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Grammatica
Verbs and tense A1 A2

Present continuous

Talk about actions happening now, temporary situations, and changing trends with be + -ing.

We vertalen de uitleg...
Voorlopig zie je de originele Engelse les.
Visuele uitleg

Present continuous: the live window

Present continuous = camera on a live scene

past ─────── [ LIVE WINDOW: NOW ] ─────── future
                 action/situation on screen
                 not a permanent fact

              be + verb-ing
              be = present helper
              -ing = in progress

I’m cooking dinner.

usual fact:     I work from home.
live today:     I’m working from home today.

Use be + -ing when you want the listener to watch a temporary live scene around now, not a permanent fact.

Introduction

What the present continuous does

The present continuous shows an action or situation in progress around now. It uses be plus a verb ending in -ing. Use it for what is happening at this moment, for temporary situations, and for changes that are developing. It often feels close, active, and unfinished. Examples include “I’m cooking dinner,” “They’re staying with us this week,” and “Prices are rising.” The action may be visible now, or it may be part of the current period.
Core Grammatica A1 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

I’m cooking dinner.

A simple action in progress at the moment of speaking.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

I
subject
The person doing the action.
’m cooking
present_continuous
am + -ing shows the action is happening now.
Leer als één geheel
dinner
object
What is being cooked.
Core Grammatica A1 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

They’re staying with us this week.

Present continuous can describe a temporary situation around now.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

They
subject
The people in the temporary situation.
’re staying
present_continuous
are + -ing shows a temporary situation.
Leer als één geheel
with us
place
Where they are staying.
this week
time_limit
Shows the situation is limited to the current week.
Core Grammatica A2 Woordenschat A2 Neutral

Prices are rising.

Present continuous can describe a changing trend.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

Prices
subject
The thing that is changing.
are rising
present_continuous
are + -ing shows a change in progress.
Leer als één geheel
Cognitive metaphor

A live scene, not a permanent fact

Think of the present continuous as a camera focused on a live scene. The scene is open, moving, and not finished. “She is talking on the phone right now” shows an action in progress at this moment. “I’m reading a good book this month” does not mean the book is in your hands every second; it means the activity belongs to the current time. The time frame can be very small, such as now, or wider, such as today, this week, or these days.
Core Grammatica A1 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

She is talking on the phone right now.

The action is happening at the moment of speaking.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

She
subject
The person doing the action.
is talking
present_continuous
is + -ing shows the action is in progress.
Leer als één geheel
on the phone
place_or_medium
How or where the action is happening.
right now
time
Makes the current moment explicit.
Core Grammatica A1 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

I’m reading a good book this month.

The activity belongs to the current period, even if it is not happening every second.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

I
subject
The person doing the activity.
’m reading
present_continuous
am + -ing shows an activity in the current period.
Leer als één geheel
a good book
object
What the person is reading.
this month
time_period
A wider current time frame, not only this second.
Core pattern

Build it with be + -ing

The basic pattern is subject + am/is/are + verb-ing. Use am with I, is with he, she, and it, and are with you, we, and they. In speech, short forms are common: I’m, you’re, he’s, she’s, it’s, we’re, and they’re. For negatives, put not after be: is not, are not, isn’t, aren’t. For questions, put be before the subject. The core frames are “I am working,” “He isn’t listening,” “Are you coming?” and “What are they doing?”
Core Grammatica A1 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

I am working.

The full form with I is I am + -ing.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

I
subject
The subject.
am working
present_continuous
am + -ing is the present continuous form with I.
Leer als één geheel
Negative Grammatica A1 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

He isn’t listening.

Use not after be to make the present continuous negative.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

He
subject
The person who is not doing the action.
isn’t listening
negative_present_continuous
is not + -ing makes a present continuous negative.
Leer als één geheel
Question Grammatica A1 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

Are you coming?

In questions, put be before the subject.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

Are you coming
question_frame
be + subject + -ing makes a yes/no question.
Leer als één geheel
Question Grammatica A1 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

What are they doing?

Question words come before the be + subject + -ing frame.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

What
question_word
Asks for the action.
are they doing
question_frame
be + subject + -ing after a question word.
Leer als één geheel
Sentence xray

Sentence X-ray

In “My sister is studying at home today,” “my sister” is the person, “is studying” is the present continuous engine, “at home” tells where, and “today” sets the temporary time. The be verb carries the tense, so do not drop it. The -ing verb carries the action meaning. You can change the subject and be verb while keeping the same frame: someone is doing something somewhere now or for a limited time.
Core Grammatica A1 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

My sister is studying at home today.

