Definition: Present Continuous Tense is used to express an action that is still going on in the present time.
Form of Present Continuous
Affirmative: Subj + (is/am/are) + V-ing (present participle) + …
Interrogative: (Is/Am/Are) + subj + V-ing (present participle) + …?
Negative: Subj + (is/am/are) + not + V-ing (present participle) + …
Usage of Present Continuous
➷Present Continuous is used to talk about an action that is happening now.
- The children are watching TV at the moment.
- Jim isn’t sleeping now.
➷Present Continuous is used to talk about a temporary action.
- Mike is studying Cambodian language this month.
- We are wasting more time these days.
➷Present Continuous is used to talk about a definite future plan.
- She is meeting a doctor tomorrow.
- Are you doing anything on Saturday evening?
Note1: The verb that ends in (one consonant + e) is removed "e" before putting "ing".
- To smoke → smoking; To dance → dancing; To write → writing
Note2: The verb that ends in (one vowel + one consonant) is doubled consonant before "ing".
- To swim → swimming; To slap → slapping; To bit → bitting
Note3: The verb that ends in (w, x, y) is not doubled consonant before putting "ing".
- To fox → foxing; To snow → snowing; To stay → staying
Note4: The verb that ends in "ie" is changed "ie" to "y" before putting "ing".
- To lie → lying; To tie → tying; To vie → vying
Note5: The verb that ends in (two vowels + one consonant) is added "ing".
- To look → looking; To read → reading; To beat → beating
Note6: The verb that ends in (one vowel + two consonants) is added "ing".
- To miss → missing; To kiss → kissing; To stand → standing
Note7: The verb that ends in "ee" is added "ing".
- To knee → kneeing; To flee → fleeing; To free → freeing
Note8: The verb that has two syllables and ends in (one vowel + one consonant) is doubled "consonant" before putting "ing", if the stress is on the second syllable.
- To regret → regretting; To admit → admitting ; To commit → committing
Note9: The verb that has two syllables and ends (one vowel + one consonant) is not doubled "consonant" before putting "ing" we just add "ing", if the stress is on the first syllable.
- To happen → happening; To listen → listening; To threaten → threatening
Note10: The following verbs are not used in the Present Continuous Tense.
- like, love, hate, want, prefer, need, know, suppose, mean, understand, believe, remember, belong, consist, contain, depend, seem, appear, see, smell, taste, wish, sound, own, die, realize, heart…
| Basic Structure and Short Answer |
| Affirmative | Interrogative | Negative | Affirmative | Negative | |
| I am learning | Am I learning? | I am not learning | Yes, I am | No, I'm not | |
| We are learning | Are we learning? | We are not learning | Yes, we are | No, we aren't | |
| You are learning | Are you learning? | You are not learning | Yes, you are | No, you aren't | |
| They are learning | Are they learning? | They are not learning | Yes, they are | No, they aren't | |
| He is learning | Is he learning? | He is not learning | Yes, he is | No, he isn't | |
| She is learning | Is she learning? | She is not learning | Yes, she is | No, she isn't | |
| It is learning | Is it learning? | It is not learning | Yes, it is | No, it isn't |
Auxiliary Verbs
* "is/am/are" is used as an auxiliary verb to help the main verb to create continuous form.
- I am listening to music with my wife.
➦To be "am" is a present verb (V1). In the sentence, it becomes an auxiliary verb so it helps the main verb "listening" to create continuous form.
- What company are they running?
➦To be "are" is a present verb (V1). In the sentence, it becomes an auxiliary verb so it helps the main verb "running" to create continuous form.
- She is living in Paris.
➦To be "is" is a present verb (V1). In the sentence, it becomes an auxiliary verb so it helps the main verb "living" to create continuous form.
Important Note*
| Tense: | Present | + | Continuous |
| Form: | "is/am/are" | + | V-ing |
WH Questions
* “WH Questions”, (What/When/Where/Why/Who/How…), is used to ask for information.
What: is used to ask for Thing. Ex: What are in the box on the table?
Where: is used to ask for Place. Ex: Where are they playing baseball?
Why: is used to ask for Reason. Ex: Why are making it?
Who: is used to ask for Person. Ex: Who is dancing with him?
How: is used to ask for Manner. Ex: How is it working?
Expressions
* Time Expressions are placed at the beginning or the end of the sentence.
(today, tonigh, now, right now, in this moment,...)
- Daran is seeing his dentist today.
- In this moment, they still are sleeping in the bedroom.
10 Irregular Verbs
Infinitive (to/bare)V | Present Simple V1 | Past Simple V2 | Past Participle V3 | Present Participle V-ing |
| (to)be | is/am/are | was/were | been | being |
| (to)become | become(s) | became | become | becoming |
| (to)begin | begin(s) | began | begun | beginning |
| (to)break | break(s) | broke | broken | breaking |
| (to)bring | bring(s) | brought | brought | bringing |
| (to)build | build(s) | built | built | building |
| (to)buy | buy(s) | bought | bought | buying |
| (to)catch | catch(es) | caught | caught | catching |
| (to)choose | choose(es) | chose | chosen | choosing |
| (to)come | come(s) | came | come | coming |
Active Voice and Passive Voice
* Active Voice refers to the subject which is the doer of the action.
* Passive Voice refers to the subject which is the receiver of the action.
| Present Continuous Active Voice | Present Continuous Passive Voice |
| + | Subj + (is/am/are) + V-ing + obj | ➣ | Subj + (is/am/are) + being + V3 |
| ? | (Is/Am/Are) + Subj + V-ing + obj? | ➣ | (Is/Am/Are) + Subj + being + V3 |
| - | Subj + (is/am/are) + not + V-ing + obj | ➣ | Subj + (is/am/are) + not + being + V3 |
1. A:
P:
2. A:
P:
3. A:
P:
4. A:
P:
5. A:
P:
Learner can find more practice exercises in Test Yourself Online section.
Learner's Materials
Video Lesson
* Session 1:
* Session 2:
* Session 3:
Test Yourself Online
Learner can find answers to these Test Yourself onlines in Answer Key worksheet below.
Worksheet
* Present Simple
* Verb Follows Subject
* Active Voice and Passive Voice
* Modal Active Voice and Passive Voice
* Answer Key
Support Our Work
You can help us as well this community to advance for your younger Learners in the future. Buy us some coffee!
0 Comments