The Present Continuous Tense
We use the present continuous tense when talking about something in the present that is unfinished at the time of speaking, describing a temporary situation, setting the scene of background events for a present story, emphasising present actions and for talking about plans for the future (NOTE THIS IS NOT FUTURE TENSE).
The present continuous tense is formed with the subject plus the present particle form (-ing) of the main verb and the present continuous tense of the verb to be: am, is, are.
The Present Continuous Tense is used in the following cases:
Busy happening now (an unfinished action happening now)
For example: I am eating.
She is watching TV.
They are playing cards.
Describing a temporary situation (something you are busy doing)
For example: I am reading a great book at the moment.
They are visiting family in London for a few days.
Setting the scene for background events of a present story
For example: So, I'm busy taking a bath when my brother walks into the bathroom.
There he is standing at the bus stop when out of nowhere a bird lands on him.
Emphasising frequent actions (something that happens often)
For example: She is always losing her keys.
He is always kicking his toe on the corner of the couch.
Talking about plans for the future (when we say what we have planned and arranged to do at a specific time in the future)
For example: The train is leaving at 21:00 on Friday.
Jane is arriving tomorrow.
I am going to the mall tomorrow.
In the present continuous tense, negative forms are made using NOT, and question forms are made by changing the word order of the sentence.
Let's practice!
Complete the following sentences using the correct form of the verb in brackets.
The girl is _______(study).
Is he ________(go)?
When is she ______(come)?
I am _______(read) a book.
Are they ________ (sleep) yet?
We are _______ (cook) dinner together.
You are not ________ (help) by just sitting there.
You are _______ (talk) too much.
We are _______ (learn) to speak English.
(Do)______ you learning too?
We _____ (is) ______ (have) a meeting.
They are ______ (sing) in the rain.
Why are you _______ (cry)?
When are John and Mary _____ (go) on vacation?
I am _______ (wear) a black jersey.