Present Continous

Cristina Higueras Gimeno – 1 ESO

Use
• To talk about thing that are happening at the moment of speaking

Ex: I am finishing my homework now

• This can be translated in Spanish as “estoy haciendo”

Ex: I am finishing my homework now  Estoy terminando los deberes ahora
Affirmative form
Sujeto + verb TO BE + verb –ING

I AM LOOKING
HE/SHE/IT IS LOOKING
WE/YOU/THEY ARE LOOKING
Negative form
Sujeto + verb TO BE + not + verb –ING

I AM (not) LOOKING
HE/SHE/IT IS (not) / ISN’T LOOKING
WE/YOU/THEY ARE (not) / AREN’T LOOKING
Interrogative form
verb TO BE + Sujeto + not + verb –ING

AM I LOOKING ?
IS HE/SHE/IT LOOKING ?
ARE WE/YOU/THEY LOOKING ?

Short answer
Yes, I am / No, I am not
Yes, she/he/it is / No, she/he/it is not / isn’t
Yes, we/you/they are / No, we/you/they are not / aren’t
⚠Exceptions!!! Be careful!!!⚠
-Pay attention to the spelling rules for adding –ing to the verb form of the
Present Continuous:
-Verbs ending with a silent –e, drop the e:

liveliving dance  dancing

-Verbs ending in ie, change the ie to y:

lie  lying die dying

Time expressions
-Present Continous talks about what we are doing at that moment:

now, right now, at the moment, at the present, this week, this year, this
summer, these days, today.
Present continous vs. Present Simple
Present Simple: We use Present Simple to talk about routines and habits.

The train leaves at three

I practice tennis once a week.

Present continous: We use Present continous to talk about what is happening at the
moment.

We are having fun with this film.

I can’t go out, I’m doing my homework now.

Example with both tenses: They usually meet at the sports centre, but today they’re meeting
at the library.
Note!
-We don’t normally use Present Continuous in stative verbs for example:

Like, wishes, love, like, hate, want, prefer

feelings and
emotions
Thinking and Think, rember, know, understand, know,
opinions understand, believe, look, need, seem,
Senses See, hear, smell, taste, feel
Possession Have, own
Measurements Cost, equal, measure, weigh