Introduction
The present continuous tense (also called the present progressive tense) is commonly used in English for actions happening right now, or in the future. This page will explain the rules for forming the tense with regular verbs.
1. Forming the present continuous tense
This tense is formed using two components: the verb BE (in the present tense), and the -ING form of a verb. Here are the rules, using the example verb “sing”:
| Subject |
BE |
-ING form |
|---|---|---|
I |
am |
singing |
You |
are |
singing |
He |
is |
singing |
She |
is |
singing |
It |
is |
singing |
We |
are |
singing |
They |
are |
singing |
2. How to make the -ING form
With many verbs, you can simply add -ING to the end of the verb. However, with some verbs, you need to change the ending a little. Here are the rules:
| Verb ending in... | How to make the -ING form | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| one vowel + one consonant | Double the consonant, then add -ING | swim - swimming hit - hitting get - getting |
| one vowel + one consonant + E | Remove E, then add -ING | come - coming lose - losing live - living |
| [anything else] | Add -ING | say - saying go - going walk - walking |
When you are sure that you understand the lesson, you can continue with the exercises.