Present Continuous — Introduction and Verb Forms
Understand the time relationship and choose the required verb form.
Introduction
Describe an action in progress now, a temporary activity around now, or a planned arrangement with clear future context.
When and why
Happening now: Dad is cooking.
Temporary situation: I am staying with my aunt this week.
Arrangement: We are meeting Maya tomorrow.
Formula
Subject + am/is/are + V4
Required verb form
V4 — I → am; he/she/it/singular → is; you/we/they/plural → are.
Examples
She is reading a book now.
She is not reading a newspaper.
V1 to V4 spelling
Usually add -ing: play → playing, eat → eating, read → reading. Drop silent -e: make → making, write → writing. Double the final consonant in short stressed consonant-vowel-consonant verbs: run → running, sit → sitting. Change -ie to -y: lie → lying.
Ask WH questions in this tense
WH + am/is/are + subject + V4 ...?
What is Evan doing?
Where is Dad going?
Choose what, where, when, why, which, whose or how for the information needed. How many asks about countable quantities; how much about amounts; how often about frequency; how long about duration. A subject question can keep normal order: Who works here? Do not add do just because a WH word appears.
Find and correct errors
Read the context, identify the verb phrase and check the required form. Try the correction activities below. A wrong attempt gives a hint; stronger hints follow, and an example is available only on request after repeated attempts.
Learn this tense, then use it
- Introduction, concept and use
- Formula and required verb form
- Positive and negative sentences
- Yes/no and WH questions
- Uses and time expressions
- Common mistakes and correction practice below
- MCQ practice, picture sentences and scenario writing
- Guided paragraph and topic test
Read the existing lessons for each part
Formula: Subject + am/is/are + V4
Verb form: V4
Use this rule: write and correct
Try first. Hints become more specific after each attempt. Your attempts and corrections are saved with your existing writing progress.
A quick check
A wrong answer is a chance to learn. Use the hint and try again.