Present Progressive – Definition, Examples & Uses
The Present Progressive (also called Present Continuous) describes actions happening right now, temporary situations, or actions in progress around the present moment. It is formed with am/is/are + verb-ing (e.g. She is studying for her exam.).
Used for: actions at the moment of speaking, temporary situations, planned future events, repeated/annoying actions, and developing changes. → I am doing my homework right now.
How to form the Present Progressive
The Present Progressive is built with:
the auxiliary verb "to be" (am / is / are) + -ing form (present participle)
Example:
She is reading a book at the moment.
Present Progressive Forms
| Affirmative | Negative | Interrogative |
| I am going | I am not going | Am I going? |
| You are going | You are not going | Are you going? |
| He/She/It is going | He/She/It is not going | Is he/she/it going? |
| We are going | We are not going | Are we going? |
| They are going | They are not going | Are they going? |
Signal Words
- right now
- at the moment
- currently
- at present
- today
- this week / these days
- Look!
- Listen!
Spelling Rules for the -ing Form
1. Verbs ending in e → drop e + ing
bake → baking
Example: She is baking a cake right now.
2. Verbs ending in ie → change ie to y + ing
die → dying
tie → tying
Example: The plant is dying.
3. Changing the last syllable → double the consonant + ing
swim → swimming
begin → beginning
Example: They are swimming in the lake.
When to Use the Present Progressive
- Action happening now → She is cooking dinner right now.
- Repeated/annoying actions → He is always forgetting his keys.
- Temporary situations → She is working from home this month.
- Changes over time → Her English is improving every day.
- Future plans/arrangements → I am flying to Berlin next weekend.
- New trends → More people are choosing electric cars.
Negative: Place not after am/is/are → She is not studying. / He isn't doing his chores.
Question: Place am/is/are before the subject → Are they coming? / Is she working?
When NOT to Use the Present Progressive Avoid with stative verbs (states, emotions, possession, mental processes) - use Simple Present instead.
- Thinking/feeling: believe, know, like, love, hate, want → She loves this song. ~~She is loving this song.~~
- Senses: appear, seem, smell, taste, feel → This soup tastes strange. ~~This soup is tasting strange.~~
- Other stative verbs: be, belong, own, need, agree → I understand you. ~~I am understanding you.~~
Note: Think can be progressive when describing an ongoing process (I am thinking about changing my major), but not when expressing an opinion (I think this makes sense).
Stative Verbs that do not work with the present progressive
| Category | Stative Verbs |
| Thinking & Feeling | believe, know, understand, remember, forget, think (= believe), realise, suppose |
| Likes & Dislikes | like, love, hate, prefer, dislike, enjoy* |
| Senses | smell, taste, sound, feel, look, appear, seem |
| Possession | have*, own, possess, belong, owe |
| Other States | be, need, contain, consist, depend, agree, disagree |
Find out more
The present progressive and the simple present are often used in similar situations, but they serve different purposes.
The present progressive describes an action that is in progress at or around the current moment.
The simple present describes general truths, repeating habits, or permanent situations.
Examples:
She works. (simple present, habit or general fact)
She is working. (present progressive, action in progress now)
The present progressive often describes a temporary situation, while the simple present states a regular habit or unchanging fact.
Example:
She works in a bank (habit), but right now she is working from home (temporary).
The Present Progressive (Present Continuous) describes actions happening now, temporary situations, and planned future arrangements.
Use am/is/are + -ing.
Example:
She is eating her lunch right now.
Look for time expressions showing "right now" or "currently."
Common indicators:
- now
- right now
- at the moment
- currently
- today
- these days / this week
Example:
They are currently working on a school project.
Note: The Present Progressive does not work with stative verbs.
Incorrect: I am knowing the answer.
Correct: I know the answer.