The present continuous is made from the
present tense of the verb be and the –
ing form of a verb:
I am working
You are playing
He is talking
She is living
It is eating
We are staying
They are sleeping
We use the present continuous to talk about:
activities at the moment of speaking:
I'm just leaving work. I'll be home in an hour.
Please be quiet. The children are sleeping.
future plans or arrangements:
Mary is going to a new school next term.
What are you doing next week?
Present continuous questions
We make questions by putting am, is or are in front of the subject:
Are you listening?
Are they coming to your party?
When is she going home?
What am I doing here?
Present continuous negatives
We make negatives by putting not (or n't) after am, is or are:
I'm not doing that.
You aren't listening. (or You're not listening.)
They aren't coming to the party. (or They're not coming to the party.)
She isn't going home until Monday. (or She's not going home until Monday.)
Stative verbs
We do not normally use the continuous with stative verbs. Stative verbs
include:
verbs of thinking and feeling:
believe love recognise understand
dislike hate remember want
know prefer suppose wish
like realise think (= believe)
verbs of the senses:
appear look smell taste
feel seem sound
We also use the present continuous to talk about:
something which is happening before and after a specific time:
At eight o'clock we are usually having breakfast.
When I get home the children are doing their homework.
something which we think is temporary:
Michael is at university. He's studying history.
I'm working in London for the next two weeks.
something which is new and contrasts with a previous state:
These days most people are using email instead of writing letters.
What sort of clothes are teenagers wearing nowadays?
What sort of music are they listening to?
We also use the present continuous to talk about:
something which is happening before and after a specific time:
At eight o'clock we are usually having breakfast.
When I get home the children are doing their homework.
something which we think is temporary:
Michael is at university. He's studying history.
I'm working in London for the next two weeks.
something which is new and contrasts with a previous state:
These days most people are using email instead of writing letters.
What sort of clothes are teenagers wearing nowadays?
What sort of music are they listening to?
We also use the present continuous to talk about:
something which is happening before and after a specific time:
At eight o'clock we are usually having breakfast.
When I get home the children are doing their homework.
something which we think is temporary:
Michael is at university. He's studying history.
I'm working in London for the next two weeks.
something which is new and contrasts with a previous state:
These days most people are using email instead of writing letters.
What sort of clothes are teenagers wearing nowadays?
What sort of music are they listening to?
We also use the present continuous to talk about:
something which is happening before and after a specific time:
At eight o'clock we are usually having breakfast.
When I get home the children are doing their homework.
something which we think is temporary:
Michael is at university. He's studying history.
I'm working in London for the next two weeks.
something which is new and contrasts with a previous state:
These days most people are using email instead of writing letters.
What sort of clothes are teenagers wearing nowadays?
What sort of music are they listening to?
something which is changing, growing or developing:
The children are growing up quickly.
The climate is changing rapidly.
Your English is improving.
something which happens again and again:
It's always raining in London.
They are always arguing.
George is great. He's always laughing.
Note that we normally use always with this use.
We can use the present continuous to talk about the past when we are:
telling a story:
The other day I'm just walking down the street when suddenly this man
comes up to me and asks me to lend him some money. Well, he's
carrying a big stick and he looks a bit dangerous, so I'm
wondering what to do …
summarising a book, film or play:
Harry Potter is a pupil at Hogwarts school. One day when he is
playing Quidditch he sees a strange object in the sky. He wonders
what is happening …
Exercises. Add the –ing.
1. camp ______________
2. swim ______________
3. travel______________
4. walk ______________
5. have ______________
6. write ______________
7. cook ______________
8. shop ______________
Complete the sentences. 1. His dad and brother ________(cycle) to the shops.
2. We __________ (not travel) in Japan.
3. I __________ (sunbathe) on the beach.
4. She __________ (not watch) TV.
5. They __________ (not swim) in the sea. 6. Sue __________ (stay) at home
today.
Write the questions and the short answers.
1. your dad / work / today /? _____________________________
Yes, _________________________
2. you / have a good time / on holiday / ?
_____________________________
Yes, _________________________
3. your mum / cook dinner / now / ? _____________________________
Yes, _________________________
4. your friends / play football / ? _____________________________
Yes, _________________________
1. I ___________ (watch) a reality show on TV.
2. My favourite team ___________ (win)!
3. Someone ___________ (swim) in the sea.
4. Two people ___________ (cook) dinner on the beach.
5. We ___________ (not watch) a soap opera.
6. I ___________ (not do) my homework.
7. Mum ___________ (read) a magazine.
8. My brother ___________ (not listen) to the radio.
9. Dad ___________ (not cook) dinner.
10. Tara ___________ (talk) by phone.
11. Joe ___________ (play) on the computer.
12. Who ___________(watch) TV?
13. Tina ___________ (do) grammar exercises.
14. I ___________ (eat) a pizza.
15. We ___________ (sit) in the classroom.
16. I ___________ (not write) an email.
17. Amy ___________ (not go) to school today.
18. We ___________ (not have) fun today.
19. My team ___________ (not win) the match
PRESENT SIMPLE VS PRESENT CONTINUOUS EXERCISES 1. Put the verbs into the
correct tense (present simple OR present continuous):
The train always ________________(1: leave) on time. "What's the matter? Why
________________(2: cry/you)?" That's strange. They________________(3: not to watch)
TV. He________________(4: not to speak) very good English. Please be quiet!
I________________(5: do) my homework. Where________________(6: live/they)? Listen!
John ________________ music! (7: play) I never ________________(8: go) to the
swimming pool
2. Complete the sentences below using one of the verbs in the box in the correct
form. You may use each verb once only.
enjoy
prefer
play
produce
work
seem
know
interview
wait
talk
finish
1. I always ________ tennis on Fridays.
2. He ________ his report. He will bring it into the office when it is complete.
3. "My parents phoned me this morning. They _________ themselves inthe
Seychelles. Champagne every night! In fact, they don't want to leave."
4. We ________ to entertain our guests in a local restaurant rather than the canteen.
Although it is expensive, we can talk freely there.
5. I ___________ the answer to your problem. Get a new computer.
6. "Where is John?" "In his office ____________ for an important telephone call."
7. I can't make the meeting tomorrow. I _____________ the applicants for the sales
manager's job.
8. My brother _____________ for Shink Inc. which makes bathroom fittings.
9. Who ___________ to Bill? Is it the new secretary?
10. The new contract ________________ fine to me. However, could you just check
it through once more?
3. Choose the correct form for each verb.
1. Marie-Claude isn't a Canadian. I ________ she comes from France.
A. believe
B. i am believing
2. Look! Junko ________ into the water.
A. ? jumps
B. ? is jumping
3. I ________ you're crazy!
A. ? think
B. ? am thinking
4. Don't give Jan any cheese. She ________ it!
A. ? hates
B. ? is hating
5. I ________ to Toronto next Thursday. Do you want to come?
A. ? go
B. ? am going
6. Once a week, I ________ to an art class at the college.
A. ? go B. ? am going
5. Present Simple or Continuous? Choose the correct alternative(s)
in the sentences 1-8 below.
1 Today she ’s spending/spends time with her grandmother.
2 They usually are going/go to the gym on Sundays.
3 We ’re having/have a barbecue later on. Do you want to come?
4 No, she can’t answer the phone, she has/is having a shower.
5 I always have/am having a coffee before I ’m leaving/leave for work in the morning.
6 They sometimes fly/are flying to Sweden, but usually they are going/go by boat.
7 Where are you? I ’m sitting/sit outside in the sunshine! 8 He always brings/is
bringing a monolingual dictionary to his English class.
