Present Continuous — Presente Continuo
Formation: Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing
| Subject | Be | Verb-ing | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | am | working | I am working now. |
| He / She / It | is | reading | She is reading a book. |
| You / We / They | are | playing | They are playing football. |
Contractions
- I**'m** working / She**'s** reading / They**'re** playing
Spelling Rules for -ing
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| Most verbs: + ing | play → playing, eat → eating |
| -e at the end: drop e + ing | make → making, write → writing |
| Short vowel + consonant: double consonant + ing | run → running, sit → sitting, begin → beginning |
| -ie at the end: change to y + ing | die → dying, lie → lying |
| -l at the end (British): double l + ing | travel → travelling 🇬🇧 / traveling 🇺🇸 |
Uses
- Action happening NOW: I'm studying right now.
- Temporary situation: She's living in Madrid this month.
- Future plans: We're meeting tomorrow at 5.
- Trends/Changes: Prices are rising.
Negative & Questions
- Negative: I'm not working. / She isn't reading.
- Question: Are you working? / Is she reading?
- Short: Yes, I am. / No, she isn't.