What is the present continuous?
The present continuous tense – sometimes called the present progressive – is one of the first tenses English learners practice after the simple present. In this blog, we will discuss using the present continuous in affirmative statement, negative statements, Yes/No questions, and Wh- questions. We will also discuss the spelling rules for the present continuous. As always, you will have the opportunity to practice everything discussed in this blog.
Affirmative Statements in the Present Continuous
When we want to describe something that is happening right now, we use affirmative statements in the present continuous. These sentences show actions in progress, like “I am reading” or “They are playing.” The pattern is simple once you learn it.
How to Form the Present Continuous (Affirmative Statements)
The structure of affirmative statements in the present continuous is simple:
Subject + Be verb (am / is / are) + Verb + -ing
- I am drinking coffee.
- You are listening to music.
- He is watching television.
- She is cooking dinner.
- It is raining.
- Alejandra is playing tennis.
- We are studying grammar.
- Alejandra and I are swimming in the pool.
- They are driving to class.
- Alejandra and Diego are doing homework.
Be Verbs in the Present Continuous
- I –> am
- He / She / It / Singular Nouns –> is
- You / We / They / Plural Nouns –> are
When Do We Use the Present Continuous?
1. Actions happening in the present moment – right now.
- She is eating pizza.
- They are watching a movie.
2. Actions happening over a longer period of time.
- They are studying English at UNAM.
- Karina is traveling in Mexico this summer.
❌ She cooking dinner.
✅ She is cooking dinner.
❌ They is playing soccer.
✅ They are playing soccer.
❌ He am running.
✅ He is running.
The present continuous is a very useful tense for describing what’s happening right now. Remember the pattern: subject + am/is/are + verb-ing. With practice, it will become natural to use.
Negative Statements in the Present Continuous
Sometimes we need to say what is not happening. That’s where negative statements come in.
How to Form the Present Continuous (Negative Statements)
The structure of negative statements in the present continuous is simple:
Subject + Be verb (am / is / are) + not + Verb + -ing
- I am not drinking coffee.
- You are not listening to music.
- He is not watching television.
- She is not cooking dinner.
- It is not raining.
- Alejandra is not playing tennis.
- We are not studying grammar.
- Alejandra and I are not swimming in the pool.
- They are not driving to class.
- Alejandra and Diego are not doing homework.
1. Subject Pronoun + Be Verb
I am → I’m
You are → You’re
He is → He’s
She is → She’s
It is → It’s
We are → We’re
They are → They’re
2. Be Verb + Not
is not → isn’t
are not → aren’t
am not → (❌ no contraction; just say I’m not)
3. Singular Nouns + Is
Maria is → Maria’s
The teacher is → The teacher’s
My dog is → My dog’s
👉 Be careful! Maria’s can also mean Maria’s book (possessive). Context will tell you the meaning.
When Do We Use the Present Continuous (Negative Statements)?
1. Actions not happening in the present moment – not right now.
- She is not eating pizza.
- They are not watching a movie.
2. Actions that are not happening over a longer period of time.
- They are not studying English at UNAM.
- Karina is not traveling in Mexico this summer.
❌ She not cooking dinner.
✅ She is not cooking dinner.
❌ They not playing soccer.
✅ They are not playing soccer.
❌ I amn’t running.
✅ I am not running.
Negative statements in the present continuous are easy once you remember the formula: subject + am/is/are + not + verb-ing. Practice using both full forms (is not / are not) and contractions (isn’t / aren’t) to sound more natural in everyday English.
Questions in the Present Continuous
You already know how to make affirmative and negative statements in the present continuous. Now let’s practice asking questions. We use questions in this tense to ask about actions happening right now or over a longer period of time.
Yes/No Questions in the Present Continuous
The structure of Yes/No questions in the present continuous is simple:
Be verb (am / is / are) + Subject + Verb + -ing
- Am I drinking coffee?
- Are you listening to music?
- Is he watching television?
- Is she cooking dinner?
- Is it raining?
- Is Alejandra playing tennis?
- Are we studying grammar?
- Are Alejandra and I swimming in the pool?
- Are they driving to class?
- Are Alejandra and Diego doing homework?
When answering Yes/No questions, we use a short answer with the subject + be verb.
Do not repeat the whole sentence.
Examples:
Q: Are you studying English?
✅ Yes, I am. / ❌ Yes, I am studying English.
Q: Is she cooking dinner?
✅ No, she isn’t. / ❌ No, she isn’t cooking dinner.
Q: Are they playing soccer?
✅ Yes, they are. / ❌ Yes, they are playing soccer.
👉 Keep it simple: Subject + Be verb.
Wh-Questions in the Present Continuous
When we want more information, we use question words (Who, What, Where, When, Why, How)
The structure of Wh- questions in the present continuous is simple:
Wh-word + Be verb (am / is / are) + Subject + Verb + -ing
- What are you reading?
