Level: beginner
The present continuous is made from the present tense of the verb be and the –ing form of a verb:
| I am | working |
| You are | playing |
| He is | talking |
| She is | living |
| It is | eating |
| We are | staying |
| They are | sleeping |
We use the present continuous to talk about:
- activities at the moment of speaking:
I'm just leaving work. I'll be home in an hour.
Please be quiet. The children are sleeping.
- Present continuous 1
- Present continuous 2
- future plans or arrangements:
Mary is going to a new school next term.
What are you doing next week?
- Present continuous 3
-
Plans for next month
2nd (Sat.) – my birthday. Party!
4th – day off
10th (Sun.) – flight OS462 15.40
11th, 12th, 13th – conference, Vienna
15th – dentist 3 p.m.
22nd – Mum & Dad arrive, evening
23rd – Toni's Restaurant (make reservation!)
25th – Mum & Dad > home
29th – payday - Present continuous 4
Present continuous questions
We make questions by putting am, is or are in front of the subject:
Are you listening?
Are they coming to your party?
When is she going home?
What am I doing here?
- Present continuous questions 1
- Present continuous questions 2
Present continuous negatives
We make negatives by putting not (or n't) after am, is or are:
I'm not doing that.
You aren't listening. (or You're not listening.)
They aren't coming to the party. (or They're not coming to the party.)
She isn't going home until Monday. (or She's not going home until Monday.)
- Present continuous negatives 1
- Present continuous negatives 2
Stative verbs
We do not normally use the continuous with stative verbs. Stative verbs include:
- verbs of thinking and feeling:
| believe dislike know like |
love hate prefer realise |
recognise remember suppose think (= believe) |
understand want wish |
- verbs of the senses:
| appear feel |
look seem |
smell sound |
taste |
- others:
| agree be |
belong disagree |
need owe |
own possess |
We normally use the simple instead:
I understand you. (NOT I
am understandingyou.)
This cake tastes wonderful. (NOT This cakeis tastingwonderful.)
Level: intermediate
We also use the present continuous to talk about:
- something which is happening before and after a specific time:
At eight o'clock we are usually having breakfast.
When I get home the children are doing their homework.
- something which we think is temporary:
Michael is at university. He's studying history.
I'm working in London for the next two weeks.
- something which is new and contrasts with a previous state:
These days most people are using email instead of writing letters.
What sort of clothes are teenagers wearing nowadays?
What sort of music are they listening to?
- something which is changing, growing or developing:
The children are growing up quickly.
The climate is changing rapidly.
Your English is improving.
- something which happens again and again:
It's always raining in London.
They are always arguing.
George is great. He's always laughing.
Note that we normally use always with this use.
- Present continuous 5
Level: advanced
We can use the present continuous to talk about the past when we are:
- telling a story:
The other day I'm just walking down the street when suddenly this man comes up to me and asks me to lend him some money. Well, he's carrying a big stick and he looks a bit dangerous, so I'm wondering what to do …
- summarising a book, film or play:
Harry Potter is a pupil at Hogwarts school. One day when he is playing Quidditch he sees a strange object in the sky. He wonders what is happening …
Hello melvinthio,
Re: 1, yes that is correct -- you can use the present continuous in this way. Teachers often refer to plans involving another person as a way of showing there's some kind of commitment, but as you've guessed, it's not absolutely necessary. If you use the present continuous here, it suggests a firm plan.
Re: 2, it sounds a little odd to me to use 'be going to' in a), but I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say it's wrong. I'd probably use present simple for the first verb and present continuous for the following; the first talks about a calendar event and the continuous form speaks about a development I suppose. 'be going to' sounds very odd in b) to me; again, I'd probably use present continuous here, to express developing changes.
Re: 3, it would sound odd to use 'will' in these sentences, though 'will be turning' in a) would work if you're thinking about what the experience of having a birthday that day might be like.
Hope this helps.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello sir,
I would like to ask two questions sir.
1) May I know what is the difference between these two sentences " Mary is going to a new school next term. " and " Mary will go to a new school next term. " ?
2) In this sentence " George is great. He is always laughing. " , I don't understand the second part. What I have learnt is that when we use " always + -ing form " , we want to mean that something is irritating or we are complaining about something. I can't think clearly the sense which it is written. Could you please kindly explain? sir
Hello Bo Bo Kyaw,
Regarding your first question, the form with 'going to' indicates a plan. The second sentence with 'will' is also possible, but it could indicate different meanings depending on the context, so it's difficult for me to say more without knowing more. I'd suggest you have a look at our Talking about the future page (https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar/talking-about-t…) to see an overview of the most common verb forms we use to talk about the future. I think that should help you make sense of this.
