Present Continuous: Everything You Need To Know

Present Continuous Everything You Need To Know - Speak English by yourself

Some English as an additional language learners may find it difficult to master all verb tenses in English. Learning verb tenses, however, is extremely important to express our ideas appropriately. Sometimes, the use of a verb tense instead of another completely changes the meaning we want to convey. That’s why you need to be aware of all verb tenses in English and what exactly they express in terms of time. Here, you’ll learn how to use the present continuous, also called present progressive, in a practical way. Keep reading!

In case you need to remember all of these tenses, check out this amazing overview of all verb tenses in English!

If you want to see examples of the present continuous tense, visit our very informative article with 100 present continuous tense examples!

The present continuous is also called present progressive. This is the tense that emphasizes what is happening at the moment of speaking (now). It means that something has started, but has not finished. The person is in the middle of doing it.

Some examples are:

I’m studying English
He’s reading a book
She’s taking a shower
We’re watching tv
You’re playing video games

The formation of the present continuous

The present continuous or present progressive is formed by the verb be in the present (am, is, are) + the main verb in its -ing form (studying, reading, taking, watching, playing, etc.)

SUBJECT PRONOUN AUXILIARY VERB BE MAIN VERB (-ING)
I am walking
You are calling
He is running
She is writing
It is sleeping
We are going
They are coming

 

If you need to learn how to use the verb be in the present, click here!

 

Above, you can see the affirmative form of the present continuous or present progressive in English. There’s also its negative form:

SUBJECT PRONOUN AUXILIARY VERB BE MAIN VERB (-ING)
I am not walking
You are not calling
He is not running
She is not writing
It is not sleeping
We are not going
They are not coming

And its interrogative form (in which you must invert the auxiliary verb be with the subject pronoun:

AUXILIARY VERB BE SUBJECT PRONOUN MAIN VERB (-ING)
Am I walking?
Are you calling?
Is he running?
Is she writing?
Is it sleeping?
Are we going?
Are they coming?

Short answers

To answer questions in the present continuous or present progressive tense in English, we usually use short answers. They are:

POSITIVE ANSWER NEGATIVE ANSWER
Yes, I am No, I’m not (No, I am not)
Yes, you are No, you’re not (No, you aren’t/No, you are not)
Yes, he is No, he’s not (No, he isn’t/No, he is not)
Yes, she is No, she’s not (No, she isn’t/No, she is not)
Yes, it is No, it’s not (No, it isn’t/No, it is not)
Yes, we are No, we’re not (No, we aren’t/No, we are not)
Yes, they are No, they’re not (No, they aren’t/No they are not)

Timeline

The present continuous or present progressive represents something that is happening at the moment of speaking (now):

past NOW future
I’m reading this article
You’re studying English
He’s watching tv
She’s taking a shower
It’s sleeping
We’re learning
They’re working

Present continuous to talk about the future

We also use the present continuous to talk about plans or arrangements for the future. Some examples are:

What are you doing tomorrow?
I’m going to work tomorrow
My sister’s going to Paris with her friends
My parents aren’t coming over tonight
My dog is going to the pet shop tomorrow

Present continuous to talk about today, this week/month/year, etc.

If you want to emphasize that something is happening differently from the usual, that the situation is changing, you can use expressions such as today, this week/month/year, etc.

Some examples are:

I’m working a lot today
He’s traveling to many cities this year
The company is selling much more this week
We’re sleeping a lot this month. We’re on vacation
They’re avoiding the press these days

Present continuous to talk about what you’ve been doing

Another common use of this tense is to talk about something that someone has been doing but is not doing at the time of speaking. The person has started doing it but has not finished yet.

Some examples are:

I’m reading the Harry Potter books. They’re really interesting
He’s studying very hard to learn Mandarin
She’s looking for a new car. She’s also selling her old one
We’re refurbishing our apartment
They’re building a new house in another neighborhood

State verbs in the present continuous

We don’t normally find state verbs in the present continuous. However, some state verbs can be used in their progressive form. There’s a change in their meaning when this happens. Also, some verbs can express both a state and an action, depending on their tense. Compare the sentences below:

PRESENT SIMPLE PRESENT CONTINUOUS
I love New York (general) I‘m loving New York (temporary)
Do you think I should move to a new apartment? (opinion) Are you thinking of moving to a new apartment? (considering)
I regret that I let you go away (sorry) I‘m regretting that I let you go away (increasing awareness of the situation)

Present simple and present continuous to tell stories

Instead of using past tenses, we can use the present simple and the present continuous together to tell stories. It makes the story more vivid. Read the example below:

“So, I’m in the pub, I look at the door, and he‘s coming in. He‘s wearing black pants, a white t-shirt, and a black, leather jacket. He comes straight to me and asks if I’d like a beer. I’m trembling. I‘m almost losing my breath but I manage to say yes”.

If you want to master every aspect of English grammar, take a look at our awesome article on the best books to learn English grammar.

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