Present Continuous — English Grammar Exercises
I'm working, she isn't listening, are you coming? — 45 exercises on the present continuous in 3 progressive blocks.
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When to use the present continuous
- actions happening right now: Look — she is reading.
- temporary actions around now: I'm reading a great book this week.
- changing situations: The climate is getting warmer.
- future arrangements (already planned): I'm meeting John tomorrow.
- with always — an annoying habit: He's always losing his keys!
Form: am / is / are + verb-ing
✅ I am working.
✅ He is working.
✅ You / we / they are working.
Spelling of the -ing form
| Rule | Examples |
|---|---|
| most verbs: add -ing | work → working |
| ends in -e: drop the -e | make → making, write → writing |
| stressed consonant-vowel-consonant: double | run → running, begin → beginning |
| ends in -ie: change to -ying | lie → lying, die → dying |
| ends in -y: keep the -y | study → studying |
Stative verbs — not used in the continuous
Some verbs describe states, not actions, and are normally not used in the continuous:
know, understand, believe, want, need, like, love, hate, prefer, mean, belong, seem
❌ I am knowing the answer. → ✅ I know the answer.
❌ She is wanting to leave. → ✅ She wants to leave.
Common mistakes
| ❌ | ✅ |
|---|---|
| She working now. | She is working now. |
| They is playing outside. | They are playing outside. |
| He is runing fast. | He is running fast. |
| I am makeing dinner. | I am making dinner. |
| I am knowing the answer. | I know the answer. |
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Look! She ___ reading a book in the garden.
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is
Use 'is' with 'she' — 'she is reading'.
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I ___ working from home today.
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am
Use 'am' with 'I' — 'I am working'.
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They ___ watching a film at the moment.
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are
Use 'are' with 'they' — 'they are watching'.
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She is ___ a cake for the party.
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making
Verbs ending in a silent -e drop it before -ing: 'make' → 'making'.
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The children are ___ around in the garden.
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running
One vowel + one consonant at the end doubles before -ing: 'run' → 'running'.
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There's an injured bird ___ on the ground.
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lying
'Lie' changes -ie to -y before -ing: 'lying'. 'Laying' comes from 'lay' (to put something down).
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He ___ working today — it's his day off.
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isn't
'He' takes 'is', so the negative is "isn't". "Doesn't" belongs to the present simple.
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We ___ going to the party tonight — we're too tired.
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aren't
Use 'aren't' with 'we' — 'we aren't going'.
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___ she working today?
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Is
Present continuous questions with 'she' begin with 'Is'.
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___ they coming to dinner this evening?
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Are
Present continuous questions with 'they' begin with 'Are'.
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Why are you ___ on the floor? Take a chair!
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sitting
One vowel + one consonant at the end doubles before -ing: 'sit' → 'sitting'.
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The assistant is ___ the shop for the day.
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opening
'Open' is stressed on the first syllable, so the -n does not double: 'opening'.
Present Continuous: A Complete Grammar Reference
The present continuous (also called the present progressive) is one of the first tenses learners meet, yet it remains a persistent source of errors well into B1–B2 level, mainly because it overlaps in tricky ways with the present simple and because its formation involves spelling changes that don't apply consistently. Research from the English Profile Programme identifies present continuous errors as concentrated in three specific areas: incorrect use with stative verbs, -ing spelling mistakes, and confusion between the continuous's 'now' meaning and its lesser-known future-arrangement meaning. Corpus data suggests that stative-verb errors alone — saying 'I am understanding' instead of 'I understand' — account for a large share of continuous-tense mistakes among learners whose first language does not distinguish states from actions grammatically. These 45 exercises cover the full system: affirmative and negative forms, questions, spelling rules for -ing, stative verbs, future arrangements, and the 'always + continuous' pattern for complaints.
Forming the Present Continuous
The present continuous is built from am/is/are plus the -ing form of the main verb, with the auxiliary agreeing with the subject: 'I am working', 'she is reading', 'they are watching'. Negatives insert 'not' after the auxiliary and commonly contract: 'isn't working', 'aren't going'. Questions invert the auxiliary and the subject: 'Is she working?', 'Are they coming?' — and wh-questions place the question word first: 'What are you doing?' A frequent subject-verb agreement trap is 'everyone', which despite referring to many people is grammatically singular and takes 'is': 'Why is everyone laughing?'
