What the Present Continuous Is
The present continuous describes something going on as you speak. Where the present simple says what usually happens, the continuous says what is happening now — or what is happening for a while, and will stop.
RIGHT NOWas you speak
Not before, not later — this moment.
It is raining outside.
Look out of the window and you can watch it happen.
THE SIGNALSnow · Look! · Listen!
Listen! Someone is playing the piano.
Look!, Listen! and Be quiet! all point at this very moment.
Look closely at is raining. Two things changed at once: a form of be appeared, and the verb took an -ing ending. Neither half works alone. It raining outside and It is rain outside are both broken, and they are the two commonest mistakes in this chapter — one half of the tense is easy to build and easy to forget.
TRY IT
- Question 1
"Look! The bus ."
- Question 2
"She a book at the moment."
The three forms
AFFIRMATIVE
Sam / is / areV-ing
She is reading a book.
I am · he, she, it is · you, we, they are.
NEGATIVE
Sam / is / arenotV-ing
She isn't reading a book.
Not goes straight after be — no do and no does anywhere.
QUESTION
Am / Is / AreSV-ing?
Is she reading a book?
Be jumps in front of the subject.
I'm, you're, he's, we're, they're working · negatives have two forms, she isn't working and she's not working, both correct · I has only one, I'm not · short answers keep be: Are you working? — Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. Never Yes, I'm — a positive short answer cannot end in a contraction.
TRY IT
- Question 1
"They football now."
- Question 2
"He TV at the moment."
- Question 3
" you working today?"
Spelling the -ing
-ING AT A GLANCE
- workworking
- makemaking
- sitsitting
- lielying
drop a silent -e · a short consonant-vowel-consonant verb doubles its last consonant · a longer verb doubles only when the stress falls on its last syllable · -ie → -ying
MOST VERBS: JUST ADD -ING
work → working
Nothing changes at all, including a final -y, which the present simple -s would have changed.
Signal words: play → playing · go → going · eat → eating · study → studying
SILENT -E: DROP IT
make → making
The -e disappears, and nothing doubles, because the verb does not end in a consonant.
Signal words: write → writing · come → coming · take → taking · dance → dancing
SHORT CVC VERBS: DOUBLE IT
sit → sitting
A short verb ending consonant-vowel-consonant doubles that last consonant.
Signal words: run → running · stop → stopping · get → getting · swim → swimming
-IE BECOMES -Y
lie → lying
The one you will meet most is lie: lying on the bed.
Signal words: lie → lying
The doubling rule is the one that goes wrong, and it goes wrong because it is usually taught as half a rule. Doubling needs a consonant to double. Write ends in -e, so the -e goes and nothing is doubled: writing, never writting.
The two tenses, side by side in form
The two present tenses differ in meaning and in shape. Meaning is the next lesson's subject; here only the shape matters, and one thing about it stands out: do and does disappear.
| PRESENT SIMPLE | PRESENT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | She works. | She is working. |
| Negative | She doesn't work. | She isn't working. |
| Question | Does she work? | Is she working? |
One group of verbs stays out of this tense altogether — the ones that name a state rather than an action: know, like, want, need. We say I know the answer, never I am knowing the answer. That is what the next lesson is about.
TRY IT
- Question 1
"Are you studying? — "Yes, ."
- Question 2
"She at the moment."
Common mistakes
Incorrect:She working in the garden.
Correct:She is working in the garden.
The -ing is only half the tense; the form of be is the other half and cannot be dropped.
Incorrect:She is work in the garden.
Correct:She is working in the garden.
The other half of the same mistake — be is there, but the main verb has no -ing.
Incorrect:I am writting an email.
Correct:I am writing an email.
Write ends in a silent -e, so the -e drops and there is no consonant to double.
Incorrect:They are lieing on the beach.
Correct:They are lying on the beach.
A verb ending in -ie changes it to -y: lie → lying, die → dying, tie → tying.
Incorrect:Do you working today?
Correct:Are you working today?
Continuous questions use be; do and does belong to the present simple.
Incorrect:He isn't play football at the moment.
Correct:He isn't playing football at the moment.
The negative changes only the be part; the main verb keeps its -ing.
Quick check · 6 questions
Choose the correct form:
Where is Lan? — She is cooking in the kitchen.
- A. is cooking — Correct
- B. is cook
- C. cooking
Answer: A. is cooking
This tense is built from two pieces, a form of be and a verb ending in -ing. Drop either one and the sentence breaks.
Choose the correct form:
My parents are watching TV.
- A. are watching — Correct
- B. is watching
- C. are watch
Answer: A. are watching
My parents is they, so the form of be is are. The -ing ending never changes for anybody; only be does.
Choose the correct negative:
I am not working now.
- A. am not working — Correct
- B. don't working
- C. not working
Answer: A. am not working
The continuous never borrows do or does. And with I there is only one contraction available: I'm not.
Choose the word that starts the question:
Are you listening to me?
- A. Are — Correct
- B. Do
- C. Is
Answer: A. Are
A continuous question inverts be. Do and does belong to the present simple.
Choose the correct spelling:
I am writing an email.
- A. writing — Correct
- B. writting
- C. writeing
Answer: A. writing
Write ends in a silent -e, so the e goes. And since it does not end in a consonant there is nothing there to double.
Choose the correct spelling:
The cat is sitting on my chair.
- A. sitting — Correct
- B. siting
- C. sitteing
Answer: A. sitting
Sit is consonant, vowel, consonant, so the final t doubles before -ing. Same for run → running and stop → stopping.
