1.2 Present Continuous Tense/ Form & Use:

Forms

[am/is/are + present participle]

Examples:

Positive	Negative	Question
I am speaking. You are speaking. We are speaking. They are speaking. He is speaking. She is speaking. It is speaking.	I am not speaking. You are not speaking. We are not speaking. They are not speaking. He is not speaking. She is not speaking. It is not speaking.	Am I speaking? Are you speaking? Are we speaking? Are they speaking? Is he speaking? Is she speaking? Is it speaking?

USE 1 Actions happening at the time of speaking:

Use the Present Continuous with Normal Verbs to express an action happening at the moment of speaking; it means right now. It can also be used to show that something is not happening now.

Examples:

• We are learning English now.
• They are not swimming at the moment.
• Hey, Are you sleeping?
• I am sitting and watching TV right now.
• Look! I am not standing.
• Guess! Is he sitting or standing?
• They are reading their books.
• They are not watching television.
• What are you doing? I'm doing the laundry.
• Why aren't you doing your homework? I'm helping my mum.

USE 2 Actions happening around the time of speaking:

Sometimes, we use the Present Continuous to say that we are in the process of doing a longer action which is in progress and hasn't finished yet; however, we might not be doing it at this exact moment of speaking.

Examples:

• I am studying to become a doctor this year, but now I'm watching TV.
• I am still reading the book "Tom Sawyer", but at this exact moment I'm surfing on the net.
• I am not reading any books these days, but I'm in the classroom right now.
• Are you working on any special projects at work this month?
• Aren't you teaching at the university at present?

Continue with the excercises (click below)

EXERCISE 1

EXERCISE 2 (mixed)