This example shows the main parts of a present continuous sentence.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

My sister
subject
The person doing the action.
is studying
present_continuous
is + -ing is the tense engine of the sentence.
Leer als één geheel
at home
place
Where the action is happening.
today
time
Shows the action belongs to a temporary current time.
Form variations

Spelling and short forms

To make the -ing form, often add -ing: work becomes working, and play becomes playing. Drop final silent e: make becomes making, and write becomes writing. Double a final consonant after one short stressed vowel in common short verbs: run becomes running, and sit becomes sitting. Change ie to y: lie becomes lying. These spelling changes do not change the grammar pattern. In real sentences, the be verb still shows who and when: “She’s making coffee.” “We’re running late.”
Core Grammatica A1 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

She’s making coffee.

Make loses final silent e before -ing: making.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

She
subject
The person doing the action.
’s making
present_continuous
is + making uses the -ing form after dropping silent e from make.
Leer als één geheel
coffee
object
What she is making.
Spoken Grammatica A1 Woordenschat A1 Informal

We’re running late.

Run doubles the final consonant before -ing: running. The phrase is very common in speech.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

We
subject
The people in the situation.
’re running late
present_continuous_expression
A common present continuous phrase meaning we are behind schedule.
Leer als één geheel
Usage rules

Main uses in real life

Use the present continuous for three common jobs. First, actions happening now or around now. Second, temporary situations that are true for a limited period. Third, changes and trends that are in progress. Time words such as now, at the moment, today, this week, currently, and these days often support this meaning. Examples include “I’m living with my parents until June” and “The weather is getting colder.” It can also describe a fixed future arrangement, especially with a time expression: “We’re meeting Sam at six.”
Core Grammatica A1 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

I’m living with my parents until June.

Present continuous is useful for temporary situations.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

I
subject
The person in the temporary situation.
’m living
present_continuous
am + -ing shows a temporary living situation.
Leer als één geheel
with my parents
place_or_people
Where or with whom the person lives for now.
until June
time_limit
Shows the situation has a limit.
Core Grammatica A2 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

The weather is getting colder.

Getting + adjective often describes a developing change.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

The weather
subject
The thing that is changing.
is getting colder
changing_trend
is getting + adjective shows a change in progress.
Leer als één geheel
Core Grammatica A2 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

We’re meeting Sam at six.

With a future time, present continuous can describe an arranged plan.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

We
subject
The people with the arrangement.
’re meeting
future_arrangement
Present continuous can describe a planned future arrangement.
Leer als één geheel
Sam
person
Who we are meeting.
at six
future_time
A time expression makes the future meaning clear.
Contrast

Present continuous vs present simple

The closest contrast is the present simple. Present simple describes habits, routines, facts, and generally true situations. Present continuous describes something active, temporary, or changing. Compare “I work from home” with “I’m working from home today.” The first sounds like a normal work arrangement; the second sounds temporary. Compare “She plays tennis on Fridays” with “She’s playing tennis now.” The first is a routine; the second is an action in progress. Do not choose present continuous only because the sentence has a time word. Ask: is it a habit or a current scene?
Contrast Grammatica A1 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

I work from home.

Present simple describes a normal arrangement or habit.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

I
subject
The person with the regular work arrangement.
work
present_simple
Present simple shows a regular or generally true situation.
Leer als één geheel
from home
place
Where the regular work happens.
Contrast Grammatica A1 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

I’m working from home today.

Present continuous makes the work situation sound temporary.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

I
subject
The person in the temporary work situation.
’m working
present_continuous
am + -ing shows a temporary current situation.
Leer als één geheel
from home
place
Where the work is happening.
today
temporary_time
Shows the situation is limited to today.
Danger zone

Common mistakes and state verbs

Do not forget be. A common mistake is using only an -ing verb after the subject. Say subject + be + -ing. Also, many state verbs are usually not used in the continuous when they describe a state, not an action: know, like, want, need, believe, own, and have for possession. “I am knowing the answer” is not natural; use “I know the answer.” Some verbs can be continuous when they describe an action or event, not a permanent state. “We’re having lunch” is natural because having lunch is an activity.
Mistake Grammatica A1 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

I am knowing the answer.

Know is usually a state verb, so it is not normally used in the continuous for this meaning.

Corrected Grammatica A1 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

I know the answer.

Use present simple for a state such as knowledge.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

I
subject
The person with the knowledge.
know
state_verb
Use the present simple for a state verb like know.
Leer als één geheel
the answer
object
What the person knows.
Exception Grammatica A2 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

We’re having lunch.

Some verbs that can be state verbs are continuous when they describe an action or event.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

We
subject
The people doing the activity.
’re having lunch
present_continuous_activity
Here have means doing an activity, so continuous is natural.
Leer als één geheel
Summary

Quick summary

Use the present continuous when you want to show that something is in progress, temporary, changing, or arranged for a specific future time. Build it with the correct form of be and the -ing form of the main verb. Move be before the subject for questions, and add not after be for negatives. If the meaning is a habit, a fact, or a state verb like know or want, the present simple is usually the safer choice.
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