Present Continuous Tense
The present continuous tense tells us what is happening right now. It uses a helping word (am, is, or are) together with a verb that ends in -ing.
What You'll Learn
- How to use am, is, and are with a verb + -ing to talk about what is happening now
- How to pick the right helping word (am, is, or are) based on who is doing the action
- How to make simple sentences about actions happening at this moment
When to Use
- Something happening right now: "I am eating my lunch."
- Something happening at this moment: "The baby is sleeping in the cot."
- An action you can see right now: "The children are playing in the playground."
How to Form
The formula
Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing
Which helping word to use
| Subject | Helping word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | am | I am reading a book. |
| he, she, it | is | She is drawing a picture. |
| you, we, they | are | They are running in the park. |
More examples
| Subject | Helping word | Verb-ing | Full sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | am | walking | I am walking to school. |
| He | is | eating | He is eating his rice. |
| The cat | is | sitting | The cat is sitting on the mat. |
| You | are | singing | You are singing a song. |
| We | are | playing | We are playing at recess. |
| The birds | are | flying | The birds are flying in the sky. |
Key Rules
- Always use a helping word: You need am, is, or are before the verb-ing. "She running" is wrong. "She is running" is right.
- Match the helping word to the subject: Use am with "I", is with one person or thing (he, she, it), and are with "you", "we", or more than one (they).
- The verb must end in -ing: The action word always has -ing at the end. "She is play" is wrong. "She is playing" is right.
- Use it for right now: The present continuous tense is for things happening at this moment, not things that already happened or things you do every day.
Common Mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| She running fast. | She is running fast. | You need "is" before "running" |
| I is reading a book. | I am reading a book. | Use "am" with "I", not "is" |
| They is playing. | They are playing. | Use "are" with "they", not "is" |
| He are eating. | He is eating. | Use "is" with "he", not "are" |
Clue Words
Words that tell you something is happening now:
now, right now, at the moment, look!, listen!
Questions that use present continuous:
What are you doing? What is she doing? What is happening?
- "Look! The dog is chasing the ball." ("Look!" tells us it is happening now)
- "What are you doing?" "I am doing my homework."
Tip: When you see "now" or "right now" in a sentence, it is a clue to use am/is/are + verb-ing!
Practice Tips
- Look around you: Look at what people are doing right now and say it out loud. "Mum is cooking. My brother is watching TV. I am studying."
- Ask and answer: Ask yourself "What am I doing?" and answer with a full sentence. "I am sitting at my desk. I am reading a book."
- Helping word check: After you write a sentence, check that you used the right helping word. "I" goes with am. One person or thing goes with is. More than one goes with are.
Quick Reference
| Subject | Helping word | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| I | am | I am walking to the hawker centre. |
| He / She / It | is | She is writing in her book. |
| The boy | is | The boy is kicking the ball. |
| You | are | You are doing well! |
| We | are | We are waiting for the MRT. |
| They | are | They are eating at the canteen. |
| The girls | are | The girls are skipping in the hall. |