eng5-4.1· Unit 4: Right Now· ~13 min

Present Continuous

am/is/are + verb-ing for now.

We use the Present Continuous to talk about actions that are happening right now, at this moment. To form it, we use the verb 'to be' (am / is / are) together with the main verb and the ending -ing: I am reading, She is eating, They are playing. To make the -ing form, remember three spelling rules: most verbs simply add -ing (eat → eating, play → playing); verbs that end in a silent -e drop the -e first (make → making, write → writing); short verbs with one vowel and one consonant at the end double the final consonant (run → running, sit → sitting, swim → swimming). To make a negative sentence, put 'not' after the verb 'to be': He is not sleeping. To ask a question, move 'to be' in front of the subject: Are they watching TV? Signal words that tell you to use the Present Continuous are: now, right now, at the moment, Look! and Listen!. For example: 'Look! My cat is sitting on the chair right now.'

Key terms

Present Continuous — A verb form used to describe an action that is happening right now, at this moment.
auxiliary verb (to be) — The helping verb am / is / are that we put before the -ing form to make the Present Continuous.
-ing form — The main verb with -ing added at the end: play → playing, run → running.
signal word — A word or phrase (now, right now, at the moment, Look!, Listen!) that tells you to use the Present Continuous.
negative (Present Continuous) — We add 'not' after am/is/are: She is not sleeping. / She isn't sleeping.
question (Present Continuous) — We move am/is/are to the front of the sentence: Is she sleeping? / Are they playing?
Present Continuous — am / is / are + -ing
Subjectbeverb + -ingExample sentence
IamplayingI am playing football now.
he / she / itisplayingShe is reading a book.
you / we / theyareplayingThey are watching TV at the moment.

Choose am, is, or are depending on the subject. Never use the -ing form alone.

-ing Spelling Rules
RuleWhen to use itBase form → -ing form
Just add -ingMost verbsplay → playing, eat → eating, go → going
Drop the silent -e, then add -ingVerb ends in a silent -emake → making, write → writing, ride → riding
Double the final consonant, then add -ingShort verb: one vowel + one consonant at the endrun → running, sit → sitting, swim → swimming

Check the verb ending before you add -ing. The most common mistakes are 'makeing' and 'runing' — both are wrong.

Present Continuous — Negatives and Questions
FormStructureExample
PositiveSubject + am/is/are + verb-ingHe is sleeping.
NegativeSubject + am/is/are + not + verb-ingHe is not sleeping. / He isn't sleeping.
Yes/No questionAm/Is/Are + subject + verb-ing?Is he sleeping?
Short answer (yes)Yes, + subject + am/is/are.Yes, he is.
Short answer (no)No, + subject + am/is/are + not.No, he isn't.
Wh- questionWh-word + am/is/are + subject + verb-ing?What is he doing?

For questions, the auxiliary (am/is/are) always comes before the subject. Never use do/does in Present Continuous questions.

✎How to build a Present Continuous sentence
  1. 1Step 1: Find the subject: My sister → she (one person, not I or you) → use 'is'.
  2. 2Step 2: Check the verb for spelling: The verb is 'watch'. It ends in -ch, so just add -ing: watch → watching.
  3. 3Step 3: Build the sentence: My sister + is + watching → My sister is watching TV at the moment.
✎How to make a Present Continuous question
  1. 1Step 1: Start with the statement: You are eating breakfast now.
  2. 2Step 2: Move 'are' to the front: Are you eating breakfast now? (Do NOT use 'Do/Does' here.)
  3. 3Step 3: Add a question mark: Are you eating breakfast now? — correct! Short answer: Yes, I am. / No, I am not.
💡Note

Signal words for the Present Continuous: now, right now, at the moment, Look!, Listen!. If you see one of these words, use am/is/are + -ing.

🚫Common mistake

Common mistake: writing '-ing' alone without am/is/are. For example, 'The dog running' is WRONG. You must write 'The dog is running.' The -ing form always needs am, is, or are.

🚫Common mistake

Common mistake: using 'are' with he/she/it. For example, 'My sister are watching' is WRONG. Use 'is' with he/she/it: 'My sister is watching.'

⚠️Caution

Do NOT use 'do' or 'does' in Present Continuous questions. Wrong: 'Do you eating?' Correct: 'Are you eating?' Always use am/is/are for Present Continuous questions.

💡Note

For the negative, 'not' goes AFTER am/is/are, not before it. Wrong: 'She not is helping.' Correct: 'She is not helping.' or 'She isn't helping.'

Rules

  1. 1Use am/is/are + verb-ing for actions happening right now (now, at the moment, Look!, Listen!).
  2. 2Most verbs just add -ing (play → playing, eat → eating, go → going).
  3. 3Verbs ending in a silent -e drop the -e before adding -ing (make → making, ride → riding).
  4. 4Short verbs with one vowel + one final consonant double the last letter (run → running, sit → sitting).
  5. 5Negatives: am/is/are + not + -ing; Questions: Am/Is/Are + subject + -ing?

Practice

10 easy · 10 medium · 10 hard

10 random questions per test

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