The present continuous tense (also called the present progressive) is one of the most useful tenses in English. We use it to talk about things that are happening right now, or around now, even if not this very second. It’s also used to describe temporary situations and future arrangements.
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to form the present continuous, when to use it, and how to avoid the most common mistakes. We’ll go slowly and give you clear, simple examples to guide you.
What is the present continuous?
The present continuous is used to talk about:
- Things happening right now
- Things happening around now, but not necessarily in this moment
- Temporary actions (not forever)
- Planned future events
Examples:
- I’m learning English.
- ‘I’ is the subject. We use am, which is the present simple form of the irregular verb ‘to be’ for first-person singular, and add ‘ing’ to the base verb ‘learn’ → ‘learning’. This action is happening right now.
- She’s staying with her parents this week.
- ‘She’ is the subject. We use is, which is the present simple form of the irregular verb ‘to be’ for third-person singular, and add ‘ing’ to the base verb ‘stay’ → ‘staying’. This is a temporary situation.
- They’re meeting friends after work.
- ‘They’ is the subject. We use are, which is the present simple form of the irregular verb ‘to be’ for third-person plural, and add ‘ing’ to the base verb ‘meet’ → ‘meeting’. This is a future plan that has already been arranged.
- It’s raining outside.
- ‘It’ is the subject. We use is, which is the present simple form of the irregular verb ‘to be’ for third-person singular, and add ‘ing’ to the base verb ‘rain’ → ‘raining’. This describes something that is happening right now.
TIP: If something is in progress, it’s probably present continuous.
How to form the present continuous
In this section, we’ll learn how to make positive sentences, negative sentences, and questions using the present continuous.
The structure is as follows: Subject + am/is/are + verb(-ing)
Positive sentences
| Subject | Be verb | Verb (-ing) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | am | working | I am working. |
| You / We / They | are | working | They are working. |
| He / She / It | is | working | She is working. |
You can also use short forms:
• I’m working.
• He’s working.
• We’re working.
Spelling tips
When you form the present continuous, you take the base form of the verb and add ‘ing’. But sometimes, the spelling changes depending on how the verb ends. Let’s look at some examples.
- If the verb ends in a regular consonant or vowel, just add ‘ing’:
- play → playing
- read → reading
- If the verb ends in ‘e’, drop the e:
- write → writing
- make → making
- • If the verb ends in one vowel + one consonant, double the consonant:
- run → running
- sit → sitting
Negative sentences
To make negative sentences, add not after the verb to be.
Subject + am / is / are + not + verb + -ing
examples
I’m not watching TV.
‘I’ → ‘am not’ + ‘watch’ + ‘ing’ → watching
He isn’t doing his homework.
‘He’ → ‘is not’ (shortened to isn’t) + ‘do’ + ‘ing’ → doing
They aren’t working today.
‘They’ → ‘are not’ (shortened to aren’t) + ‘work’ + ‘ing’ → working
TIP: You can also use short forms:
I’m not, he isn’t, they aren’t
Questions
To form questions, move the verb to be to the front:
Am / Is / Are + subject + verb + -ing
Examples
Are you listening?
‘You’ → ‘Are you’ + ‘listen’ + ‘ing’ → listening
Is she sleeping?
‘She’ → ‘Is she’ + ‘sleep’ + ‘ing’ → sleeping
What are they doing?
‘They’ → ‘Are they’ + ‘do’ + ‘ing’ → doing
TIP: Don’t forget the -ing verb in your question!
When to use the present continuous
Now that you know how to form present continuous sentences, let’s look at when to use this tense. The present continuous is all about what’s happening now, what’s happening around now, and things that are temporary or planned.
1. Something happening right now
I am writing this lesson.
She is talking on the phone.
They are eating dinner.
Time expressions: now, right now, at the moment
2. Something happening around now (but not right this second)
I’m learning Spanish this month.
He’s working on a new project.
We’re reading a new book.
TIP: These actions are in progress, but not always happening at the exact moment.
3. Temporary actions
She’s living with her parents for now.
I’m staying in a hotel this week.
They’re working from home today.
TIP: Use this tense for short-term situations, not permanent ones.
4. Future plans (with a set time)
I’m meeting her at 3 p.m.
We’re having lunch tomorrow.
They’re leaving tonight.
TIP: This is a very common way to talk about the future in casual conversation.
Time expressions often used with present continuous
You’ll often see these expressions with the present continuous:
- now
- right now
- currently
- at the moment
- this week / this month / today
- tonight / tomorrow / soon (for future plans)
Examples
He’s working at the moment.
We’re meeting them tomorrow.
Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)
Even though the present continuous is straightforward, learners often make small but important mistakes. Here are the most common ones and how to fix them.
Forgetting the be verb
Wrong: She going to school.
Correct: She is going to school.
Using the wrong form of ‘be’
Wrong: They is watching TV.
Correct: They are watching TV.
Using stative verbs with -ing
Some verbs don’t usually take the -ing form. These are called stative verbs and include: know, want, need, like, believe, understand, remember
Wrong: I am knowing the answer.
Correct: I know the answer.
Tips to remember the present continuous
Here are a few simple tips to help you use the present continuous tense correctly:
Tip 1: Look for actions in progress
If something is happening now, or still going on, use present continuous.
She is doing her homework.
They are working on a new project.
I am talking to you right now.
Tip 2: Use am, is, or are before the verb
Don’t forget the be verb! This tense always needs it.
Correct: He is watching TV.
Wrong: He watching TV. (missing ‘is’)
Tip 3: Add ‘ing’ to the verb
Take the base form and add ‘ing’.
eat → eating
run → running
study → studying
Spelling note: If the verb ends in one vowel + one consonant (like run), double the consonant: run → running
Tip 4: Use it for future plans, too
Even though it’s a present tense, we often use it for future events with a time.
I’m meeting Anna at 5.
We’re flying to London tomorrow.
Tip 5: Don’t use it with stative verbs
Some verbs describe feelings, thoughts, or states. These are not usually used in -ing form.
Common stative verbs: know, believe, like, need, want, understand
Correct: I like pizza.
Wrong: I am liking pizza.