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Present Continuous Tense for English Learners | How to Use it


Present Continuous

The present continuous tense - also called the present progressive tense - is widely used in English but often misused by learners.

It's mainly for actions happening right now, not for daily habits or routines - those use the Present Simple tense.

Also, it only works with action verbs, not with stative verbs.

  • Action verbs, or dynamic verbs, describe visible, deliberate actions like "run," "write," and "jump," which can be seen or measured.

  • Stative verbs describe states, not actions, and relate to thoughts, emotions, senses, and more. They don't involve physical actions and aren't used in continuous tense. Examples include "believe" and "love."

    • Below, we explain how and when to use the Present Continuous:

    Present Continuous for actions happening right now

    • What are you eating?
    • He is playing soccer in the park.
    • They aren't sleeping yet.

    Present Continuous for actions around the current time

    • I'm reading "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.
    • Which project are you focusing on now?
    • He's training intensively for the upcoming marathon.

    Present Continuous for future plans and arrangements

    • We're meeting our new team members over lunch tomorrow.
    • She's flying to Paris next week for the fashion conference.
    • They're hosting the annual charity gala next month.

    Present Continuous | Common time phrases

  • currently, at the moment, now, today, tomorrow, this week

  • next week, this month, in the near future, shortly - (for future arrangements)

    • How to form the Present Continuous tense

    The Present Continuous tense is made by using the present tense of "to be" (am/is/are) + the main verb with "-ing" added.

    Here's how to use it in positive, negative, and question forms with all personal pronouns:

    Positive Form

    • I am reading. (I + am + reading)
    • You are watching. (You + are + watching)
    • He is eating. (He + is + eating)
    • She is writing. (She + is + writing)
    • It is raining. (It + is + raining)
    • We are learning. (We + are + learning)
    • They are playing. (They + are + playing)

    Negative Form

    • I am not sleeping. (I + am + not + sleeping)
    • You aren't (are not) going. (You + are + not + going)
    • He isn't (is not) coming. (He + is + not + coming)
    • She isn't (is not) singing. (She + is + not + singing)
    • It isn't (is not) working. (It + is + not + working)
    • We aren't (are not) staying. (We + are + not + staying)
    • They aren't (are not) leaving. (They + are + not + leaving)

    Question Form

    • Am I running? (Am + I + running?)
    • Are you sitting? (Are + you + sitting?)
    • Is he standing? (Is + he + standing?)
    • Is she dancing? (Is + she + dancing?)
    • Is it moving? (Is + it + moving?)
    • Are we studying? (Are + we + studying?)
    • Are they watching? (Are + they + watching?)

    Passive present Continuous

    The passive use of the present continuous is possible, but is rarely used.

    In the passive voice, we use the verb 'to be'. If you see 'is being' or 'are being', it might look odd, but there's a reason.

    We add 'ing' to the verb 'to be' when we use modals.

  • Passive subject + auxiliary verb be + to be + ing + past participle

    • The passive voice in the Present Continuous tense highlights actions being performed upon the subject by someone or something else.

    Here are three examples to illustrate this:

    • A new song is being listened to by teenagers all over the world.
    • The report is being reviewed by the committee as we speak.
    • Cookies are being baked by my grandmother for the school bake sale.

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