Present Continuous: positive sentences
450 fill-in-the-gap exercises, 45 tests of ten
Two pieces: the right form of be, then the verb with -ing. Both are needed.
Practice this form
Loading…
Getting your first question ready.
The pattern
The form of be agrees with the subject; the -ing form never changes:
I am reading. She is reading. They are reading.
In speech the auxiliary contracts: I’m reading, she’s reading, they’re reading.
Arrangements, not predictions
The Present Continuous is the normal way to talk about plans that are already settled — a time agreed, a ticket bought, someone else expecting you:
We are flying to Rome on the 14th.
Compare We will fly to Rome, which sounds like a decision made at this moment, and We are going to fly, which is an intention without the arrangement.
always and the complaint
Put always, forever or constantly between be and the -ing form and the sentence turns into a grumble:
He is always leaving the door open.
The Present Simple version, He always leaves the door open, is a neutral fact. The Continuous adds the eye-roll.
Two actions at once
Use while to place one continuous action inside another:
She is cooking while the children are doing their homework.
All forms
| Verb ends in | What happens | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| most verbs | add -ing | work → working, read → reading |
| silent -e | drop the e | make → making, write → writing |
| short vowel + consonant | double the consonant | sit → sitting, begin → beginning |
| -ie | -ie becomes -y | lie → lying, die → dying |
| -ee, -oe | keep the e | see → seeing, agree → agreeing |
Examples
Taken from the 450 sentences in this drill. The answer is highlighted.
- They are having their breakfast in the kitchen.
- Max and Lily are playing in the garden right now.
- She is playing her guitar beautifully.
- Sarah is going to the park with her friends.
- The students are listening to the teacher in class.
- She is doing her homework at the moment.
- They are cooking lunch at the moment.
- They are going to the mountains for a vacation.
- The cat is sleeping under the table right now.
- The children are watching cartoons on TV right now.
- They are taking their dog for a walk right now.
- Sarah is reading a book right now.
Mistakes to avoid
Wrong: He is writting a letter. correct: He is writing a letter.
Write ends in a silent -e, which drops. The t does not double.
Wrong: The team are winning. correct: The team is winning.
A group word counts as one thing, so it takes is.