Present Continuous Tense: Rules, Examples & Exercises

When to Use

• Actions happening now: She’s talking right now. (now, right now, at the moment)
• أفعال تحدث الآن: هي تتحدث الآن.
• Temporary situations: I’m staying with friends this week.
• حالات مؤقتة: أنا أقيم مع أصدقاء هذا الأسبوع.
• Changing trends: Prices are rising.
• تغيّرات مستمرة: الأسعار ترتفع.
• Future arrangements (fixed plan, time stated): We’re meeting the manager at 3 pm.
• ترتيبات مستقبلية: سنلتقي بالمدير الساعة 3.
• Annoying habits with always: He’s always leaving the door open! (expressing annoyance)
• عادات مزعجة مع always: هو دائمًا يترك الباب مفتوحًا!

How to Form + Spelling

Spelling rules (adding -ing)

• Most verbs: add -ing → play → playing; read → reading.
• الأغلب: نضيف -ing → play → playing.
• Drop silent e: make → making; drive → driving. (But: be → being)
• حذف e الصامتة: make → making.
• Verbs ending in -ie: change to y + ing → lie → lying, die → dying.
• الأفعال المنتهية بـ -ie: تتحول إلى y + ing → lie → lying.
• One-syllable CVC: double final consonant → sit → sitting; run → running.
• مقطع واحد بنمط CVC: نُضعِّف الحرف الأخير → run → running.
• Stress-doubling in multi-syllables: prefer → preferring; begin → beginning.
• التشديد: prefer → preferring؛ begin → beginning.
• BrE often doubles final l: travel → travelling (AmE: traveling).
• بريطاني: travelling (أمريكي: traveling).

Negatives & Questions

Examples (EN ⇄ AR)

• I’m reading now. now
• أنا أقرأ الآن.
• We’re studying this week. temporary
• نحن ندرس هذا الأسبوع.
• She’s meeting her friend at 6. future arrangement
• ستلتقي بصديقتها الساعة 6.
• The weather is getting warmer. change
• الطقس يزداد دفئًا.
• He’s always losing his keys! annoying habit
• هو دائمًا يضيع مفاتيحه!

Present Continuous vs Present Simple

Stative verbs: know, like, love, hate, need, want, believe, understand, remember, seem, prefer, etc. Prefer Present Simple: “I like coffee,” not “I’m liking coffee.”

الأفعال الساكنة (الحالية): مثل know / like… نستخدم معها المضارع البسيط غالبًا.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ She reading now. → ✓ She is reading now. (need be)
• ✗ I am don’t working. → ✓ I’m not working. (don’t use do)
• ✗ I’m knowing the answer. → ✓ I know the answer. (stative)
• ✗ He is play football. → ✓ He is playing football. (-ing)

• ✗ She reading → ✓ She is reading (لا تنسَ فعل be).
• ✗ I am don’t working → ✓ I’m not working (بدون do).
• ✗ I’m knowing → ✓ I know (فعل ساكن).

Exercises

1) Fill in (am/is/are + -ing)

1. He ___ (read) now.
2. They ___ (not/watch) TV at the moment.
3. I ___ (study) English this week.
4. We ___ (meet) the teacher at 4.

2) Spelling: write the -ing form

1. make → ______
2. run → ______
3. lie → ______
4. prefer → ______
5. travel → ______ (BrE)

3) Make questions

1. you / do / now? → __________________________
2. she / cook / dinner? → ______________________

4) Choose Present Simple or Present Continuous

1. I (work / am working) from home today. temporary
2. The train (leaves / is leaving) at 7:10. timetable
3. She (likes / is liking) tea. stative

1-Minute Quiz

Related Lessons

Present Simple • Stative Verbs • Future (Going to) • Questions • Time Expressions