The document provides a comprehensive overview of the present continuous tense, including its uses such as describing actions happening at the moment of speaking, temporary actions, ongoing changes, and future arrangements. It outlines the structure of the tense, including affirmative, negative, and interrogative forms, as well as spelling rules for forming the '-ing' version of verbs. Examples are provided for clarity, covering various scenarios where the present continuous is appropriately used.

1. The Present
Continuous Tense
Use and form

2. What is she doing?
• She is reading a book.

3. What is she doing?
• She is crying.

4. What’s he doing?
• He’s watching TV.

5. Where’s he going?
• He’s going to school.

6. And what are you doing right
now?
• We are studying English grammar.

7. Use 1
• The previous examples show that we use
this tense to denote an action happening
at the time of speaking (adverbs: now,
right now, at the moment)

8. What are they wearing today?
• They are wearing T-shirts and mini
skirts today.

9. I’d love to see you. Are you
busy?
• Unfortunately, I’m rather busy. I’m
painting my flat this week.

10. Are you having fun this
summer?
• Not really. I’m working as a waiter. I
need some money for college.

11. Use 2
• These examples show that the Present
Continuous Tense is also used to denote
a temporary action happening today or
these days.

12. What’s wrong with our planet?
• It’s getting warmer.

13. What’ wrong with the air we
breathe?
• It’s becoming more and more polluted.

14. Use 3
• It is also used to express the ongoing
changes, especially with verbs such as
become, get, grow, change, and with
expressions like more and more.

15. • Are you going to the party on Friday?

16. • We’re leaving tomorrow.

17. Use 4
• We use it for future arrangements with
a time reference.

18. Form – am, are, is + ing form
am, is, are + ing form
• Affirmative
I am sleeping.
He/she/it is sleeping.
You/we/they are sleeping.
• Negative
I am not (I’m not) singing.
He/she/it is not (isn’t) singing.
You/we/they are not (aren’t) singing.

19. Form - continued
• Interrogative
Am I dreaming?
Is he/she/it dreaming?
Are you/we/they dreaming?
• Short answers
Yes, I am/he is/we are…
No, I’m not/he isn’t/we aren’t…

20. ing form – spelling rules
• Most verbs just take –ing with no
changes in spelling: watch-watching,
clean-cleaning, listen-listening
• Verbs ending in –e drop it before –ing:
live-living, write-writing
• Verbs with short vowels and one
consonant double the consonant:
run-running, swim-swimming

21. ing form – spelling rules
• Verbs ending in –l, double it: travel-
travelling, cancel-cancelling
• Verbs ending in –ie change it to –y: lie-
lying, die-dying