Present continuous: what's happening now? Present continuous exercises for actions happening now
About this lesson
This A1 drill lesson gives present continuous exercises for what is happening now and around now, with -ing spelling, questions and short answers.
- Grammar
- I'm reading. She isn't sleeping. Are you listening? – Yes, I am. What are you doing? Where is Dad going? -ing spelling (making, sitting, fixing) and now, today, this week, Look!
- Topic
- A made-up snow day in Minneapolis: a family group chat, a live news update, a radio report, a video call with Grandma and Nora's texts.
- Activities
- True or false, sorting, choices, an anagram, a memory game, gap-fills, drag-and-drop, word order, matching, a table, quizzes, a chat and a test, scored automatically.
What's inside
Chapter 1The rule
Chapter 2Spelling: -ing
Chapter 3Positive sentences
- Fill in the gaps: am / is / are + -ingFill in the gapsTry it
- Fill in the gaps: subject + am / is / are + -ingFill in the gapsUnlock
- Drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Put the words in the right orderUnjumbleUnlock
- Choose the right formChoose the optionUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endingsMatchUnlock
- Read about the park and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 4Negatives and questions
- Fill in the gaps: negative sentencesFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the table: positive, negative, questionFill in the tableTry it
- Fill in the gaps: make questionsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Put the words in order to make questionsUnjumbleUnlock
- Choose the right short answerChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose the right question for each answerQuizUnlock
- Write the question for the answerFill in the gapsUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right wordsQuizUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: Snow day!
- Read the family group chatReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the chat again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read the live update and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read what Marcus says on the radio and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Jada's video call with Grandma and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Nora texts youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose am, is or are: people and placesChoose the optionUnlock
- Write the -ing form of the verbFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the gaps with am / is / are + -ing: in the kitchenFill in the gapsUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: sentencesUnjumbleUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: negative sentences at schoolFill in the gapsUnlock
- Sort the sentences: positive, negative or question?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: questionsUnjumbleUnlock
- Choose the right short answer: a video callChoose the optionUnlock
- Write the questions: What …? Where …?Fill in the gapsUnlock
- Match the questions and the answersMatchUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: mixed sentencesUnjumbleUnlock
- Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock
- Read Lucy's postcard and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Rosa's message and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read the text messages and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Grammar: the present continuous for now and around now
The present continuous describes something in progress: Look! It's snowing. It always has two parts: be and the -ing form. It covers this very moment and also a short time around now, like today or this week.
Present continuous: what's happening now?
Say what is happening now, at this moment, or around now: am / is / are + verb-ing.
Am / is / are + verb-ing
I am, he / she / it is, you / we / they are, then the verb + -ing: They are playing soccer. Each form has a short version: I'm, she's, we're, and in negatives isn't, aren't, I'm not.
am / is / are + verb-ing
subjectam / is / areverb + -ing
I am reading a book.
It is snowing!
They are playing soccer.
Every person: + − ?
| Who | Positive (+) | Negative (−) | Question (?) |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | I am working. · I'm working. | I am not working. · I'm not working. | Am I working? |
| you | You are working. · You're working. | You are not working. · You aren't working. | Are you working? |
| he | He is working. · He's working. | He is not working. · He isn't working. | Is he working? |
| she | She is working. · She's working. | She is not working. · She isn't working. | Is she working? |
| it | It is snowing. · It's snowing. | It is not snowing. · It isn't snowing. | Is it snowing? |
| we | We are working. · We're working. | We are not working. · We aren't working. | Are we working? |
| they | They are working. · They're working. | They are not working. · They aren't working. | Are they working? |
Now or around now
At this moment: Shh! Grandpa is sleeping right now. For a short time around now: Dad is working from home today. Look! and Listen! point to the moment, while this week points to the days around it.
Now, at this moment
- now · right now · at the moment · Look! · Listen!
- Look! It's snowing.
- Shh! Grandpa is sleeping right now.
Around now, for a short time
- today · this week · at the moment
- I'm reading a great book this week.
- Dad is working from home today.
