In daily conversations and IELTS preparation, you will certainly come across the Present Continuous tense. But have you fully mastered its definition and usage? This article will help you review the key grammar rules of the Present Continuous tense. Don’t forget to test your understanding with the exercises and answer key provided.
1. What is the Present Continuous Tense?
The Present Continuous tense is used to describe actions or events happening right now or around the moment of speaking. These actions are still in progress and have not yet been completed.
Examples:
The band is playing live in Birmingham tonight.
The nurse is coming to give you an injection.
Would someone please tell me what is going on?
2. Structure of the Present Continuous Tense
To use the Present Continuous tense correctly, you need to be familiar with its structure in different sentence forms: affirmative, negative, and interrogative.
Sentence Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
Affirmative | Subject + am/is/are + V-ing | The city is planning to build a municipal library. |
Negative | Subject + am/is/are + not + V-ing | Those employees are not talking about the new project. |
Yes/No Question | Am/Is/Are + Subject + V-ing? | Are you ready to order, Madam? Yes, I am. / No, I am not. |
WH- Question | WH-word + am/is/are + Subject + V-ing? | What is he studying right now? |
3. Signal Words for the Present Continuous Tense
To identify the Present Continuous tense, look for the following time expressions and verbs in the sentence:
Time Expressions:
now
right now
at the moment
at present
It is + specific time + now
Examples:
I am going now, she said, fastening her coat.
Can you give us a summary of what you are doing now?
Adverbs of high frequency:
always
usually
constantly
all the time
Phrases indicating a time around now:
these days
this month
this week
Short imperative phrases drawing attention:
Look
Watch
Listen
Keep silent
Watch out
Example: Watch out The train is coming
4. Uses of the Present Continuous Tense
Use the Present Continuous tense in the following cases:
Usage | Example |
To describe actions happening at the moment of speaking | The house is being built at the moment. |
To describe actions in progress around the time of speaking | He is reading Gone with the Wind. Tom is looking for a job. |
To talk about planned future actions or scheduled events | Mr Samuels is flying to Detroit to sign the contract. |
To express annoyance about repeated actions (with adverbs like always, continually) | She is always going to work late. |
5. How to Form the V-ing in the Present Continuous Tense
Key rules to note when adding -ing to a verb:
If the verb ends in "e": Drop the "e" and add "ing"
leave → leaving
ride → riding
come → coming Note: Do not drop the "e" if the verb ends in "ee"
see → seeing
If the verb ends in "ie": Change "ie" to "y" and add "ing"
lie → lying
die → dying
If the verb has one syllable, ends in a consonant, and has a vowel before it: Double the final consonant and add "ing"
stop → stopping
get → getting
put → putting
Common exceptions to remember:
beg → begging
begin → beginning
travel → travelling
prefer → preferring
permit → permitting
6. Present Continuous Tense Exercises
Exercise 1: Conjugate the verb in Present Continuous
My aunt ……………… (buy) some fruits at the flea market.
Nhung ……………… (not study) French in her room. She is at coffee with her classmates.
……………… (she, run) in the stadium?
My cat ……………… (eat) now.
What ……………… (you, wait) for?
Their competitors ……………… (not try) hard enough in the competition.
All of Linda’s friends ……………… (have) fun at the concert right now.
My friend ……………… (travel) around Korea now.
My little sister ……………… (drink) juice.
Listen Our teacher ……………… (speak).
Exercise 2: Arrange the words to make correct sentences
are / my parents / reading / at the moment / newspapers
singing karaoke / at night / our neighbor / constantly / is
the students / doing / what / are / at the moment
visiting / us / is / this Friday / my sister
our apple tree / climbing up / that girl / is
a lot / these days / is speaking / that quiet guy
is watching / this month / our dad / an interesting series
Exercise 3: Complete the sentences using the given verbs (conjugate if necessary)
start get increase change rise
The population of the world ……………… very fast.
The world ……………… Things never stay the same.
The situation is already bad and it ……………… worse.
The cost of living ……………… Every year things are more expensive.
It ……………… to rain outside. Let us head indoors.
Answer Key
Exercise 1:
is buying
is not studying
Is she running
is eating
are you waiting
are not trying
are having
is traveling
is drinking
is speaking
Exercise 2:
My parents are reading newspapers at the moment.
Our neighbor is constantly singing karaoke at night.
What are the students doing at the moment?
My sister is visiting us this Friday.
That girl is climbing up our apple tree.
That quiet guy is speaking a lot these days.
Our dad is watching an interesting series this month.
Exercise 3:
is increasing
is changing
is getting
is rising
is starting
Master the Present Continuous Tense with IDP
We hope this guide has helped you understand the Present Continuous tense clearly. Mastering basic grammar points will not only boost your confidence in daily communication but also help you earn a higher score in the IELTS test.
In the IELTS exam, your English skills are scored from 0 to 9. Understanding the IELTS band descriptors and marking criteria can help you focus on areas that examiners are looking for. Once you choose your preferred test format, explore available IDP test centers and flexible weekly test dates.
And when you are ready, register for your IELTS test with IDP today.