- Where is he going?
- Who is she talking to?
- Why are they laughing?
- How am I doing?
Example Conversation
A: What are you doing?
B: I’m studying English.
A: Are you studying at the library?
B: No, I’m not. I’m studying at home.
❌ You are studying? (word order is wrong)
✅ Are you studying?
❌ Where you are going?
✅ Where are you going?
❌ She is talking who?
✅ Who is she talking to?
Spelling Rules for the -ing Form
1. Most Verbs (add -ing)
- work –> working
- eat –> eating
- sleep –> sleeping
2. Verbs ending in -e (drop the -e. Add -ing)
- make –> making
- bake –> baking
- write –> writing
3. One-syllable verbs with vowel + consonant
→ double the consonant + -ing
- run –> running
- sit –> sitting
- stop –> stopping
⚠️ Do not double w, x, y
- snow –> snowing
- fix –> fixing
- play –> playing
4. Verbs ending in -ie → change -ie to -y + -ing
- die → dying
- lie → lying
- try –> trying
❌ makeing
✅ making
❌ runing
✅ running
❌ stoping
✅ stopping
❌ lieing
✅ lying
Simple Present vs. Present Continuous
English learners often confuse the simple present and the present continuous, but they are used in different situations.
The Simple Present
We use the simple present for:
- Habits and routines → I wake up at 7:00 every day.
- General facts and truths → Water boils at 100°C.
- Schedules or timetables → The bus leaves at 8:00 a.m.
Formula: Subject + Base Verb (add -s for he/she/it / singular nouns)
- We go to class during the week.
- She works in an office.
- They play soccer on Sundays.
- Regina eats breakfast at 7:00 in the morning.
The Present Continuous
1. Actions happening in the present moment – right now.
- She is sleeping.
- They are watching YouTube.
2. Actions happening over a longer period of time.
- They are studying English at UNAM.
- Karina is losing weight.
✅ Key Differences
- Use the simple present for things that are always true or a regular action.
- Use the present continuous for things that are happening right now or are happening over a longer period of time.
👉 Examples:
Simple Present:
- I live in Mexico. (a fact)
- I eat pizza on Friday nights. (regular action/habit/routine)
Present Continuous:
- I am studying for an exam. (happening right now)
- I’m living in Mexico this year. (over a longer period of time)
❌ She is cooking dinner every Friday night.
✅ She cooks dinner every Friday night.
❌ They play soccer right now.
✅ They are playing soccer right now.
❌ He studies English right now.
✅ He is studying English right now.
Let’s Practice!
Exercise A
Use the cues to write affirmative or negative statements in the present continuous. Use contractions.
- They / play soccer.
- Ana / not live in Spain.
- You / sit at the bus stop.
- She / write an email to a friend.
- I / fix my bike.
Exercise B
Unscramble the words to form questions.
- is / she / at UNAM / English / studying / ?
- of music / what kind / he / is / listening to / ?
- visiting / when / you / are / Mexico / ?
- are / they / where / traveling / summer / this / ?
- Frida / is / a portrait / painting / ?
Exercise C
Complete each sentence with the correct simple present or present continuous form of the verb in parentheses. Do not use contractions.
- She _____ (practice) English when she isn’t in class.
- That’s my dog by the tree. It _____ (bark) at a squirrel.are takin
- Maria’s parents _____ (live) in Argentina.
- Diego _____ (wear) a hat. It is sunny outside.
- He _____ (listen to) the Joe Rogan podcast every day.
- My girlfriend _____ (look) for her purse. She is buying me lunch today.
- I _____ (need) to buy a new car. Taking the bus is horrible.
- I _____ (hear) loud music next door. My neighbors are annoying!!!
- The teacher _____ (grade) exams right now.
- They _____ (take) a test this morning.
Scoring & Feedback
🔵 17 – 20 correct
Excellent work! 🎉You really understand the present continuous. Keep using it in your everyday conversations and writing.
🟢 14 – 16 correct
Great job! ✅ You have a good understanding of the present continuous. Review the ones you missed.
🟡 7 – 13 correct
Good effort! 💪You’re learning, and that’s what matters. Take a moment to review the examples and do the quiz again.
🔴 0–6 correct
No worries! 🌱 The present continuous can be tricky at first. Go back and review the examples in the lesson.
Conclusion
The present continuous tense gives your English life, energy, and movement. It’s the tense of right now—the tense that helps you describe what’s happening around you now and over longer periods of time. By mastering affirmatives, negatives, questions, contractions, spelling rules, and knowing when to use it (and when not to!), you’ve built a strong foundation for clear and confident communication.
Remember: learning a language is not about perfection—it’s about progress. Every time you say “I’m learning English” you are using the present continuous to tell the truth about your journey. Keep practicing, stay curious, and trust the process. Your English is not standing still—it’s moving forward, step by step.