Present continuous

Affirmative

(subject pronoun + to be +
present participle)
You are watching TV.

Negative

(subject pronoun + to be + not

+ present participle)
You are not watching TV.

Interrogative

(to be + subject pronoun +

present participle)
Are you watching TV?

1.

Now

.To

express the idea that something is

happening now, at this moment.
.To show that something is not happening
now.
I am sitting here.
You are learning english.
He is reading his book.

2.

Longer actions in progress now

.To

say that we are in the process of doing

a longer action which is in progress;
however, we might not be doing it at this
exact second.
I am studying to become a doctor.
You are working in a project.
She is reading Tom Sawyer.

3.

Near Future

.Sometimes,

speakers use the Present

Continuous to indicate that something will
or will not happen in the near future.
I am meeting some friends after work.
He is visiting his parents next weekend.
They are coming here at night.

4.

Repetition and Irritation with "Always"

.The

Present Continuous with words such as "always" or

"constantly" expresses the idea that something irritating
or shocking often happens.
.The meaning is like simple present, but with negative
emotion.
.The words "always" or "constantly" between "be" and
"verb+ing.
She is always coming to class late.
He is constantly talking. I wish he would shut up.
I don't like them because they are always complaining.

+ing

If

the verb ends with -e, drop the -e and

add -ing.

Bathe/Bathing
Believe/Believing
Bite/Biting
Hope/Hoping
Joke/Joking
Live/Living
Make/Making
Raise/Raising
Save/Saving
Taste/Tasting

If

the verb ends with ie, change the ie

for -y and add -ing.

Die/Dying
Lie/Lying
Tie/Tying
Vie/Vying

If

a verb ends in -y, add -ing.

Pry/Prying
Spy/Spying
Pray/Praying
Spay/Spaying

If

a verb ends in a vowel + one

consonant, double the consonant and
add -ing.

Beg/Begging
Chat/Chatting
Dig/Digging
Fit/Fitting
Hop/Hopping
Mix/Mixing
Quit/Quitting
Sit/Sitting
Tip/Tipping
Win/Winning

If

the verb ends in a stressed vowel +

-r, double the r and add -ing.
If the verb ends in a unestressed vowel
+ -r, do not double and add ing.

Confr/Conferring
Defr/Deferring
Refr/Referring
nswer/Answering
ffer/Offering
Sffer/Suffering

If

the verb ends with a vowel, add ing.

Do/Doing
Echo/Echoing
Go/Going
Ski/Skiing

Add

-ing to all the other verbs.

Exercises

Complete with simple present or

present continuous
1. I (play) __________ golf every weekend.
2. The children (play) __________ outside at the
moment.
3. Haruka (work) __________ now.
4. You cant borrow my pen because it doesnt
(work) __________.
5. Smells good! What are you (make) __________ ?
6. My husband never (make) __________ me
breakfast.
7. Pauline is (live) __________ in Hong Kong.
8. Do you still (live) __________ with your parents?

 Verb

to be
A: Subject + To be
N: Subject + To be + not
I: To be + Subject

Simple

present
A: Subject + Verb
N: Subject + Auxiliary+ not + verb
I: Auxiliary + Subject + verb

Present

continuous
A: subject pronoun + to be + present participle
N: subject pronoun + to be + not + present participle
I: to be + subject pronoun + present participle

Exercises

1. She __________ (run) because she's late for

her lesson.
2. Our teacher always __________ (give) us lots of
homework.
3. We __________ (not want) to go to the concert.
4. What time __________ (you / meet) Pete
tomorrow?
5. I __________(not work) today. I'm on holiday.
6. People __________ (speak) English in Jamaica.
7. Archie __________ (not use) his computer at
the moment.
8. __________(Tony / live) near the park?