In English we use the present continuous tense to talk about things that are happening right now or around now, for temporary situations and to describe changes. Another reason to use present continuous is for definite future arrangements. We usually know exactly when the arrangements are happening and they are often the type of arrangements we can write in a diary. There is a suggestion that more than one person is aware of the event, and that some preparation has already happened. In English we often use time phrases such as now, at the moment, at this time, currently, today and this week with the present continuous.
Notes for use of present continuous :
It is not possible to use state verbs in continuous forms. State verbs are generally those which relate to thoughts, senses, emotions, relationships, states of being and measurements such as like, love, hate, own, know, contain, believe and understand. Only action verbs can be used in the present continuous.
Generally, we take the infinitive of the verb and simply add '-ing' to make the continuous form. For example;
work --> working
go --> going
cook --> cooking
study --> studying
listen --> listening
If the verb ends in 'e', we drop the 'e' before adding '-ing'. For example;
come --> coming
take --> taking
phone --> phoning
If the verb ends in a vowel + consonant, we double the last consonant. For example;
swim --> swimming
sit --> sitting
plan --> planning
If the verb has more than one syllable, we double the consonant at the end only if the last syllable is stressed. For example;
prefer --> preferring
begin --> beginning
regret --> regretting
If the last syllable of a verb is not stressed, we do not double the last consonant. For example;
visit --> visiting
happen --> happening
develop --> developing
In British English, verbs ending in 'l' double the 'l' before '-ing' whether the last syllable is stressed or not. For example;
travel --> travelling
cancel --> cancelling
If the verb ends in a 'y' or a 'w', we do not double it when we add '-ing'. For example;
stay --> staying
play --> playing
sew --> sewing
We do not double the consonant if the verb has two vowels before the last consonant. For example;
boil --> boiling
explain --> explaining
In English we also do not double the consonant if the verb ends in two consonants. For example;
help --> helping
start --> starting
The table below shows the different forms of present continuous :
Example Verb : Go | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
Positive | I'm going ... | ...'re going ... | ...'s going ... |
Negative | I'm not going ... | ... aren't going ... | ... isn't going ... |
Questions | Am I going ...? | Are ... going ...? | Is ... going ...? |
Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Continuous Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Continuous:
Negative Examples of Present Continuous :
Question Examples of Present Continuous :
In English we also use the present continuous with 'always' to indicate the action we are describing is annoying for us because it is done too often.
Examples of Present Continuous with Always:
Present continuous example sentences | |
---|---|
No, it's just me, living here on my own. | No, solo io, vivo qui da sola. |
What!? Why is he doing that? | Cosa!? Perché lo fa? |
But for now, I'm just looking for places around 600-ish. | Ma per ora, cerco posti attorno a 600 circa. |
Yes, that's what I am asking! | Sì, è quello che sto chiedendo! |
Needless to say, I'm joking. | Ovviamente, sto scherzando. |
Saying my father's illness is getting worse. | Dice che la malattia di mio padre sta peggiorando. |
Are you going somewhere else or home? | Andate da qualche parte o a casa? |
Why are you smiling? Does it mean I'm taking you out for dinner? | Perché sorridi? Significa che ti porto fuori a cena? |
What old lady are you talking about? | Di che vecchia signora parli? |
Girls, we are planning on getting something to eat from the shop. | Ragazze, noi vogliamo prendere qualcosa da mangiare dal negozio. |
She's just bullsh*tting! | Ha solo sparato stro*zate! |
The old lady's curse is following you, dear! | La maledizione della vecchia signora ti segue, cara! |
They are both older than me and living in Australia. | Sono entrambi più grandi di me e vivono in Australia. |
Why are you trying to use wife in a sentence? | Perché cerchi di usare moglie nelle frasi? |
But there is no oven or a stove, are they coming soon? | Ma non c’è il forno e il fornello, stanno per arrivare? |
How are you searching? | Come stai cercando? |
We are meeting the boys at the Japanese restaurant. | Ci vediamo con i ragazzi al ristorante giapponese. |
Anyway, are you planning on living here with your girlfriend? | Ad ogni modo, ha in programma di vivere qui con la tua ragazza? |
Okay, since we are moving my desk back to the window side... | Ok, dato che stiamo spostando nuovamente la mia scrivania dalla finestra… |
Are you trying to protect her now? | Stai cercando di proteggerla adesso? |