British English teacher.

Try the activities, then check your answers.

Core route: describe what you can observe now with am/is/are + -ing. Temporary situations come next; future arrangements and expressive uses are extension material.

How to form the present continuous

subject + am/is/are + verb-ing

Subject	Positive	Negative	Question
I	I am working.	I am not working.	Am I working?
he/she/it	She is working.	She isn’t working.	Is she working?
you/we/they	They are working.	They aren’t working.	Are they working?

Two essential parts: You need both be and the -ing form. She working and She is work are incomplete. Say She is working.

The name present progressive means the same as present continuous. Different coursebooks prefer different names.

A scene to describe

In a café, Leo has a book open, Mia has a cup in her hand, and two friends are talking at the next table. The waiter is carrying a tray.

Spelling check: knock → knocking. Simply add -ing; the final letters ck are already two consonant letters. Compare sit → sitting and make → making.

Leo, in a fitted dark Mandarin-collar jacket, reads an open book at a café table. — Leo is reading.Is reading presents Leo’s activity as in progress now.

Four central uses

1. Happening now

The activity is in progress at the moment of speaking.

Please wait. I am sending the file now.

2. Temporary around now

The activity is limited, even when it is not happening at this exact second.

Ravi is staying with friends this month.

3. Developing change

A situation is gradually becoming different.

Food prices are rising.
Your pronunciation is improving.

Optional: Future arrangement

4. Future arrangement

A personal plan has already been organised, usually with a future time.

We are meeting the designer on Friday.

Meaning check: Is the situation in progress, limited, changing, or personally arranged? If yes, the continuous form is likely.

Picture the actions in the café

LeoLeo is reading.

He has an open book.

MiaMia is drinking.

She has a cup in her hand.

The two friendsThey are talking.

They are at the next table.

These illustrations focus on three actions described in the opening café scene.

-ing spelling rules

Most verbs: add -ing

work → working
read → reading
visit → visiting

Final silent -e: remove it

make → making
write → writing
use → using

Keep both es in see → seeing.

Short stressed form: double

run → running
sit → sitting
begin → beginning

Do not double in open → opening.

Final -ie: change to y

lie → lying
die → dying
tie → tying

Common spelling errors: writeing → writing; runing → running; lieing → lying.

Present continuous questions and negatives

Yes/no question

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

Are you listening?
Is the bus coming?

Short answers repeat be: Yes, I am. / No, it isn’t.

Wh-question

question word + am/is/are + subject + verb-ing?

What are they discussing?
Why is Ana leaving?

Negative position: Put not after am/is/are: I am not waiting; he isn’t waiting; we aren’t waiting. Standard English does not normally contract am not as “amn’t.”

Move be before the subject to ask

Statement

Leoisreading.

Question

IsLeoreading?

The -ing form stays after the subject. Short answer: Yes, he is.

Say what is happening and what is not

Not this action

Miaisn’treading.

Isn’t means is not.

This action

Sheisdrinking.

Both sentences keep a form of be and an -ing form.

Choose the meaning and avoid common errors

State verbs

Verbs such as know, need, own, understand, believe and belong usually describe states rather than activities.

I understand you. · This key belongs to me.

Flexible meanings

Some verbs can describe a state or an activity.

I think it is useful. = opinion
I am thinking about the problem. = considering

Optional: Always + continuous

Always + continuous

This combination often adds irritation or criticism to a repeated behaviour.

You are always borrowing my charger!

Temporary is not permanent

Compare a normal situation with a limited one.

I work in Medellín.
I am working in Cali this week.

For a complete choice guide, use Present Simple vs Present Continuous. For exceptions such as have, see and taste, study State Verbs: Meaning and Exceptions.

Guided present continuous exercises

Build the full form before opening the answer.

1. Listen! Someone ___ (knock) at the door.

knocking. Add -ing to knock. The final ck already contains two consonant letters; do not add another k.

2. We ___ (not use) the conference room today.

aren’t using / are not using. This is a temporary situation today.

3. What ___ Mia ___ (write)?

is Mia writing. A wh-question places is before the subject.

4. I ___ (meet) the dentist at three tomorrow.

am meeting. The appointment is an arranged future event.

5. Correct: “They are runing in the park.”

They are running in the park. A short stressed consonant-vowel-consonant form doubles the final consonant.

Production: Write four true sentences: something happening now, a temporary project, a change in your town, and a future arrangement. Turn two into present continuous questions.