He isn't working today — it's his day off. (negative)
Are they coming to dinner this evening? (question)
Spelling Rules for the -ing Form
Adding -ing follows four patterns. Most verbs add it directly (work → working). Verbs ending in a silent -e drop the e (make → making, write → writing, shine → shining). Verbs with one stressed syllable ending in a single vowel plus a single consonant double that consonant (run → running, sit → sitting, swim → swimming, drop → dropping, begin → beginning) — but an unstressed final syllable blocks the doubling (open → opening). Verbs ending in -ie change to -y (lie → lying).
The children are running around in the garden. (double the consonant — stressed CVC)
The assistant is opening the shop for the day. (no doubling — unstressed final syllable)
There's an injured bird lying on the ground. (-ie → -ying)
Stative Verbs: When Not to Use the Continuous
A group of verbs describing mental states, feelings, and perceptions — know, understand, believe, want, feel (an opinion), and others — are not normally used in the continuous form, even to describe the present moment. Instead, the present simple carries the 'right now' meaning: 'I understand what you mean now' (not 'I am understanding'). This is a systematic exception, not a random one: it applies to verbs describing states rather than deliberate, ongoing actions with a visible duration.
She wants to become a doctor one day. (not 'is wanting')
I believe you — that story really does sound true. (not 'am believing')
Present Continuous for Future Arrangements
Beyond describing the present moment, the present continuous also describes fixed arrangements for the future — plans that have already been decided, often with a booked time or place. This use is common with verbs of movement and appointments: 'I am seeing my dentist at three o'clock tomorrow — the appointment is booked', 'We are flying to Spain next weekend — the tickets are already booked.' The presence of a specific future time expression combined with a sense of prior planning signals this use.
We are flying to Spain next weekend — the tickets are booked. (fixed plan)
Always + Continuous: Annoying Habits
When 'always' combines with the present continuous instead of the present simple, it signals that the speaker finds a frequent action irritating or surprising, rather than simply describing a neutral routine. 'Always' sits between the auxiliary and the -ing verb.
You are always interrupting me — please let me finish! (irritation)
Common Mistakes
✗ She is wanting to become a doctor. → ✓ She wants to become a doctor. (stative verb)
✗ She is makeing a cake. → ✓ She is making a cake. (drop the silent -e)
✗ They are runing in the garden. → ✓ They are running in the garden. (double the consonant)
✗ The assistant is openning the shop. → ✓ The assistant is opening the shop. (unstressed syllable — no doubling)
✗ He always is losing his keys. → ✓ He is always losing his keys. ('always' goes between the auxiliary and -ing)
✗ ___ she working today? using 'Does'. → ✓ Is she working today? (present continuous questions use am/is/are, not do/does)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the present continuous used for?
The present continuous (am/is/are + verb-ing) describes actions happening right now, at the moment of speaking: 'She is reading a book in the garden.' It also describes temporary situations around the present time even if the action isn't happening at this exact second ('I'm working from home this month'), and fixed future arrangements that have already been planned ('I'm seeing my dentist tomorrow at three'). What all three uses share is a sense of a limited, non-permanent timeframe — as opposed to the present simple, which describes habits, facts, and permanent states.
What are the spelling rules for adding -ing to a verb?
Most verbs simply add -ing: work → working. Verbs ending in a silent -e drop the -e first: make → making, write → writing. Verbs with a single stressed syllable ending in one vowel + one consonant double the final consonant: run → running, sit → sitting, swim → swimming — but not if the last syllable is unstressed, like open → opening. Verbs ending in -ie change to -y before adding -ing: lie → lying, die → dying. These rules apply consistently across the present continuous, past continuous, and all other -ing forms in English.
Why can't I use the continuous with verbs like 'know', 'want', or 'believe'?
'Know', 'want', 'believe', 'understand', and a group of similar verbs are called stative verbs — they describe states of mind, feelings, possession, or perception rather than actions with a visible beginning and end, so English does not put them in the continuous form even when talking about the present moment. Instead of 'I am understanding', 'I am believing you', or 'I am wanting to leave', the present simple is used: 'I understand', 'I believe you', 'I want to leave'. This is one of the most common errors at B1–B2 level, because these verbs describe something happening 'now' in a loose sense, which tempts learners to reach for the continuous.
What does 'always' + the present continuous mean?
'Always' combined with the present continuous — not the present simple — describes a frequent, repeated action that the speaker finds annoying or surprising, rather than a neutral habit: 'He is always losing his keys' expresses mild exasperation, quite different in tone from the neutral 'He always loses his keys' in the present simple. The word 'always' sits between the auxiliary (is/are) and the -ing verb: 'is always losing', 'are always interrupting'. This pattern is common in spoken complaints and informal writing, and it only works with 'always' — not with other frequency adverbs like 'often' or 'usually'.
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