Present Continuous Tense
Present Continuous (present tense + progressive aspect)
- Affirmative: Subject + BE + Verb-ING
You are cooking.
- Negative: Subject + BE not + Verb-ING
You aren’t (are not) cooking.
- Interrogative: Question Word + BE + Subject + Verb-ING
What are you cooking?
1. Action happening now:
- I’m watching a film on TV now. I‘m not watching a film. Am I watching a film?
- Watch out, a car’s coming. It isn’t not coming. Is it coming?
- The boys are sleeping upstairs. They boys aren’t sleeping upstairs. Are the boys sleeping upstairs?
2. Action happening about this time, but not necessarily now:
- He’s studying Spanish and German. He’s not studying French. What languages is he studying?
- They’re going to a business course. They aren’t going to a cooking course. What course are they going to?
- You’re visiting museums while you’re here. You’re not visiting factories. Are you visiting museums in our city?
3. Definite arrangement in the near future:
- I’m travelling to Paris tomorrow. I’m not travelling to Paris tomorrow. Am I travelling to Paris tomorrow?
- My son is taking his girlfriend to dinner tonight. My son isn’t taking his girlfriend to dinner tonight. Is he taking his girlfriend to dinner tonight?
- You’re going to Italy on holiday this year, aren’t you? You aren’t going to Greece. Where are you going on holiday this year?