What is the present continuous?

The present continuous describes an action happening right now, at the exact moment of speaking. Use am, is or are plus the verb with -ing: I am reading means you are reading at this moment, not that you read every day.

The rule

Use am with I, is with he, she and it, and are with you, we and they. Most verbs simply add -ing (work → working), but some change slightly: a silent e disappears (make → making) and a short vowel often doubles the final letter (run → running).

Words like now, at the moment, look and listen often signal this tense. Do not use it for a habit or a fact that never changes; that needs the present simple.

Form

Examples

• I am reading a book right now.
• She is cooking dinner at the moment.
• We are waiting for the bus.
• Look! It is raining again.
• Are you listening to me?

Common mistakes

• ❌ She working now. → ✅ She is working now. Every present continuous sentence needs am, is or are; the -ing form cannot stand alone.
• ❌ I is watching TV. → ✅ I am watching TV. I always takes am, never is or are.
• ❌ He are playing football. → ✅ He is playing football. He is one person, so it needs is, not are.
• ❌ Water is boiling at 100 degrees. → ✅ Water boils at 100 degrees. A fact that is always true needs the present simple, not the present continuous.