This document provides instruction on how to form and use the present continuous tense in English. It explains that the present continuous is used to describe actions that are happening now or ongoing. It outlines the structure of positive, negative, and interrogative forms using the verb "to be" plus the verb ending in "-ing." Examples are given for regular and irregular verbs. Exercises are included to practice forming present continuous sentences and filling in blanks with verbs in the "-ing" form.

1. What are you doing right now?
Elson Jaque Villalobos

2. When do we use present
continuous?
• We use present continuous to refer
to:
•Things that are happening now, at
the moment.

3. Common present continuous time
expressions include:
He is watching TV right now

4. STRUCTURE
• Positive
• Subject + verb to be + verb-ing +
complement.
• I am working today.
• He is working today.
• We are working today.
• They are working today.

5. • Negative
• Subject + verb be + not + verb-ing +
complement.
• I am not working this evening.
• He is not working this evening.
• They are not working this evening.

6. • Interrogative
• Question word + verb 'be' + subject + verb -ing
• What -> are you -> doing?
• What -> is he -> doing?
To be + subject + verb – ing + complement
Is she reading the newspaper?

7. • Spelling rules
Add –ing to the base form of the verb.
• Read – Reading
• Stand – Standing
• Jump – Jumping
• Work – Working
• Count – Counting
• Drink – Drinking

8. • Verbos terminados en “e” eliminar “e” y
agregar -ing
• Take – Taking
• Make – Making
• Give – Giving
• Live – Living
• However, when a verb ends in an e which is not silent, the
final e is not dropped
• Be – Being See - Seeing

9. • Verbos de una silaba terminados en consonante +
vocal + consonante, repetir última consonante y
agregar - ing
sit - sitting, run - running, hop - hopping
• However, do not double the last consonant in a verb that
end in w, x, or y.
sew - sewing, fix - fixing, say - saying

10. Verbs ending in y, just add –ing
For example:
• Fly - Flying
• Play – Playing
• Enjoy - Enjoying

11. • Verbos terminados en –ie
reemplazar “ie” por y + ing
• Die – Dying
• Lie – Lying

12.  Write the –ing form to the following verbs
EXERCISES

13.  Fill in the blanks with the words in brackets
1. What _____________(you do) tonight?
2. John ______________ (read) a book now
3. I _____________(not listen) to music.
4. Maria______________ (sit) next to Paul.
5. The phone____________ (not ring).
6. Do not forget to take your umbrella. It ___________ (rain)
7. ___________ Mary _______________ (sleep)?
8. Where ___________ Mary _______________ (sleep)?
9. She __________________ (not reading a book)

14.  Put the words in order to form correct sentences in
Present Continuous
1. Working / your mother / now / is / ?
____________________________________________________________
2. Coming / for lunch / they / are
____________________________________________________________
3. Laughing / why / you / are / at me / ?
____________________________________________________________
4. She / in the garden / not / playing / is
____________________________________________________________
5. Eating / I / an apple / am
____________________________________________________________
6. Football / not / they / playing / are
____________________________________________________________