As for your second question, it's possible to use the present continuous to talk about repeated actions if the action is somehow connected to the present moment. In this case, for example, it sounds as if people are talking about George's qualities and so he is present in their discussion at the time of speaking.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi guys. Can you explain for me about the difference between something happens again & again and something happens before & after a specific time? For example, in a sentence: At midnight I'm usually reading in bed.
I think this describe about happening again & again, because they use "usually" - this describe that we repeat an activity approximately 70% every time. However, I'm wrong. Thanks for your explanation. Have a nice day.
Hi minhoang,
I think both explanation fit perfectly well here: this is an example of both something which happens repeatedly and something which happens before and after a specific time. In the exercise, however, there is a sentence which fits only the first of these, so when you solve the whole exercise I think only the second option is available.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi guys ,
"Playing " is a verb or noun ?
If it's a verb , how did we put a verb after am or is or are !
The same question for the name
If we translate it , we will not understand it !
Hello Mo,
Yes, 'playing' can be used as a verb and also as a noun. In the case of 'am playing', it's most likely a present continuous form. But, for example, in 'Playing the piano is fun', 'playing' is a noun.
Most words can be used in more than one way and/or have more than one meaning.
If there's a specific example you'd like to ask us about, please include the whole sentence.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello DaniWeebKage,
We use the present continuous + for to talk about time periods stretching into the future, while we use the present perfect to describe time periods stretching back into the past.
There can be some overlap in the the present continuous can describe a time which is just beginning or one which is already in progress, but the present perfect with for does not go refer to future time, even if the action is unfinished and will continue into the future.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello DaniWeebKage,
We appreciate your keenness to learn but this isn't the kind of question we can answer in the comments section, I'm afraid.
The comments section is primarily for providing explanations relating to the tasks on the page or the explanations/information on the page. As we're teachers and we want to help learners we try to answer other questions too, including more general questions about the language. However, here you've asked four different grammar questions which each require quite detailed explanations. To answer this properly we'd need to write a comment longer than the material on the page, I suspect!
I don't want to suggest that you shouldn't ask questions but do please try to keep them short and directly relevant to the material on the page. We're a small team here offering a free service and we have to deal with a lot of comments from users every day. Much as we'd like to, it's just not possible for us to provide what would really be individual lessons in the comments sections like this.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello knownman,
I'm sorry for the confusion! I've just fixed the exercise.
Thanks very much for taking the time to tell us about this.
Best wishes,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi knownman,
Thanks for the comment. It's always helpful to know if things are clear or not and we'll take a look at the formating to see if we can improve it.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello OsamaJason,
We use either the past simple or the present simple to narrate the events of a story. We can use continuous forms (past or present) in the normal way, which means to show events in progress around a time or anoter event, or to show background events, for example.
Most narratives are expressed with past tenses. Using the present tense is an authorial choice. It can make the story sound more immediate, as if someone is telling the reader an anecdote.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi PaoSande,
Your first sentence is correct :) Smell has several meanings:
Can you catch the difference in meaning? Smell in the first example is stative (i.e. the state of having an odour), and stative verbs aren't usually used in continuous tenses. But in the second example, it's an action. It's an action in your example too. It's fine to use an active verb in a continuous tense. Was smelling is a background action, and she was stung by a bee happened in the middle of it.
Does that make sense?
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi PaoSande,
We don't have a page specifically for smell and other verbs of perception, but have a look at our Stative verbs page for a few more examples of verbs with different meanings for actions and states. I hope it helps :)
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Khanal saroj,
The best form here is the present simple: 'I don't understand'. Although from one perspective it's true that you're not understanding something at the time of speaking, we almost always use a present simple form here.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello x100pre_noe,
It depends whether you are asking about the past or not.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Maya.michael,
The correct form here is do you consider.
Consider has more than one use. It can be a dynamic verb with the meaning 'think about'. When it is used in this way, it can be used with the progressive aspect:
Consider can also be used as a stative verb meaning 'have an opinion'. When it is used in this way, it cannot be used with the progressive aspect:
The verb think works in a similar way, with the same meanings (I'm thinking about vs I think).
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Rafaela1,
The second two are a little odd.
