Present Continuous
The Present Continuous (or Present Progressive) is used for actions happening now or around the present moment. It also describes future plans and temporary situations. It is formed with 'am/is/are' + verb-ing.
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Present Continuous
The present continuous, also known as the present progressive, follows a single structure for every verb: the present simple of 'be' followed by the verb with an -ing ending.
The affirmative is formed as follows:
| Affirmative | Contracted Affirmative |
|---|---|
| I am sleeping | I'm sleeping |
| you are sleeping | you're sleeping |
| he is sleeping | he's sleeping |
| she is sleeping | she's sleeping |
| it is sleeping | it's sleeping |
| we are sleeping | we're sleeping |
| they are sleeping | they're sleeping |
The negative is formed by adding 'not' after the auxiliary:
| Negative | Contracted Negative |
|---|---|
| I am not sleeping | I'm not sleeping |
| you are not playing | you aren't playing |
| he is not reading | he isn't reading |
| she is not working | she isn't working |
| it is not raining | it isn't raining |
| we are not cooking | we aren't cooking |
| they are not listening | they aren't listening |
Questions follow the same principle as questions with 'be' in the present simple: 'am', 'is' or 'are' is placed before the subject to form a 'yes / no' question:
| Yes/No Questions |
|---|
| am I eating chocolate? |
| are you studying now? |
| is he working? |
| is she doing her homework? |
| is it raining? |
| are we meeting at six? |
| are they coming? |
For 'wh' questions, the question word goes at the front:
| Wh Questions | |
|---|---|
| Why am I eating chocolate? | |
| What are you studying now? | |
| When is he working? | |
| What is she doing? | |
| Why is it raining? | |
| Who are we meeting? | |
| How are they travelling? |
Uses of the present continuous
1. The present continuous describes actions in progress at the moment of speaking. Such actions are typically of short duration and remain unfinished while they are being discussed.
- I'm working at the moment.
- Please call back as we are eating dinner now.
- Marina is sleeping.
2. It also covers temporary situations more broadly, even when the action is not taking place at the moment of speaking.
- Daniel's working in a bar until he finds a job in his field. (He might not be working now.)
- I'm reading a really great book.
- She's staying with her friend for a week.
3. It expresses temporary or newly acquired habits. Established, long-standing habits take the present simple instead. Expressions such as 'these days' and 'at the moment' frequently accompany this use.
- He's eating a lot these days.
- She's swimming every morning (she didn't use to do this).
- You're smoking too much.
4. It describes habits that are irregular but very frequent, normally accompanied by an adverb such as 'always', 'forever' or 'constantly'. Used in this way, the tense often carries a note of irritation.
- You're forever losing your keys!
- She's constantly missing the train.
- Elena's always smiling!
5. It refers to definite future arrangements, normally with a future time expression. The plan has already been made and the event is regarded as settled.
- I'm meeting my father tomorrow.
- We're going to the beach at the weekend.
- I'm leaving at three.
Stative verbs cannot be used in this tense, or in any other continuous tense.