Present Continuous Tense in English: Usage and Examples

Posted on Jan 26, 2025 in English

Josep Tous School – Barcelona

English Department / 2nd ESO

Teacher: Marga Alegre

Present Continuous Tense

Uses:

  1. To express something that we are doing or is happening now.
    • We are studying English now.
  2. To express something that we are doing or is happening for a period of time.
    • We are staying at my grandparents’ house for a month.
  3. To express a future arrangement (things that are planned in our diary).
    • My class is going on a school trip on the 22nd of December.

Structure:

  • ( + ) Subject + VERB to be (PRESENT) + verb in gerund + complements
    • am / is / are + -ing form
    • He’s drinking a cold coke just now.
  • ( – ) Subject + VERB to be (PRESENT) + not + verb in gerund + complements
    • am / is / are + -ing form
    • I am not = I’m not
    • is not = isn’t
    • are not = aren’t
  • ( ? ) [ Wh- QUESTIONS ] + VERB to be (PRESENT) + Subject + verb in gerund + comp?
    • am / is / are + -ing form

Special Points:

  1. -e ending: -e disappears, and we add -ing.
    • dance / dancing
  2. One-syllable verb (consonant + vowel + consonant): We double the last consonant, and we add -ing.
    • stop / stopping
    • clap / clapping
    • Attention! Help / Helping, not helpping!
  3. -y ending: -y never disappears, and we add -ing.
    • play / playing
    • cry / crying
  4. -l ending: We write double l, and we add -ing.
    • travel / travelling
  5. Two-syllable verb, stressed at the end: We double the last consonant.
    • begin / beginning
  6. -ie ending: We change -ie to y, and we add -ing.
    • die / dying
    • lie / lying

Time Expressions

Present Actions:

  • Now
  • Just now
  • Right now
  • Today
  • At the moment
  • In this moment
  • These days
  • This month
  • For a (2, 3, 4) … week/s
  • month/s
  • year/s

Position: We place these time expressions at the end of the sentence and, occasionally, at the beginning with a comma.

Arrangements (Future Meaning):

  • Tomorrow
  • The day after tomorrow
  • Next … day
  • week
  • year
  • class
  • On Monday (…) weekdays

Position: We place these time expressions at the end of the sentence and, occasionally, at the beginning with a comma.

Examples

Use 1:

  • ( + ) My father is reading a book now.
  • ( – ) My father isn’t reading a book at the moment.
  • ( ? ) Is my father reading a book right now? Yes, he is. / No, he isn’t.
  • ( ? ) What is my father doing in this moment? He’s reading.
  • ( ? ) What is my father reading now? He’s reading a book.

Use 2:

  • ( + ) They are living with their grandparents for a month.
  • ( – ) They aren’t living with their grandparents for two weeks.
  • ( ? ) Are they living with their grandparents for a year? Yes, they are. / No, they aren’t.
  • ( ? ) Where are they living for a month? They’re living at their grandparents’ house.
  • ( ? ) Who are they living with for a week? They are living with their grandparents.

Use 3:

  • ( + ) They are buying a new bike next week.
  • ( – ) They aren’t buying a new bike next month.
  • ( ? ) Are they buying a new bike next year? Yes, they are. / No, they aren’t.
  • ( ? ) What are they buying next week? They are buying a new bike.

Present Simple and Present Continuous in Contrast

We use Present Simple to express routines and Present Continuous to talk about something that is happening now.

  • I usually have water at lunchtime, but I’m drinking coke today.
  • We normally walk to school, but we’re going by car now.

Important

If you know the adverbs or time expressions used with each tense, you can choose the right form. Stative verbs (verbs of feeling, perception, and thinking) don’t usually use Present Continuous.

  • I like this film (not I’m liking this film!).
  • He knows the answer (not He’s knowing the answer!).