Present continuous formula
The helping verb changes with the subject: am for I, is for he, she and it, are for you, we and they. The main verb always takes -ing.
| Form | I | He, she, it | You, we, they |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positive | I am (I'm) reading. | He is (he's) reading. | They are (they're) reading. |
| Negative | I am not (I'm not) reading. | He is not (isn't) reading. | They are not (aren't) reading. |
| Question | Am I reading? | Is he reading? | Are they reading? |
When to use the present continuous
Actions happening now: "Look, it's raining."
Temporary situations around now: "I'm living with my cousin until I find a flat."
Changing situations and trends: "House prices are rising in most cities."
Arranged future plans, usually with a time: "We're flying to Toronto on Friday."
Annoying habits, with always: "He's always borrowing my charger."
Common signal words are now, right now, at the moment, currently, today, this week and these days.
Spelling of -ing: drop a silent -e (make, making), double a final consonant after a single stressed vowel (run, running; begin, beginning), and change -ie to -y (lie, lying).
Stative verbs: when not to use -ing
Stative verbs describe states, not actions, so they normally stay in the simple form even when you mean right now. Some verbs have both a state meaning and an action meaning.
In informal English you will hear "I'm loving it" or "I'm wanting to ask". These are deliberate, casual uses; in exam writing, keep stative verbs simple.
| Type | Verbs | Right |
|---|---|---|
| Mind and opinion | know, believe, understand, remember, mean, agree | I believe you. (not I am believing you) |
| Wants and feelings | want, need, prefer, like, love, hate | She wants a new phone. |
| Possession | own, belong, have (= own) | He has two brothers. |
| Think: two meanings | think = have an opinion / think = consider | I think it's a good idea. I'm thinking about moving. |
| Have: two meanings | have = own / have = eat or experience | I have a car. I'm having lunch. |
Common mistakes
Wrong: I am having two sisters.
Right: I have two sisters.
Have meaning own is a state, so it takes the simple form.
Wrong: She working in a hospital now.
Right: She is working in a hospital now.
The present continuous needs am, is or are before the -ing verb.
Wrong: I am studying here for two years.
Right: I have been studying here for two years.
A period up to now with for or since needs the present perfect continuous.
Wrong: Everyone is wanting to know the result.
Right: Everyone wants to know the result.
Want is a stative verb, and everyone takes a singular verb.
Using this in IELTS and PTE
The present continuous is useful for current trends in IELTS Writing Task 2 and PTE Write Essay ("More young people are choosing to study abroad"), and in IELTS Speaking Part 1 for what you are doing these days ("I'm preparing for my exams at the moment"). In PTE Describe Image, it can describe what people in a photo are doing. Don't use it with stative verbs such as believe or agree, which are common in opinion essays.
5 questions
Exercise
Try each one, then open it to check your answer.
1. Complete this: "Be quiet, the children ___ (sleep)."
are sleeping
The action is happening now, and children takes are.
2. Make this negative: "He is wearing a jacket."
He isn't wearing a jacket. (He is not wearing a jacket.)
Not goes after is.
3. Choose: "I (think / am thinking) the second answer is correct."
think
Think here means have an opinion, which is a state.
4. Write the -ing form of swim, write and die.
swimming, writing, dying
Double the m after a single stressed vowel, drop the silent e, and change -ie to -y.
5. Correct this: "This soup is tasting very salty."
This soup tastes very salty.
Taste meaning has a flavour is a state, so it takes the simple form.
Frequently asked questions
What is the formula of the present continuous tense?+
Subject + am, is or are + verb-ing, as in "They are playing." For negatives add not after the helping verb, and for questions put the helping verb first.
Can we say "I am knowing"?+
No. Know is a stative verb, so the correct form is "I know". The same applies to believe, understand, want and own.
How is the present continuous used for the future?+
For plans that are already arranged, often with a time or date: "I'm seeing the dentist on Monday." It is close to be going to, but stresses that the arrangement is fixed.
Is "I'm loving it" correct?+
It is common in informal speech and advertising, where it adds emphasis. In formal writing and exams, use "I love it".
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