If I understand what you mean, I'd suggest 'I'm going to sleep' or 'I'm going to bed' for the second form, and 'I'll be asleep in an hour' for the third one.
Does that make sense?
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello DaniWeebKage,
The first sentence, with the continuous form (am reading), means that you are usually in the middle of reading at midnight. In other words, you start some time before midnight and are still reading when midnight comes.
The second sentence, with the simple form (read), means that you begin reading at midnight. In other words, midnight is your usual time for starting reading.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello again DaniWeebKage,
Both of your examples have a similar meaning:
This describes an action (the lights going out) which interrupts another action in progress (reading a book) in the past.
This has the same meaning, but uses the present tense. Sometimes this is used in narrative fiction to create a sense of immediacy, or in anecdotes or jokes. It is a stylistic choice
Exam questions are designed to test your knowledge of standard forms, not forms used in very specific and limited contexts or genres. I would not suggest you use the present tense in an exam for that reason.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Fowler,
You're right that this is a common usage. The present continuous (I am working) can describe future arrangements – that is, future actions that are already confirmed and organised. This usage strongly implies that other people (e.g. coworkers or managers, in this case) are aware of the arrangements, and some kind of preparation was involved (e.g. drawing up a schedule).
Although every afternoon can potentially include a past timeframe, with this usage of the present continuous it refers to a future timeframe: every afternoon from now on.
Does that make sense?
Best wishes,
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Sophia,
It's a good question! These sentences are all grammatically correct, but there are slight differences in the meaning.
The present simple is used to express facts, so the present simple sentences sound like you are describing the repeated action factually or objectively.
The present continuous sentences don't have this factual meaning. Instead, they suggest more subjectivity in the description, giving more of a sense that this is how the speaker experiences or feels about the repeated action. The present continuous is often used with always, for example, to complain about things, e.g. He's always making noise when I'm trying to sleep. Saying He always makes noise ... (present simple) is also possible, but sounds more like a factual description and less like a complaint.
Does that make sense?
Best wishes,
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello LilyLinSZ,
Remember that the choice of aspect (continuous or perfect) is often context dependent, so it can be hard to identify the reason with decontextualised examples.
In your first example, the two events happen simultaneously and provide a background for another (shorter) event. This could be something stated (when I arrive) or implied (when I looked at them / at that moment). I can't be sure without seeing the sentence in context.
In your second example, the sentence is aimed at customers. In other words, the sentence itself is the way in which the company (presumably) is asking its customers to take care. The continuous is used because it is an action in progress.
If the sentence were not aimed at customers, then the present perfect (...we have asked...) might be appropriate. For example, it could be director explaining company policy to his or her colleagues.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Aquibjamal,
We're happy to help you with this, but please explain to us more specifically what it is that you do or don't understand. 'get home', for example, means 'arrive home'.
It's not correct to use the present continuous in a story that begins with 'once upon a time'. In such a context, we always use some kind of narrative past tense such as the past simple, past continuous or past perfect.
It is possible to use present tenses to speak about past events -- it's just unusual after the phrase 'once upon a time'. We don't usually use this phrase to speak about our personal lives -- instead it's typically used at the beginning of traditional stories.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi LubNko525,
Interesting questions! Let me try to explain.
The first example (Computer City) uses present continuous (is opening four new shops) to show a planned future action. It's used when the action is already arranged, organised or scheduled. It gives a sense of this 'plannedness' of the action. Yes, future continuous is possible too: ... will be opening ... It also conveys this 'plannedness'. You could use will here too: ... will open four new shops. But the meaning's a bit different. This is a simple factual statement, and doesn't contain that 'plannedness' in its meaning.
In your other sentences, the using the present continuous gives a sense that the actions are ongoing. That is, they are not momentary actions or finished actions, but ones that are still continuing.
All the alternatives you suggested are grammatically correct, but they have slightly different meanings. They don't have the 'ongoing action' meaning. For example, in sentence 2:
So, by using are being seen, the speaker presents the action as something going on now, which suggests that it that can end or change at some point.
Does that make sense?
Best wishes,
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Rafaela1,
There is no future tense in English. What you are using here is will, which is a modal verb like may or should. It often refers to the future, but can have other uses too.
In your example, will (a prediction or statement about the future) and will be working (an expectation) are possible. You could also use am working (a temporary state).
Work is not possible because it would describe a permananet or normal state, not something temporary.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team