Present Continuous Tense Rules in English!
Present continuous tense is a tense that denotes an action at present and expresses something continuous.
Check: All 12 tenses notes
Affirmative Sentences
- Soon after the subject, Put the helping verb is, am, are according to the subject.
- Then secondly, use the continuous form of verb with ‘ing’.
- With he, she, it, or singular noun use ‘is’ and with they, we, you, use the helping verb, ‘are’. Use ‘am’ with subject ‘I’.
Rules: Subject + Helping verb + Basic form of verb with ing + object.
Formula:
| Subject | + | Helping verb | + | basic form of verb +ing | + | Object |
| You | + | are | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| Singular Noun | + | is | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| They | + | are | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| We | + | are | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| I | + | am | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| It | + | is | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| She | + | is | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| He | + | is | + | knitting | + | sweater |
Present Continuous Examples (Affirmative sentences)
- You are learning English.
- Birds are chirping in the air.
- Children are playing in the garden
- Jan is swimming.
- We are watching the news on T.V.
- He is playing hockey.
- I am playing hockey.
- We are playing hockey.
- He is writing a letter.
- He is impressing them.
- She is knitting the sweater.
- They are weaving the blanket.
Present Continuous Examples image – 1
Negative Sentences
In negative sentences of this tense, put ‘not’ after the suitable helping verb and then first form of verb with ing.
Rules: Subject + Helping verb + not + Basic form of verb with ing + object.
Formula:
| Subject | + | Helping verb | + | not | + | Basic form of verb + ing | + | Object |
| You | + | are | + | not | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| Singular Noun | + | is | + | not | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| They | + | are | + | not | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| We | + | are | + | not | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| I | + | am | + | not | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| It | + | is | + | not | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| She | + | is | + | not | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| He | + | is | + | not | + | knitting | + | sweater |
Present Continuous Examples (Negative sentences)
- I am not standing.
- Jan is not reading a book.
- Jan is not doing the homework.
- Tailor is not sewing the clothes.
- Ali is not plucking the flower in the garden.
- Boys are not plucking flowers.
- I am not teasing them.
- I am not diverting the children.
- I am not boiling the eggs.
- The carpenters are not making the furniture.
Present Continuous Tense Rules – 2
Interrogative sentences
- In these sentences put the helping verb is, am, are at the start of the sentence before the subject.
- Then the first form of the verb with ing is used. At the end of the statement, use the interrogative mark (?).
Rules: Helping verb + Subject + Basic form of verb with ing + object.
Formula:
| Helping verb | + | Subject | + | Basic form of verb+ing | + | Object |
| You | + | are | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| Singular Noun | + | is | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| They | + | are | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| We | + | are | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| I | + | am | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| It | + | is | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| She | + | is | + | knitting | + | sweater |
| He | + | is | + | knitting | + | sweater |
Present Continuous Examples (Interrogative sentence)
- Are you going to school regularly?
- Are the children playing football?
- Is he taking a bath?
- Are hens laying eggs?
- Is he knocking at the door?
- Are they convincing him?
- Am I diverting the children?
- Are they teasing the servant?
- Am I watching the plants?
- Is Ali not lulling the child?
- Are we sowing the rice?
Check: Present Indefinite Tense
Present Continuous Tense Rules in English – 3
Download Present Continuous Tense Rules in English
