Tenses
Present Continuous Tense in English for Class 5
The present continuous tense in English is used to mention current or continuous actions that helps the readers to understand when the action is taking place. In this chapter, students will learn about the present continuous tense meaning, usage and common mistakes that occur while using them.
In this learning concept, students will learn the following:
- Format of present continuous tense with examples.
- Guidelines for using auxiliaries with the tense.
- Form present continuous tense negative sentences.
- Formation of present continuous tense interrogative sentences.
- Uses of present continuous tense with examples.
Every learning concept for class 5 English students consists of examples, illustrations, and mind maps. They can assess their understanding by solving the two printable PDF present continuous tense worksheets given at the end of the page. After that, check your answers with the solutions provided in PDF format.
Definition:
- The present continuous tense refers to a continuing action or state that is happening in the present tense.
- The present continuous tense can also be called the present progressive tense.
Examples:
In the above example, these people are doing an action (eating) that is happening right now. Therefore, this is an example of the present continuous tense.
How to Form the Present Continuous Tense?
1. Every tense form has a format that we need to follow to be grammatically correct. The sentence form for the present continuous tense is as follows:
We use the present tense of the ‘be’ form (am, is/are) of the auxiliary verb followed by the verb in the present participle form. We form the present participle verb by adding ‘-ing’ to the main verb.
Rahul is study - ing for the exam
2. The auxiliary used in the present continuous tense changes depending on the subject of the sentence. Follow the guidelines given below for the different subjects used in the sentence.
| Sr. No | Subjects | Auxiliary | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singular Noun & Singular Pronouns (he, she, it) | is |
|
| 2 | Pronoun ‘I’ | am |
|
| 3 | Plural Nouns and Pronouns (we, you, they) | are |
|
Make a Present Continuous Tense Negative
To make the past continuous tense negative, we need to put the word ‘not’ after the auxiliary (is/are/ not).
Examples:
- I am not going to school today because it is raining outside.
- Akash is not participating in the music competition.
How to Make a Present Continuous Tense Interrogative?
In order to make a present continuous tense interrogative, we have to start the question with the auxiliary present “be verb” (is/are/am) followed by the subject and a present participle verb. The sentence ends with a question mark (?).
Examples:
- Is he making pizza for my friends?
- Are we going to the beach?
When do We Use the Present Continuous Tense?
1. We use present continuous tense to describe an action that is happening right now
Examples:
The woman in the picture is making food.
The action done by the woman is cooking.
2. It is used to describe an action that has already started and will continue till sometime in the future. That means the action is still happening in the present.
Examples:
The speaker has already started studying, and he will continue it in the future until he becomes an engineer. Therefore, the action (study) takes place in the present.
Common Mistake:
Sometimes we describe an action that we have planned to do in the near future, we use the present continuous tense. However, we have to use the future tense instead of the present continuous tense.
Examples:
The speaker is planning to do an action in the near future, that is, meet his friend in the near future. He hasn’t met his friend yet. In such cases, we can use the future tense.
