Skip to content
The present continuous (or progressive).

What’s the Present Continuous in Grammar?

Last Updated
Picture of Dalia Y

Dalia Y

BA, MA, Phil. Grammarflex's initial initiator and contributor.

The present continuous (or progressive)

How would you talk about something that’s happening in the moment, like right . . . now . . . or . . . now?

👍🏼Usage Note
✓
I am eating a sandwich right now.
✓
She is leaving for work at 7 am tomorrow.
✗
They is playing football.
✗
He are studying diligently.

If I’m not already being too on the nose: I’m sitting and writing (read: typing) an article about the present continuous tense, while communicating using the present continuous tense. If this isn’t present continuous tense inception, then I’m not sure what is!

When to use the present continuous

The present continuous (also called present progressive) is a form of the present tense that’s one of the most regularly used amongst all of the 12 tenses (in our view). Its purpose is to describe something that’s ongoing or in progress at the time of speaking, but we use the present continuous in a number of other ways as well. Take a look:

To describe something that’s occurring at that moment:

  • I’m cooking dinner right now, so please excuse the noise.
  • Why are you behaving this way?

Future plans, intentions or arrangements:

  • I am flying to Germany in three weeks.
  • When are you graduating from university?
  • We are moving to another state next month.
💡Study Tip

Present continuous verb agreement, associate the correct verb endings (“-ing” + “is” or “are”) with the subject pronoun.

How to form the present continuous

We form the present continuous combining a form of [to be] + present participle (verb form ending in –ing).

Read more about verbs

Sources

  1. P.C. Wren, High School English Grammar and Composition.
  2. Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of continuous.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/continuous. Accessed 16 February, 2024.

Work Sheet

Question 1 of 10

According to the post, what is one main use of the present continuous tense?



Besides actions happening right now, what other usage of the present continuous is mentioned in the post?



Which of these sentences, used as an example in the post, correctly uses the present continuous for an action happening at the moment?



How is the present continuous tense formed, according to the blog post?



The blog post highlights subject-verb agreement as a common mistake. Which auxiliary verb should be used with the subject “They” in the present continuous?



Complete the sentence with the correct present continuous form based on the common mistake example: They football.



Complete the sentence with the correct present continuous form based on the common mistake example: He diligently.



Complete the sentence using the present continuous for an action happening now: I dinner right now.



Complete the sentence using the present continuous for a future plan mentioned in the post: We to another state next month.



The present participle form of a verb used in the present continuous ends with which letters?





Frequently Asked Questions

What is present continuous tense?
+

The present continuous, or progressive, describes actions happening right now or something ongoing at the moment of speaking. It’s a frequently used tense according to the post.

When is present continuous used?
+

It describes actions happening at the moment of speaking, like “I’m cooking dinner right now.” It also describes future plans or arrangements, as shown in the post.

Can present continuous be future?
+

Yes, the present continuous can be used for future plans, intentions, or arrangements. Examples include “She is leaving for work at 7 am tomorrow” or “We are moving to another state next month.”

How is present continuous formed?
+

Form the present continuous by combining a form of the verb “to be” (like am, is, are) with the present participle, which is the verb ending in “-ing”.

What are mistakes with present continuous?
+

A common mistake is incorrect subject-verb agreement with ‘to be’. Use “are” with plural subjects like “They” (“They are playing football”), not “is”. Use “is” with singular “He” (“He is studying”).

Yash, D. "What’s the Present Continuous in Grammar?." Grammarflex, Jun 4, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/whats-the-present-continuous-in-grammar/.

The latest from the Grammarflex blog

From grammar and writing to style and clarity, our experts tackle the biggest questions in English and content creation.