The Present Continuous Tense

The present continuous tense is what English speakers use to talk about what is happening right now. It is very common to use this tense in speaking, and you will hear it all the time. Here are some examples:

“After all, I am telling you the truth.” (John 8:46)
“…and right now he is talking with you.” (John 9:37)
Jesus is also the one who has given the Spirit to us, and this is what you are now seeing and hearing. (Acts 2:33)

“Am telling,” “is talking,” “are…seeing,” and “are…hearing” are all used in the present continuous tense. These things are happening in the present moment. You can even see that in two of the examples, the word “now” is used to emphasize that this is the present moment.

The Present Continuous Is a Compound Verb

You need two words to make the present continuous tense, so it is called a “compound verb.” To make the present continuous tense, we need a helping verb and an action verb:

1. the helping verb is the simple present of the verb “to be” – am, is, or are

2. the action verb you want to use, with “-ing” on the end

Remember that the verb “to be” is very irregular, and it changes for each subject in the present tense:

I am
you are
he/she/it is
we are
they are

Let’s make each of these examples into a compound verb, in the present continuous tense:

I am cooking dinner now.
You are reading this lesson.
He is working now, but he will be home soon.
We are listening carefully.
They are watching the children play.

Using the Present Continuous to Talk About the Future

People will sometimes use the present continuous to talk about things that will happen in the future, if they refer to plans or events. Here are some examples:

Martha is leaving for her vacation next Friday.

Peter is starting his new job next week.

Since these sentences are both facts, you can also use the present simple.

Martha leaves for her vacation next Friday.
Peter starts his new job next week.

And since both of these events happen in the future, you can also use the future tense!

Martha will leave for her vacation next Friday.
Peter will start his new job next week.

You will hear English speakers use any of these verb tenses to describe an event that will happen in the future. When you are speaking, just use the tense that you feel most comfortable with.

Asking Questions With Present Continuous

It’s very easy to ask a question with the present continuous. Just put the subject between the helping verb and the action verb. It is very common to start a question in the present continuous with a question word – who, what, where, when, why, or how. Here are some examples:

I am telling you the truth.
Am I telling you the truth?

He is talking with you.
Is he talking with you?

How are you doing today?

You are staring at us.
Why are you staring at us? (Acts 3:12)

This man is standing here completely well because of the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. (Acts 4:10)
Why is this man standing here completely well? Because of the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth.

Since the present continuous is a compound verb that always uses a form of “to be” as a helping verb, you don’t need the helping verb “do” when you ask a question.

Making Negative Sentences With the Present Continuous

It’s also very easy to make a negative sentence with the present continuous. Just add the word “not” after the helping verb.

I am telling you the truth.
I am not telling you the truth.

He is talking with you.
He is not talking with you.

She is sleeping right now.
She is not sleeping right now.

We are delivering food right now.
We are not delivering food right now.

And again, since this compound verb contains the helping verb “is, am, or are,” you don’t need to use the helping verbs “do” or “does” when you ask a question with the present continuous.

Contractions

English speakers will also make contractions out of these verbs. You can, too. But you don’t have to. You will be understood easily if you choose to pronounce each word completely.

He‘s talking with you.
She‘s sleeping right now.
We‘re delivering food right now.

Make a contraction in a negative sentence by combining the subject and the helping verb “to be.”

I‘m not talking with you.
She‘s not sleeping right now.
We‘re not delivering food right now.
They‘re not waiting any more.

Except for the first person singular, you could also make a contraction with the helping verb and the word “not.” They both mean the same thing, and you can use whichever method you prefer.

She isn’t sleeping right now.
We aren’t delivering food right now.
They aren’t waiting any more.

Stative Verbs in the Present Continuous

We don’t usually use the present continuous with “stative verbs.” This is a very common mistake made by English learners.

A “stative verb” is not an action verb. It is a verb that describes the “state” or condition of something. Here is a list with some of the most common stative verbs:

Verbs that talk about thinking and feeling
believe, like, love, hate, know, prefer, doubt, remember, think, understand, want, wish
Verbs used with the five senses
feel, hear, appear, smell, sound, taste, seem, look
Verbs that talk about how you relate to others
agree, disagree, owe, need, be, belong, possess

With these verbs, you should just use the present simple tense. Remember that with the present simple tense, you WILL need the helping verbs “do” or “does” in a question or a negative sentence with all verbs except “to be.”

Here are some examples:

Wrong – I am believing in Jesus.
Correct – I believe in Jesus.

Wrong – This casserole isn’t tasting good.
Correct – This casserole doesn’t taste good.

Wrong – Are you agreeing with me?
Correct – Do you agree with me?

Of course, as with all grammar rules, there are exceptions and common expressions. You might hear native speakers using stative verbs in the present continuous tense. You might hear:

I’m loving this new cell phone. (This new cell phone is both amazing and fantantic!)
Are you hearing me? (Please stop what you are doing and listen to me!)
We aren’t thinking about that. (No, never even considered doing that.)

The best thing to do is listen to native speakers! If they use a stative verb in the present continuous tense, it probably means that it is a common expression. Try to understand the context and what the speaker is trying to say. Then, you can use it in the same way.

Other -ing Verb Forms

When you see a verb in the “-ing” form, it is not always being used as part of a continuous tense. Don’t be confused! An “-ing” verb may be working as another part of speech, such as a noun or an adjective. We’ll talk more about these other forms in future lessons. Just remember that when you see a verb in the present continuous form, there will ALWAYS be a helping verb with it – “am,” “is,” or “are.”

Present Continuous Worksheet

Here’s a short exercise you can do. Download this PDF worksheet and answer sheet. You will see ten sentences in the present continuous tense. First, change each sentence into a question. Then, make each sentence into a negative sentence. When you are done, look at the second page and see if you are correct!
(If you can’t download the PDF, try Google Chrome or a different browser. If it still doesn’t work for you, send me a message!)

The Next Present Tense - Present Perfect

The present continuous is used “continuously” by English speakers to describe what they are doing at the moment. With time, as you hear it and use it, it will become very natural to you. In the next lesson, we’ll look at a the present tense that makes many English learners nervous – the present perfect. Not to worry! We’ll discuss how to make it and when to use it. See you in the next lesson! (coming soon)