Present Continuous

[am/is/are + verb + ing]

Examples:

You are watching TV.

Are you watching TV?

You are not watching TV.

USE 1 Now

Use the Present Continuous with Normal Verbs to express the idea that something is happening now, at this very moment. It can also be used to show that something is not happening now.

Examples:

You are learning English now.

You are not swimming now.

Are you sleeping?

I am sitting.

I am not standing.

Is he sitting or standing?

They are reading their books.

They are not watching television.

What are you doing?

Why aren't you doing your homework?

SPELLING RULES - continuous verbs

To make continuous verbs add -ing to the base verb:

do becomes doing

ask becomes asking

silent 'e'

When the verb ends with a silent e, drop the e and add -ing:

make becomes making

take becomes taking

one-syllable verbs

For short, one-syllable verbs, that end with consonant + vowel + consonant (CVC), we must double the last consonant and then add -ing:

swim becomes swimming

run becomes running

w, x and y

For words that end w, x and y, do not double the last consonant; just add -ing:

enjoy becomes enjoying

study becomes studying

two-syllable words

When words have two or more syllables ending in CVC, you must double the last consonant if the last syllable is stressed. When the last syllable is not stressed, just add -ing.

The last syllable is stressed:

commit becomes committing

The last syllable is not stressed:

whisper becomes whispering

-ie verbs

For verbs that end in -ie, change the ie to y before adding -ing:

die becomes dying