Present Continuous Tense

The Present Continuous Tense is used to talk about actions that are happening right now or actions that are ongoing.

 

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How to Form the Present Continuous Tense

We form the Present Continuous Tense using:
Subject + is/am/are + verb + ing

 

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Examples of Present continuous tense from Real Life

1. At School:

• The teacher is explaining a lesson.

• The students are listening to her carefully.

2. At Home:

• Mom is cooking dinner.

• I am helping her set the table.

3. In the Park:

• Kids are playing on the swings.

• A dog is chasing a ball.

 

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Activities

Activity I: Observe the picture below

 Complete the paragraph using the present continuous form of the verbs given in the brackets:

1. The children __________ (play) on the swings.

2. A man __________ (jog) around the park.

3. A bird __________ (fly) in the sky.

4. A woman __________ (sit) on a bench and __________ (read) a book.

5. Two boys __________ (kick) a football.

 

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Oral Activity

Answer the following questions in complete sentences using Yes or No:

1. Is the teacher explaining the lesson?

2. Are the kids playing football?

3. Is the bird sitting on the tree?

4. Are you reading a book?

5. Is the dog barking loudly?

Example Answers:

• Yes, the teacher is explaining the lesson.

• No, the bird is flying in the sky.

 

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Fun Facts of Present Continuous Tense

1. Present Continuous Tense is another name for the "right now tense" as it tells us what is happening right now.

2. The adjectives "now," "at the moment," and "currently" are signals that we are using this tense.

3. Even animals "speak" Present Continuous! For example: "The dog is barking" or "The cat is purring."

 

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Spelling Rules of the Present Continuous Tense (-ing Form)

Guidelines exist that should be applied when adding -ing to a verb in the context of spelling. The following is how one should spell verbs correctly in the Present Continuous Tense:

 

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1. Most Verbs

The most common verbs only require adding -ing to the base form of the verb.
Examples:

• walk → walking

• play → playing

• eat → eating

• read → reading

 

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2. Verbs Ending in Silent 'e'

If the verb ends with a silent 'e', omit the 'e' and add -ing.
Examples:

• write → writing

• make → making

• bake → baking

• take → taking

 

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3. Verbs Ending in a Single Vowel + Single Consonant

If a verb has one syllable, ends with a single vowel + single consonant, and the last syllable is stressed, double the consonant before adding -ing.
Examples:

• run → running

• sit → sitting

• get → getting

• swim → swimming

Exceptions: If the last syllable is not stressed, do not double the consonant.
Example:

• visit → visiting

 

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4. Verbs Ending in 'ie'

If a verb ends with 'ie,' change 'ie' to 'y' and then add -ing.
Examples:

• lie → lying

• die → dying

• tie → tying

 

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5. Verbs Ending in 'y'

If a verb ends in 'y,' simply add -ing.
Examples:

• play → playing

• stay → staying

• enjoy → enjoying

 

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6. Two-Syllable Verbs with Stress on the Last Syllable

For two-syllable verbs where the stress falls on the last syllable, double the consonant before adding -ing.
Examples:

• begin → beginning

• prefer → preferring

• occur → occurring

If the stress is not on the last syllable, do not double the consonant.
Examples:

• happen → happening

• listen → listening

 

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Fun Examples

• She is running to catch the bus.

• We are making cookies.

• He is lying on the sofa.

• They are swimming in the pool.