Present Continuous: Rules, Examples & Exercises

The present continuous tense is used to talk about actions that are happening right now, actions happening around the present moment, or future plans. Try this exercise to test your knowledge:

Was this too hard? Study the article below and do the exercises at the bottom of this page.

Structure
- Verb (-ing) Form
Conjugation
When to Use Present Continuous
- Time Expressions with Present Continuous
- Key Points
Present Continuous Exercises

Structure

The present continuous tense is formed using:

Affirmative: Subject + am/is/are + verb (-ing).
Negative: Subject + am not/is not/are not + verb (-ing).
Interrogative: Am/Is/Are + subject + verb (-ing)?

Verb (-ing) Form

To form the “-ing” form of a verb:

Add -ing: work → working, play → playing.
Drop the e and add -ing: write → writing.
Double the last consonant for consonant + vowel + consonant: run → running.

Conjugation

Subject	Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
I	I am working.	I am not working.	Am I working?
You	You are working.	You are not working. (You aren’t working.)	Are you working?
He/She/It	He is working.	He is not working. (He isn’t working.)	Is he working?
We	We are working.	We are not working. (We aren’t working.)	Are we working?
They	They are working.	They are not working. (They aren’t working.)	Are they working?

When to Use Present Continuous

This verb tense is used in these situations:

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Finding confusing with Present Simple? Click here.

Time Expressions with Present Continuous

This verb tense often uses these time expressions:

Now: I am watching TV now.
At the moment: She is cooking dinner at the moment.
Today/This week (temporary): We are working from home this week.
Tomorrow/Next week (for future plans): They are traveling to Paris tomorrow.

Key Points

Affirmative: Use am/is/are + verb (-ing).
Negative: Add not after “am/is/are” (short forms: isn’t/aren’t).
Interrogative: Start with am/is/are, then use subject + verb (-ing).
Use time expressions like now, at the moment, this week, or tomorrow to give more context.

Present Continuous Exercises

EXERCISE: Write a complete sentence in the Present Continuous

Write complete sentences in the Present Continuous. Use affirmative, negative, or question forms as indicated.
Example:
Prompt: she – play the piano – now (affirmative)
Answer: She is playing the piano now.

1 / 10

They – swimming in the pool – right now (affirmative)

2 / 10

They – clean the room – right now (question)

3 / 10

He – cook dinner – now (affirmative)

4 / 10

I – write a letter – now (affirmative)

5 / 10

She – paint – at the moment (negative)

6 / 10

They – play chess – right now (question)

7 / 10

I – study – now (affirmative)

8 / 10

She – read a book – at the moment (negative)

9 / 10

I – watch anything – right now (negative)

10 / 10

You – take notes – during class (question)

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Future Arrangements: TestEnglish