Spelling the -ing form
Most verbs just add -ing: playing, working. A final e drops: live – living. Some short verbs double the last letter: stop – stopping, plan – planning, when one vowel comes before one consonant, but never with w, x or y: fixing.
| The verb | -ing | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| most verbs | + ing | eat → eating, work → working, play → playing |
| verb + e | drop the e, + ing | live → living, move → moving (not: liveing) |
| short verb (one syllable) with one vowel + one consonant at the end | double the last letter, + ing | stop → stopping, plan → planning (but not w, x, y: fix → fixing) |
Negatives, questions and short answers
Not follows am, is or are: She isn't working. In questions, be goes first: Are you listening? What are you doing? A yes answer keeps the full form: Yes, I am. Yes, she is, not Yes, I'm.
Questions and short answers
| Question | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Am I winning? | Yes, you are. | No, you aren't. |
| Are you reading? | Yes, I am. | No, I'm not. |
| Is Leo sleeping? | Yes, he is. | No, he isn't. |
| Is Mom cooking? | Yes, she is. | No, she isn't. |
| Is it raining? | Yes, it is. | No, it isn't. |
| Are you and Ana working? | Yes, we are. | No, we aren't. |
| Are they playing? | Yes, they are. | No, they aren't. |
Negatives, questions and short answers
Negative: not comes after am / is / are: She isn't working. I'm not working. (Not: She not is working. He don't sleeping. I amn't working.) Questions: am / is / are comes first: Are you listening? What are you doing? (Not: What you are doing?) Short answers: Yes, I am. Yes, she is. (Not: Yes, I'm. Yes, she's.)
Common mistakes
Look out for I working at home, She is work now, They is playing and Is raining. Both parts must be there, be has to match the subject, and the weather needs it: It's raining.
I working at home.
I'm working at home.
don't forget am / is / are
She is work now.
She is working now.
am / is / are + verb-ing
They is playing.
They are playing.
I am · he, she, it is · you, we, they are
Is raining.
It's raining.
English needs a subject: it
Examples
- Look! The kids are building a snowman.now
- Listen! The birds are singing.now
- I'm not watching TV. I'm reading.negative and positive
- Are you listening? Yes, I am.question and short answer
- What are you doing? I'm doing my homework.What … doing?
- Where is Dad going? He's going to work.Where … going?
More lessons on this grammar: Present continuous lessons and exercises
Try the present continuous exercises
Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.
What's in the lesson
- 38 auto-checked exercises
- 7 games
- 1 real-life document
- 1 grammar scheme
- 1 picture
The main objectives of this lesson are to:
- make the present continuous with the right form of be: I am drinking hot tea. We are waiting for the bus.
- spell the -ing form: make – making, swim – swimming, fix – fixing, not makeing or swiming
- say what isn't happening and ask yes/no questions: It isn't raining now. Is your sister sleeping? – Yes, she is.
- ask What … doing? and Where … going? with be before the subject: What are you doing?, not What you are doing?
- Grammar:
- present continuous · am / is / are + -ing · -ing spelling · short answers
- Topic:
- grammar practice · everyday actions · snow day · family
Teaching tips
- Mime it, then guess it: one student acts out cooking or swimming in silence while the class asks Are you cooking? and the actor answers only Yes, I am or No, I'm not.
- Describe the view: students look out the window for one minute, then write three things that are happening outside and one thing that isn't.
- Post a snow-day update: after the family chat, each student writes two messages about what they're doing right now, and a partner replies with a question like What are you eating?
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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · A1
English Grammar Practice · A1 has 24 drill lessons for adult beginners, one grammar point each, from the verb to be and the present simple to can, was and were and telling the time. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words, so it works next to any course.See the course
- 1To be: I am, you are, she is
- 2To be negatives and questions: is it your bag?
- 3Subject pronouns and possessive adjectives: I, my, she, her
- 4This, that, these, those: what's this?
- 5Plural nouns: one box, two boxes
- 6A, an, the: a new apartment
- 7There is, there are: what's in the hotel?
- 8Have and has: she has a dog
- 9Present simple: she works, they work
- 10Present simple: don't, doesn't, do you…?
- 11Adverbs of frequency: always, usually, never
- 12In, on, at: times, days and months
- 13Prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to
- 14Can and can't: I can swim
- 15Imperatives: open, don't run, let's go
- 16Object pronouns: me, him, her, them
- 17Possessive 's: whose bag is this?
- 18Present continuous: what's happening now?
- 19Present simple or present continuous: every day or now?
- 20Like, love, hate + -ing: I love dancing
- 21Wh- questions: what, where, when, why?
- 22Countable and uncountable nouns: some, any, how much?
- 23Was and were: where were you yesterday?
- 24Telling the time and dates: what time is it?