Present continuous

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See also PDF exercises below.

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Online exercises:

Exercise 1 Choose correct answers.

Exercise 2 Complete sentences.

Exercise 3 Make negative answers.

Exercise 4 Complete questions.

Exercise 5 All forms - choose correct answers.

Exercise 6 All forms - complete the conversation.

Present simple and continuous exercises Learn the difference.

English grammar worksheets PDF

• All PDF exercises on this website.

English grammar tests PDF

• Marked revision tests on tenses, going to, passive voice, conditionals, reported speech, time clauses, modal verbs, imperative and gerunds vs infinitives.

PDF exercises on the present continuous:

Present continuous PDF worksheet 1

• Exercise 1 - choose correct forms:
  I ___ an e-mail now. (am writing, am writting)
  Susan ___ in the bed at the moment. (lying, is lying)

• Exercise 2 - complete sentences:
  Bill ___ today. (work)
  Bill is working today.

• Exercise 3 - make sentences with jumbled words:
  (I/in Hastings/learn English/this summer)
  I am learning English in Hastings this summer.

Negative

Present continuous PDF worksheet 2

• Exercise 1 - make negative answers:
  Are your friends cooking now?
  No, they are not cooking now.

• Exercise 2 - make the sentences negative:
  Miriam is crying.
  Miriam is not crying.
  We are jogging in the park.
  We aren't jogging in the park.

Questions

Present continuous PDF worksheet 3

• Exercise 1 - make positive questions:
  Where ___ ?
  Where are you parking?
  I am parking near here.

• Exercise 2 - make negative questions:
  My brother is sleeping.
  Why ___ ? (get up)
  Why isn't he getting up? (Why is he not getting up?)

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Compare:

Present simple and continuous worksheets PDF PDF worksheets to compare these forms.

Present continuous passive exercises PDF Passive forms.

Present simple exercises PDF Learn the present simple tense.

Present simple and continuous for future PDF Exercises on future plans and arrangements.

Will + going to + present continuous PDF Exercises to compare different future forms.

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PDF grammar rules:

Present continuous rules PDF PDF grammar rules on the present continuous.

English tenses rules PDF The use and forms of all English tenses.

English grammar All PDF grammar rules on this website.

Form

Positive statement: I am playing, you are playing, he is playing, we are playing, they are playing
Short forms: I'm playing, you're playing, he's playing, we're playing, they're playing
Negative statement: I am not sitting, you are not sitting, he is not sitting
Short forms: I'm not sitting, you aren't sitting (you're not...), he isn't sitting (he's not...)
Questions: Am I eating? Are you eating? Is he eating?
Negative questions: Am I not watching? Are you not watching? Is he not watching?
Short forms: Aren't you watching? Isn't he watching?

Negative questions normally express a surprise.
Isn't he working?

Use

1. We use the present continuous tense to say that something is happening at the time of speaking. We often use it with time expressions such as now or at the moment.

Examples:
I am doing housework at the moment.
You aren't listening to me now!
Look at him! What is he doing?

2. It is used for temporary activities that are true now, but not necessarily happening at the time of speaking. Time expressions such as today, this week or these days are typical of this use.

Examples:
I am in London. I am learning English here.
She can't go out today. She is preparing for an exam.
You can't meet him this week. He is working in Bath.

3. We use the present continuous for planned future arrangements. The time of the action must be given in the sentence (soon, tomorrow, on Monday, next week), otherwise it is not clear that we talk about future.

Examples:
I am coming soon.
We are leaving on Monday.
She is starting next week.

4. With always the present continuous tense expresses the idea that something happens too often and it annoys the speaker.

Examples:
I am always forgetting my keys.
He is always smoking in the living room!

5. We do not normally use these groups of verbs (state verbs) in the continuous form:

A. Verbs of senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste. On the other hand, look, watch or listen are action verbs and can be used in the continuous:
I can hear you. - I am listening to you.
Can you see the bird? - Are you looking at the bird?

B. Verbs of liking and disliking: like, love, hate, fear, detest, want, wish...
I like animals.
I hate snakes.

C. Verbs of mental states: agree, believe, forget, know, remember, suppose, think...
I agree with you.
I suppose you are right.

D. Verbs of permanent states: be, have, belong, contain, owe, own, possess...
This pen belongs to me.
I have a new pet.

E. Verbs of appearance: seem, appear, look, sound...
It seems that it will rain.
Your new haircut looks really good.

If some of these verbs are used in the present continuous tense, they have a different meaning. In such a case they become action verbs.
I think he is my best friend. (mental state)
I'm thinking of giving him a present. (mental activitiy)
He has a new bathroom. (possess)
He is having a bath. (take a bath)
I see what you mean. (know)
I am seeing a doctor. I am ill. (visit)
The flower smells beautiful. (scent)
The dog is smelling the sausage. (sniff)
This wine tastes sour. (It is sour.)
She is tasting the soup if it is warm enough.

All these materials are written for students and teachers of English as a foreign language.