This document provides examples of using the present and past continuous tenses in English. It includes 10 examples each of: 1) Present tense continuous for singular subjects using "is" 2) Present tense continuous for plural subjects using "are" 3) Past tense continuous for singular subjects using "was" 4) Past tense continuous for plural subjects using "were" The examples illustrate how to form sentences in the continuous tenses using a variety of common verbs.

1. WRITTEN BY LIM KEAT PENG 2013
A. PRESENT TENSE CONTINUOUS – singular subject – is, am
EXAMPLE:
0. Ali __________ going to school. (go)
Ali is going to school.
1. Ahmad __________sending a letter to his friend. (send)
2. She __________walking home after tuition. (walk)
3. He __________buying a packet laksa. (buy)
4. I __________ cycling to school today. (drive)
5. Uncle Abu __________ repairing his guitar. (repair)
6. A man __________ coming to see my father. (come)
7. It __________ climbing up the tree. (climb)
8. The tailor __________ sewing my dress now. (sew)
9. An ant __________ crawling on the table. (crawl)
10. My mother __________ washing our clothes. (wash)
B. PRESENT TENSE CONTINUOUS – plural subject - are
EXAMPLE:
0. Ali and Ahmad __________going to school. (go)
Ali and Ahmad are going to school.
1. His classmates __________ making him a get-well card. (make)
2. My sisters __________ walking home after tuition. (walk)
3. The monkeys __________ eating the bunch of bananas. (eat)
4. Many people __________ starting to work in cities. (start)
5. A few of my friends __________ selling their old guitars. (sell)
6. Elephants __________ trampling the sugarcanes. (trample)
7. My parents __________ taking me Penang now. (take)
8. The stars __________ coming out tonight. (come)
9. The policemen __________ patrolling the roads. (patrol)
10. My siblings __________ listening to a new song by Nurhaliza. (listen)

2. WRITTEN BY LIM KEAT PENG 2013
C. PAST TENSE CONTINUOUS – singular subject - was
EXAMPLE:
0. Ali __________ going to school. (go)
Ali was going to school.
1. I __________ studying with my good friend yesterday. (study)
2. John __________ enjoying the time fishing with his elder brother. (enjoy)
3. Our uncle __________ cooking this special delicious keema curry. (cook)
4. The headman __________ helping to put out the fire. (help)
5. While our cat __________ catching a mouse, it fell from the ceiling. (catch)
6. A cow __________ eating our vegetables. (eat)
7. Snow __________ melting which caused the river water to rise. (melt)
8. The sky __________ turning dark as we woke up early this morning. (turn)
9. That boy__________ borrowing books in the library when the alarm rang. (borrow)
10. My mother __________ writing to our aunt as I came home. (write)
D. PAST TENSE CONTINUOUS – plural subject - were
EXAMPLE:
0. Ali and Ahmad __________ going to school when the accident happened. (go)
Ali and Ahmad were going to school when the accident happened.
1. They __________ playing football in the field when it rained. (play)
2. My sisters __________ taking a walk when they saw an old friend. (take)
3. We ______ just reaching our home, when the coconut tree fell. (come)
4. The doctors __________ advising patients the danger of smoking. (advise)
5. Many customers __________ buying things from the 1Malaysia shops. (buy)
6. Hindus __________ celebrating Thaipusam last month. (celebrate)
7. Many passers-by __________ taking free gifts as they walked by. (take)
8. As the tourists __________ stepping down from buses, the vendors came. (step)
9. The sheep __________ grazing in the field, when the lightning struck. (graze)
10. The visitors __________ taking pictures, when the guards stopped them. (take)