1. The Present Continuous
We make the present continuous tense by adding -ing to the
base verb:
Look – I am looking / I'm looking
Laugh – You are laughing / You're laughing
Walk – She is walking / She's walking
Learn – We are learning / We're learning
Listen – They are listening / They're listening
2. Negative Sentences
I'm not looking
You / we / they aren't looking
He / she / it isn't looking
The Present Continuous
Listening
Questions
Am I looking?
Are you / we / they looking?
Is he / she / it looking?
Yes / No questions
The rule of the three words
Are you going? Yes I am / No, I'm not
Yes, I'm
Is Anna working? Yes, she is / No, she isn't
Yes, she's
4. ● General rule: Just add -ing into the base verb:
go – going / visit - visiting
● Verbs that end in one -e lose the -e:
smoke – smoking / come – coming
But: - be – being
- Verbs that end in -ee, don't lose an -e:
agree – agreeing / see – seeing
- Verbs that end in -ie, change the ie to y:
lie – lying / die - dying
The Present Continuous
How do we spell the Present Continuous tense?
5. How do we spell the Present Continuous tense?
● Verbs of 1 syllable, with one vowel and a consonant, the
consonant is doubled:
stop – stopping / get – getting / plan – planning
But we do not double when there are two consonants
(ask – asking), two vowels (seem – seeming / shout –
shouting), or the final consonant is x, y, or z (fax –
faxing / play – playing / show - showing)
● Verbs of more than 1 syllable that end in one stressed
vowel + consonant, double the last letter: begin –
beginning / forbid – forbidding / permit - permitting
But if the last syllable of the base verb is not stressed,
we do not double : Open – opening
Exceptions : travel – travelling / cancel - cancelling
6. Use
● To express an activity that is happening now:
Don't turn the TV off. I'm watching it
You can't speak to Jane. She's having a bath
● To express and activity happening around now, but
perhaps not at the moment of speaking:
I must get back to the office. We're working on a project
Don't take that book! Jane's reading it
● For temporary situations:
Peter's a student, but he's working as a barman during
the holidays
I'm living with a friend until I find a place of my own
7. Use
● To describe change, development and progress:
My English is improving
The Earth is slowly getting warmer
The number of cars on the road is increasing
● To indicate imminent or future actions that we have
planned before speaking (in general, we add a future
word):
Are you going to the concert this weekend?
I'm playing badminton with Matthew tomorrow
8. The Present Continuous
Time expressions
now / today / at the moment / at present /
currently / for the time being
