Present Continuous Tense Rules & Examples (Present Progressive Tense)

Present Continuous Tense Rules and Examples (Present Progressive Tense), Learn Present Continuous Tense in detail with examples and exercises. This tense is also called Present Progressive Tense. Find the examples and exercises. Let’s observe the examples given below:

What is Present Continuous Tense?

The present continuous tense is used to talk about the actions happening in front of our eyes in the present. Examples:

He is learning French.
The girls are singing now.
I am opening my shop at the moment.
They are driving fast now.
She is playing with her son now.

Explanation: In the above sentences, the actions are taking place at the moment. It means that the present continuous tense shows an ongoing action in the present.

In this post, you read the present continuous tense rules and examples.

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Present Continuous Tense Rules and Examples

Present Continuous Tense shows that an action is taking place at the time of speaking. It also expresses the future time. We use the present continuous tense to talk about;

An action happening now
Action in the future

Examples:

He is eating his lunch.
You are drinking water now.
He is going to Delhi tomorrow.

In the above examples, the action is happening now. So here is the Present Continuous Tense.

Examples of Present Continuous Tense

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
I am playing.	I am not playing.	Am I playing?
We are playing.	We are not playing.	Are we playing?
You are playing.	You are not playing.	Are you playing?
He/She/It is playing.	He/She/It is not playing.	Is He/She/It playing?
They are playing.	They are not playing.	Are they playing?

Let’s learn how to make and use this tense. Here is a sentence structure of simple statements.

Structure – Subject + is/am/are + verb I + ing + object + other words

Helping Verb – is, am, are

Main Verb – Verb I + ing

Present Continuous Tense Rules

1. We use ‘is‘ with the singular subjects or nouns; He is, She is, It is, Ram is, The boy is, The girl is.

2. ‘Am’ is used with ‘I.

3. We use ‘are‘ with the plural subjects or nouns; You are, We are, They are, The boys are, The girls are.

4. In the Negative Sentences, we put ‘not’ after is, am, and are. (is not, am not, are not)

Rules for adding –ing

1. If there are consonants and e, drop the ‘e’ and add -ing.

Examples – Dance – Dancing, Rise – Rising

2. If there are one vowel and one consonant, double the consonant, and add – ing

Examples – Put – Putting, Cut – Cutting, Set – Setting

Note – Do not double w, y, and x – Pay – Paying, Snow – Snowing

3. If there are two vowels and one consonant, add –ing; do not double the consonant.

Examples – Keep – Keeping, Read – Reading

4. If there are two consonants, add –ing; do not double the consonant.

Examples – Ring – Ringing, Wash – Washing

Simple/Affirmative Sentences

Structure: Subject + is/am/are + verb I + ing + object + other words

Examples:

He is running now.
She is laughing at the moment.
It is raining now.
Rakesh is Going to the USA the next week.
I am learning English.
You are playing the match at the present.
We are helping the poor.
They are celebrating the festival.
The boys are making noise.
We are travelling by train.

Negative Sentences

To make a negative sentence of the Present Continuous Tense, we put ‘not’ after is/am/are.

Structure: Subject + is/am/are + verb I + ing + object + other words

Examples –

He is not working here.
She is not playing in the field.
It is not raining.
I am helping him.
You are working hard.
We are singing now.
They are flying the kite.
The boys are making a noise there.

Other Negative Forms –

He is doing nothing.
Nobody is waiting for me.
No one is standing there.

Interrogative Sentences

There are two type of Interrogative Sentences. The sentence structure for both of them given below:

Yes-No Type Questions

Structure: Is/am/are + subject + verb I + ing + object + other words +?

Examples –

Is he learning Spanish?
Is she jumping on the road?
Is it raining today?
Am I working with you?
Are you going to Agra?
Are they searching for your books?
Are we joining the team?
Are the girls dancing with the boys?

Wh-words Questions

Structure: Question word + is/am/are + subject + verb I + ing + object + other words +?

Examples:

Where is he sleeping?
What are you cooking today?
Whom are you inviting to the birthday party?
Which car are you buying?
How much money are you going to spend?
What is he doing now?

Interrogative Negative Sentences

To form Interrogative Negative Sentences, we put ‘not’ after subject.

Examples –

Is he not doing well?
Are you not doing your job?
Am I not teaching you?
Who is not working properly?
Why aren’t you coming today?
Whose son is not coming?

Use of Present Continuous Tense

The Present Continuous Tense is used to express the following:

To express an action which is going on at the time of speaking.

Examples:

She is dancing now.
The girls are singing a song.
The players are running on the field.
We are having lunch.
John is laughing.
Your mother cooking the food in the kitchen.
They are taking a bath.

It also expresses a habit or custom.

Examples:

You are attending school very regularly these days.
He is going to the office on time nowadays.

To express a temporary action

Examples:

I am reading the Ramayana.
She is living in a flat.
Your brother is studying French these days.
The girl is working at Samsung.

To express fixed program/event of nearest future.

Examples:

The prime minister is going to Bhopal next week.
I am going home today.
She is buying a new car tomorrow.
My dad is leaving for the USA at 5 p.m.
My friend is singing today.

To express likelihood and intention

Examples:

She is going to see the Taj Mahal.
Jack is going to die.
Time Expressing Adverbs are used in this tense
He is studying at the moment.
I am singing now.
He is painting the walls right now.
The teacher is coming this morning.

Don’t use Stative Verbs (Mental Verbs)

Some Verbs (Mental Verbs) are not used in the Present Continuous Tense

See, hear, smell, notice, recognize (Perception)
appear, look, seem (Appearing)
want, prefer, refuse, hate, wish, desire, feel, like, love (emotion)
think, suppose, believe, agree, consider, mind, mean, imagine, understand, know, forget, remember, trust (thinking)
own, possess, belong to, contain, consist of, be (have)

Note – These verbs are used in the Simple Present Tense.

Examples:

~~I am liking you.~~
I like you.

~~He is knowing you.~~
He knows you.

~~I am feeling it is true.~~
I feel it is true.

~~He is having a TV.~~
He has a TV.

~~You are seeming happy.~~
You seem happy.

~~This bottle is containing water.~~
This bottle contains water.