Present Progressive

Present Progressive Tense

Present Progressive - Use

1) actions happening at the moment of speaking

Peter is reading a book now.

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2) fixed plan in the near future

She is going to Basel on Saturday.

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3) temporary actions

His father is working in Rome this month.

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4) actions happening around the moment of speaking (longer actions)

My friend is preparing for his exams.

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5) trends

More and more people are using their computers to listen to music.

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6) repeated actions which are irritating to the speaker (with always, constantly, forever)

Andrew is always coming late.

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Signal words

now, at the moment, Look! Listen!

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Form

to be (am, are, is) + infinitive + -ing

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Examples

Affirmative sentences:

I am playing football. I'm playing football.

You are playing football. You're playing football.

Negative sentences:

I am not playing football. I'm not playing football.

You are not playing football. You're not playing football. You aren't playing football.

Questions:

Am I playing football?

Are you playing football?

Information questions: Wh+ verb to be + subject + Infinitive + ing.

Information questions are also sometimes called "Wh" questions.

What	am	I	doing?
Where	are	you	living now?
Who	is	he	speaking to?
When	is	she	coming?
What	is	it	doing here?
When	are	we	having the test?
What	are	they	watching?

Spelling Rules

A single, silent e at the end of the word is dropped before ing.

example: come - coming
I am coming home. You are coming home. He is coming home.

But: ee at the end of the word is not changed

example: agree - agreeing

The final consonant after a short, stressed vowel is doubled before ing.

example: sit - sitting
I am sitting on the sofa. You are sitting on the sofa. He is sitting on the sofa.

The letter l as final consonant after a vowel is always doubled before ing.

example: travel - travelling
I am travelling around. You are travelling around. He is travelling around.

Mind: This applies only for British English; in American English there is usually only one l.

An ie at the end of a word becomes y before ing.

example: lie - lying
I am lying in bed. You are lying in bed. He is lying in bed.