Present Continuous — Actions at this moment
Use the present continuous to describe what is happening right now:
| Sujeto | Auxiliar | Verbo + -ing | Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | am | eating | I am eating lunch. |
| He / She / It | is | reading | She is reading a book. |
| We / You / They | are | playing | They are playing soccer. |
Spelling rules for -ing
| Regla | Base → -ing | Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | play → playing | They are playing. |
| Drop silent -e | make → making | She is making a cake. |
| Double consonant | run → running | He is running fast. |
| -ie → -ying | die → dying | The plant is dying. |
🔍 Double consonant rule: Only with one-syllable verbs that end in consonant + vowel + consonant: run → running, stop → stopping, sitting. But NOT: playinging (two vowels), workinging (two consonants).
Simple or Continuous?
| Presente Simple | Presente Continuo |
|---|---|
| 📅 Habits, routines | 📸 Right now |
| "I read books every day." | "I am reading a book right now." |
| "She works at a bank." | "She is working on a project today." |
| "They play soccer on weekends." | "Look! They are playing soccer." |
Verbs that are NOT used in continuous (Stative Verbs)
Some verbs express states, not actions, and are NOT used in continuous:
Emotion: like, love, hate, want, need, prefer
- ✓ "I like pizza."
- ✗
"I am liking pizza."
Pensamiento: know, understand, believe, forget, remember
- ✓ "I know the answer."
- ✗
"I am knowing the answer."
Possession: have (when it means "to have"), own, belong
- ✓ "She has a car."
- ✗
"She is having a car." - But: ✓ "She is having dinner." (action)
Sentidos: see, hear, smell, taste (uso involuntario)
- ✓ "I see the mountains."
- But: ✓ "I'm seeing my doctor tomorrow." (quote = action)
💡 Keywords for continuous: right now, at the moment, now, today, this week, currently, look!, listen!
🗣️ Pronunciation Tip: The -ing sounds like /ɪŋ/ (nasalized). NOT like "in-guh." Practice: play-ing, reading-ing, sleeping-ing.
⚠️ Common Mistake: Do not use continuous to express tastes or preferences. "I'm liking" is incorrect. Use "I like."