The present continuous
Introduction
He's eating a hamburger.
Definition
The present continuous is one of the two present tenses used in modern English. The other one is the present simple.
Construction
The present continuous tense consists of:
subject + present simple of 'to be' + the present participle of another verb
I am going.
| Affirmative | Negative 1 | Negative 2 | Interrogative |
|
I'm working You're working He's working She's working It's working We're working They're working
|
I'm not working You're not working He's not working She's not working It's not working We're not working They're not working |
---------------------------- You aren't working He isn't working She isn't working It isn't working We aren't working They aren't working |
Am I working? Are you working? Is he working? Is she working? Is it working? Are we working? Are they working?
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Uses
| Uses | Examples |
|
To talk about something that is happening at the moment
|
I'm studying the present continuous.
It's raining.
The phone's ringing.
They're watching TV.
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To talk about current changes
|
The situation is improving.
House prices are rising.
The climate is changing.
My English is getting better.
|
|
To describe a temporary situation |
I'm living with my parents and working near their home at the moment but I want to move to London soon and get a job there
I'm travelling to work by bus this week. Usually, I go by train but the drivers are on strike
|
Note that
It is the correct tense to use if you are describing a picture because we can imagine that it's happening now.
They're dancing. He's wearing glasses and he's singing. She's wearing a dress and she's smiling.
Examples
He's listening to his favourite CD.
Are you enjoying your new job?
They're painting their bedroom walls.
Our sales figures are increasing.
Ben and Sue wear glasses but Ben isn't wearing his today.