Lesson 5 · Stage 1: The basics
Present continuous
BeginnerForm & use
am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now
1.Form
The present continuous = am / is / are + verb-ing.
| Subject | Affirmative | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | I'm working | I'm not working | Am I working? |
| he / she / it | she's working | she isn't working | Is she working? |
| we / you / they | they're working | they aren't working | Are they working? |
With a question word: What are you doing? Why is he laughing? Short answers: Yes, I am. / No, she isn't.
2.Adding -ing
| Case | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| most verbs | + ing | read → reading, play → playing |
| ends in a silent e | drop e + ing | make → making, write → writing (but see → seeing, be → being) |
| 1 vowel + 1 consonant, stress at the end | double the consonant | sit → sitting, run → running, swim → swimming, begin → beginning |
| stress not on the last syllable | don't double | visit → visiting, open → opening, listen → listening |
| ends in ie | ie → y + ing | lie → lying, die → dying, tie → tying |
Never double w, x or y: snow → snowing, fix → fixing, stay → staying.
3.When to use it
1. Something happening right now, as you speak — often with now, right now, at the moment, Look!, Listen!
Shh! The baby is sleeping.
Look! It's raining again.
I can't talk now. I'm driving.
2. Something in progress around now — started but not finished, even if you aren't doing it at this exact moment.
I'm reading a great book about Japan.
Lan is learning Korean because she wants to work in Seoul.
3. Temporary situations — often with today, this week, this month, these days
I'm staying with my cousin until I find an apartment.
You're working really hard this week.
4. Changes in progress — with get, become, change, improve, increase, grow, rise, fall…
Your English is getting better.
Prices are rising every month.
The present continuous is also used for arranged plans in the future (I'm meeting Nam tomorrow) — see the lesson “Present continuous for the future”.
4.Verbs rarely used with -ing
Some verbs describe a state, not an action — know, want, like, need, understand, believe, own — and are not usually used in the continuous, even about right now: I know the answer (not I'm knowing). The next lesson covers this in detail.
5.Common mistakes
She cooking dinner now.She's cooking dinner now.
be is missing.
I am work now.I'm working now.
be needs -ing after it.
Are you understand?Do you understand?
understand is a state verb → present simple.
They are swiming.They are swimming.
Double the m.
He's makeing tea.He's making tea.
Drop the silent e.
Examples
- Please be quiet! The baby is sleeping in the next room.
- Look outside! It is raining again.
- She isn't working today because she's ill.
- Shh! Grandpa is lying down on the sofa.
