I.E.S. “Prof. Eduardo A.

Fracchia”
PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA EN INGLÉS
LENGUA Y GRAMÁTICA DE LA LENGUA EXTRANJERA I

I.E.S. “Prof. Eduardo A. Fracchia”

PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA EN INGLÉS

LENGUA Y GRAMÁTICA
DE LA LENGUA EXTRANJERA I

PRESENT CONTINUOUS
2021

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 I.E.S. “Prof. Eduardo A. Fracchia”
PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA EN INGLÉS
LENGUA Y GRAMÁTICA DE LA LENGUA EXTRANJERA I

In English, the Present Continuous tense is usually used to express continuing, ongoing actions
which are taking place at the moment of speaking or writing. In the examples given below, the
verbs in the Present Continuous tense are underlined.

Right now I am cooking supper.

At the moment the plane is flying over the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

The Present Continuous tense is often used in conversation.

"What are you doing?"
"I am working on my English assignment."

Occasionally, the Present Continuous tense is used to refer to a future event.

We are leaving tomorrow.

The Present Continuous tense of any verb is formed from the Simple Present of the auxiliary
to be, followed by what is generally referred to as the present participle of the verb.

The present participle of a verb is formed by adding -ing to the bare infinitive. For instance, the
present participle of the verb to work is: working.

Thus, the Present Continuous tense of the verb to work is conjugated as follows:

I AM WORKING
YOU ARE WORKING
HE IS WORKING
SHE IS WORKING
IT IS WORKING
WE ARE WORKING
YOU ARE WORKING
THEY ARE WORKING

Some verbs change their spelling when the ending -ing is added to form the present participle.

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 I.E.S. “Prof. Eduardo A. Fracchia”
PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA EN INGLÉS
LENGUA Y GRAMÁTICA DE LA LENGUA EXTRANJERA I

When a verb ends in a silent e, the silent -e is dropped before the ending -ing is added.
For example:

Infinitive Present Participle

TO CLOSE CLOSING
TO DINE DINING
TO LEAVE LEAVING
TO MOVE MOVING

However, when a verb ends in an -e which is not silent, the final -e is not dropped before the
ending -ing is added.
For example:
Infinitive Present Participle
TO BE BEING
TO SEE SEEING

When a verb ends in -ie, the -ie is changed to -y before the ending -ing is added.
For example:

Infinitive Present Participle

to die dying
to lie lying

When a verb ends in -y, no change is made before the ending -ing is added.
For example:

Infinitive Present Participle

to fly flying
to play playing

Except in the case of the final consonants w, x and y, when a one-syllable verb ends in a single
consonant preceded by a single vowel, the final consonant must be doubled before the ending
-ing is added. In the following examples, the consonants which have been doubled are
underlined. For example:
Infinitive Present Participle
to nod nodding
to dig digging

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 I.E.S. “Prof. Eduardo A. Fracchia”
PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA EN INGLÉS
LENGUA Y GRAMÁTICA DE LA LENGUA EXTRANJERA I
to run running
to clap clapping
to set setting

It should also be noted that when a verb ends in a single consonant preceded by two vowels, the final
consonant is not doubled before the ending is added. The reason for this is that two vowels together are
generally pronounced long. For example:
Infinitive Present Participle
to rain raining
to read reading
to meet meeting
to soak soaking

When a verb ends in w, x or y preceded by a single vowel, the final consonant is not doubled
before the ending -ing is added. For example:
Infinitive Present Participle
to draw drawing
to fix fixing
to say saying

When a verb of more than one syllable ends in a single consonant other than w, x or y
preceded by a single vowel, the final consonant is doubled to form the present participle only
when the last syllable of the verb is pronounced with the heaviest stress.

