Welcome to the Present Progressive also known as the Present Continuous. Be sure to watch the introductory grammar video on the left before continuing to read this section.

This is one of the first tenses you will learn in English and it is one you will use often. This tense is formed by the helping verb "to be" followed by the base form of the verb + -ing:

I am speaking
you are speaking
he/she/it is speaking
we are speaking
they are speaking

This tense is used to show that an action is in progress at the moment, to show a long-term action that is in progress that may not be happening at the exact moment and to describe a state or condition, using the following verbs: sit, stand, wear, and sleep.

To form the present progressive in the negative, simple use the present form of "to be" followed by "not" plus the "-ing" form (Ex: I am not running).

To form questions in the present progressive, simply reverse the subject and helping verb "to be" (Ex: Are you skating now?).

Click below to see how this present progressive tense compares with the present simple

Present Continuous vs. Present Simple

Try the games below to practice what you learned:

Cloze Present Progressive
Cloze Present Progressive
Present Progressive 1
Present Progressive 2
Present Progressive Practice
Present Prog Word Order
Making Questions

Check out the quizzes below!


Multiple Choice Questions
Multiple Choice Questions
Written Questions

Present Progressive Tips

The Present Progressive has three uses which differ from the Present Simple:

It is used to express something you are doing at that exact moment.

It is used show a long-term action that is in progress but that may not be happening at the exact moment

It is used to describe a state or condition, using the following verbs: sit, stand, wear, and sleep.

It is formed by adding the present tense of "to be" along with the -ing form.

These are the spelling rules associated with the -ing form:

For most verbs, you simply add -ing to the base form

For a one-syllable verb that ends in a consonant + vowel + consonant (CVC), double the final consonant and add -ing.

Do not double a final w, x, or y.

For a two-syllable verb that ends in CVC, double the final consonant only if the last syllable is stressed.

If the verb ends in a consonant + e, drop the e before adding -ing.