Present Continuous

For affirmative sentences in the present continuous, we use the subject plus an auxiliary verb, which is the verb to be (I am, you are, he is, she is, it is, we are, you are, they are). The verb to be is always in agreement with the subject. After that, we write the main verb, which is the verb containing the key meaning of the sentence. But remember! The main verb always has an -ing ending in continuous tenses. There are spelling rules for verbs ending in -ing and you need to learn them by heart to have a good spelling.



For negations, we use not after the ausiliary verb, that is, the verb to be. There is a long form (am not, are not and is not) and short form ('m not, isn't, and aren't). Then, we put the verb with the -ing suffix. Now you might be thinking... what about questions? For questions we put the verb to be at the beginning of the sentence, always before the subject. After the subject, we put the verb ending in -ing.



We use the present continuous to talk about something that is happening now, at the moment of speaking. For example, now I'm telling you about the uses of the present continuous and you are checking a blog and listening to me. We also use the present continuous for something that is happening temporarily. For example, Kate is learning drums this year. It means that she's been going to classes from the start of the year and she's still taking lessons. After all this, you can start your exercises to check if your understanding of the present continuous is right. Ready? Read the activities below.




Choose the right answer for each case. Pay attention to grammar and capital letters.