In these examples, the syllables pronounced with the heaviest stress are underlined. For
example:
Infinitive Present Participle
to expel expelling
to begin beginning
to occur occurring
to omit omitting

When a verb of more than one syllable ends in w, x or y, the final consonant is not doubled
before the ending -ing is added. In the following examples, the syllables pronounced with the
heaviest stress are underlined. For example:
Infinitive Present Participle
to allow allowing
to affix affixing
to convey conveying

If necessary, a dictionary can be consulted to determine which syllable of a verb has the heaviest stress. Many
dictionaries use symbols such as apostrophes to indicate which syllables are pronounced with the heaviest stress.

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 I.E.S. “Prof. Eduardo A. Fracchia”
PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA EN INGLÉS
LENGUA Y GRAMÁTICA DE LA LENGUA EXTRANJERA I

It should be noted that British and American spelling rules differ for verbs which end in a single l
preceded by a single vowel.
 In British spelling, the l is always doubled before the endings -ing and -ed are
added.
 In American spelling, verbs ending with a single l follow the same rule as other
verbs; the l is doubled only when the last syllable has the heaviest stress.
In the following examples, the syllables with the heaviest stress are underlined.
For example:

Infinitive Present Participle

American Spelling British Spelling
to signal signaling signalling
to travel traveling travelling
to compel compelling compelling
to propel propelling propelling
From these examples it can be seen that the American and British spellings for verbs ending in a single l differ
only when the last syllable does not have the heaviest stress.

In the Present Continuous, the verb to be acts as an auxiliary. As is the case with other English
tenses, it is the auxiliary which is used to form questions and negative statements.
To form a question in the Present Continuous tense, the auxiliary is placed before the subject.
For example:

Affirmative Statement Question

I am working. Am I working?
You are working. Are you working?
He is working. Is he working?
She is working. Is she working?
It is working. Is it working?
We are working. Are we working?
You are working. Are you working?
They are working. Are they working?

To form a negative statement, the word not is added after the auxiliary.
For example:
Affirmative Statement Negative Statement
I am working. I am not working.
You are working. You are not working.

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 I.E.S. “Prof. Eduardo A. Fracchia”
PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA EN INGLÉS
LENGUA Y GRAMÁTICA DE LA LENGUA EXTRANJERA I
He is working. He is not working.
She is working. She is not working.
It is working. It is not working.
We are working. We are not working.
You are working. You are not working.
They are working. They are not working.

To form a negative question, the auxiliary is placed before the subject, and the word not is
placed after the subject. However, when contractions are used, the contracted form of not
follows immediately after the auxiliary.
Although there is no universally accepted contraction for am not, the expression aren't I? is
often used in spoken English.
For example:
Without Contractions With Contractions
Am I not working? [Aren't I working?] - used in speaking
Are you not working? Aren't you working?
Is he not working? Isn't he working?
Is she not working? Isn't she working?
Is it not working? Isn't it working?
Are we not working? Aren't we working?
Are you not working? Aren't you working?
Are they not working? Aren't they working?

Tag questions are also formed using the auxiliary. In the following examples, the tag questions
are underlined. In spoken English, aren't I? is often used as a tag question.
For example:
Affirmative Statement Affirmative Statement with Tag Question
I am working. I am working, am I not?
You are working. You are working, aren't you?
He is working. He is working, isn't he?
She is working. She is working, isn't she?
It is working. It is working, isn't it?
We are working. We are working, aren't we?
They are working. They are working, aren't they?

The Simple Present tense may be used for stating general truths, and for referring to actions
which occur at regular intervals. In contrast, the Present Continuous tense is usually used to
refer to ongoing actions happening at the time of speaking or writing.
For Example:

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 I.E.S. “Prof. Eduardo A. Fracchia”
PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA EN INGLÉS
LENGUA Y GRAMÁTICA DE LA LENGUA EXTRANJERA I
.
Simple Present Present Continuous
Nova Scotia is a Canadian province. Right now, I am visiting the province of Nova
Scotia
Geese fly south every winter. At the moment, a flock of geese is flying
overhead.

• Ansell, M. (2000) Free English Grammar 2nd Edition. Retrieved from www.seyfihoca.com