PRESENT CONTINUOUS

FORM
TO BE + VERB-ING
• I am listening • I’m not listening
• You are listening • You aren’t listening
• He is listening • He isn’t listening
• She is listening • She isn’t listening
• It is listening • It isn’t listening
• We are listening • We aren’t listening
• They are listening • They aren’t listening
 QUESTION FORM
• Are you listening? • Are they listening?
• Yes, I am. • Yes, they are.
• No, I’m not. • No, they aren’t.

• Is he listening? • They aren’t listening.

• Yes, he is. • Aren’t they listening?
• No, he isn’t. • Are they not listening?
 USE
• Present continuous is used for actions in progress at the moment of speaking.
• E.g. I am writing an e-mail now/at the moment.

• It is used for temporary actions.

• E.g. They are repairing our office.

• For future arrangements.

• E.g. I am meeting Susie in the museum tomorrow afternoon.
 SPELLING
• Ing is added without any change.
• Listen – listening
• Ing is added after removing ‘e’.
• Come – coming
• Last consonant doubles if a word has one syllable, vowel is short and followed by a
consonant.
• Stop – stopping, plan - planning
• Y at the end is not omitted.
• Study - studying
 ACTION AND NON-ACTION
VERBS
• Action verbs are used in both simple and continuous tenses, while non-action ones are
only used in simple tenses. They do not have continuous forms.
• I make coffee / I am making coffee.
 BOTH ACTION AND NON-ACTION
VERBS
• Have
• I have a car (non-action = possess)
• I am having breakfast (action = eating)
• I am having a shower (action = taking)

• Think
• I think gray suits you more (non-action = believe)
• I am thinking of buying a new flat (action = consider)