Present Continuous / Progressive Tense & How to Use It, With Example

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Present Continuous / Progressive Tense

Present Continuous / Progressive Tense With Detail Explanation, Rules In the Form of Flow Chart

In this article, you will learn all that you need to know about what the present continuous / progressive tense is, its definition, uses, structure and rules of usage. Along with these, with the examples and practice questions in your daily life, you will surely be able to use the frame sentences using the present continuous tense accurately.

What is the Present Continuous / Progressive Tense?

Present continuous/progressive tense used to denote an action that is continuing at the present moment.

Note: In this tense, we use helping verbs (is, are, am) and 1st form verbs with ing.

  1. Is: We use it with singular subject (He, She, It, singular name).
  2. Am: We use it only with I.
  3. Are: We use it with a  plural subject (They, You, We, plural name).

Use in Sentence:

  • You are catching fish. (Assertive / Simple Sentence)
  • He is not working hard. (Negative Sentence)
  • Is she solving the sums? (Interrogative Sentence)
  • Am I not plucking flowers? (Interrogative & Negative Sentence)

Sub-categories of Sentences

The present continuous / Progressive tense has been divided into 4 subcategories of sentences.

  • Assertive / Simple Sentence
  • Negative Sentence
  • Interrogative Sentence
  • Interrogative & Negative Sentence

Now, let’s start to discuss these subcategories of sentences.

1. Assertive / Simple Sentence

Assertive / simple sentence contains at least one subject, form of verb, and object. On the other hand, we can say that those sentences which start with a subject are called simple or assertive sentences.

Note: This kind of sentence, we usually use helping verbs (is, are, am), 1st form of verb with ing.

  1. Is: We use it with singular subject (He, She, It, singular name).
  2. Am: We use it only with I.
  3. Are: We use it with a  plural subject (They, You, We, plural name).

Use in Sentence:

  • The fountains are running. (Use “are” with plural noun)
  • The headmaster is caning the naughty boys. (Use “is” with singular noun)
  • She is weeping bitterly at the death of her daughter. (Use “is” with singular noun)
  • I am knocking at the door. (Use “am” with I)

2. Negative Sentence

Those sentences in which we use “not” or in which we do to refuse about something, these sentences are said to be negative sentences. Also, to make negative sentences, we use “not” before the verb.

Note: In this kind of sentence, we use Helping Verb (is not, are not, am not) + 1st form of verb with ing.

  1. Am not: We use it only with I.
  2. Is not: We use it with singular subjects or nouns (He, She, It, singular name).
  3. Are not: We use it with plural subjects or nouns(They, You, We, plural name).

Use in Sentence:

  • He is not going by air. (Use with singular noun)
  • They are not fighting with each other. (Use with plural noun)
  • Jack is not waiting for the result impatiently. (Use with singular noun)
  • We are not watching the stars in the sky. (Use with plural noun)

3. Interrogative Sentence

Those sentences in which you ask something from people, friends, relatives, and even anybody or do ask a question to someone, so these sentences are said to be interrogative sentences. Also, to make interrogative sentences, we use helping verbs (Do, Does) at the beginning of the sentence.

Note: In this kind of sentence, we use helping verbs (am, is, are) at the beginning of sentence, 1st form verbs with ing, and question mark (?) at the end of the sentence.

  1. Am: We use it only with I.
  2. Is: We use it with singular subjects or nouns (He, She, It, singular name).
  3. Are: We use it with plural subjects or nouns(They, You, We, plural name).

Use in Sentence:

  • Are you doing your work properly? (Use with plural noun)
  • Is she making tea? (Use with singular noun)
  • Am I going in the right direction? (Use with plural noun)
  • Is he writing in a notebook? (Use with singular noun)

4. Interrogative & Negative Sentence

Those sentences in which we ask questions with not or refuse from anyone, these sentences are called interrogative & negative sentences. Also, to make negative & interrogative sentence, we use helping verbs (is, am, are) at the beginning of sentence, (not) before 1st form verbs with ing, and question mark (?) at the end of the sentence.

Note: In this kind of sentence, we use helping verbs (Do, Does), not, 1st form verbs, and question mark (?).

  1. Am: We use it only with I.
  2. Is: We use it with singular subjects or nouns (He, She, It, singular name).
  3. Are: We use it with plural subjects or nouns(They, You, We, plural name).

Use in Sentence:

  • Is she not working well? (Use with singular noun)
  • Are the farmers not working in the fields? (Use with plural noun)
  • Is the gardener not watering the plants? (Use with singular noun)
  • Are the birds not sitting on the tree? (Use with plural noun)

Structure of Sub-categories of Sentences

Also, take a look at the following table to understand how the general format in which the present indefinite tense behaves in the assertive/ simple, negative, interrogative, and Interrogative & Negative format.

Name of SentenceMaking Sentence RuleExample Sentence
Assertive / Simple SentenceSubject + Helping verb (is, am, are) +1st form of verb + ing + object.

Is: Use with singular nouns (He, She, It, single name).
Are: Use with Plural nouns (They, You, We, Plural names).
Am: Use with (I) only.		 You are doing their work.
Negative SentenceSubject + Helping Verb(Is not, Am not, Are not) + 1st form of verb + ing+ object.

Is not: Use with singular nouns (He, She, It, single name).
Are not : Use with Plural nouns (They, You, We, Plural names).
Am not: Use with (I) only.		He is not listening to me.
Interrogative SentenceHelping Verb (Is, Am, Are) +Subject + 1st form of verb with ing + object + ? Am I flying kites?
Interrogative & Negative SentenceHelping verb (Is, Are, Am) + Subject + 1st form of verb  with ing+ object + ?Are the boys not putting out whistles?

Uses of Present Continuous / Progressive Tense

There’re reasons or places where this kind of present tense is used which are given below.

  • This tense is used to describe an action that is going on at the moment of speaking. For Example: 1. It is raining now. 2. They are making a noise.
  • This tense is used to refer to an action happening now but not necessarily at the moment of speaking. For Example: 1. I am reading a play by Shakespeare. 2. What are you doing these days?

FAQs

We use Helping verbs (Is, Are, Am) in the present continuous / progressive tense.

  • Am: We use it only with I.
  • Is: We use it with singular subjects or nouns (He, She, It, singular name).
  • Are: We use it with plural subjects or nouns(They, You, We, plural name).

Yes, of course, we use the 1st form of the verb with ing in the present continuous / progressive tense.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, the present continuous tense isn’t just a run-of-the-mill grammatical concept; it’s a linguistic powerhouse that brings life and dynamism to our expressions. By capturing the unfolding actions and ongoing scenarios, it injects vitality into our communication. 

So, the next time you’re narrating an exciting event, describing a current situation, or just adding that extra flair to your language, remember the present continuous tense is your linguistic accomplice, here to make your words pop and sizzle! Keep those verbs in motion, and let the present continue to do its magic in painting vivid pictures of the ever-evolving narrative of life.

Also, if you’ve faced any confusion while reading this article, you can contact us through the comment box. We’ll try our best to overcome your confusion in a short interval of time, so that you may understand them better. Also, thanks a lot from the depth of the heart for reading this article.

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