Understanding present continuous tense

What is the present continuous tense?

The present continuous tense is most commonly used to convey actions currently happening at the moment. As a descriptor of what’s going on, it adds energy and action to writing while helping your readers understand when things are happening.

The present continuous tense differs from the simple present tense, in which a verb describing a current action takes on a new form. Here are some examples of the simple present tense:

• I eat gluten now.
• She practices the piano every night.
• Michael calls to say he’s sorry.

Write with Confidence using Editor

Elevate your writing with real-time, intelligent assistance

Learn more

Instead, to form the present continuous tense, you need the verb to be in the present tense and a dynamic verb that shows action. This dynamic verb will be in the present participle: i.e., ending with an -ing suffix. You’ll need the following:

• Subject (I, you, he, she, it, we, they)
• Appropriate form of the verb to be (am, is, are)
• Base form of the verb with “-ing” (e.g., playing, reading, watching)

When you put these components together, you can form the following sentences:

• I am eating dessert before dinner.
• She is reading romance novels at the beach.
• Mom is calling me on the phone right now.

These sentences that use the present continuous tense convey actions happening at the moment while adding a layer of complexity and precision to a sentence versus the simple present tense.

Present continuous tense for the future

The present continuous tense doesn’t just apply to actions happening right now. It can also be used to indicate actions that are in progress but not necessarily at this very moment. For example:

• My bandmates are playing with Steve this weekend.
• Scientists believe that our sun is going to burn out in about five billion years.
• The action of working on the project extends throughout the month.

When not to use the present continuous tense

Do not use the present continuous tense with stative verbs. These verbs show a passive state of being and are especially related to categories such as emotion (to love), possession (to belong), and thoughts (to recognize). Since these do not show qualities of change like dynamic verbs, none of these should use the present continuous form. For example, the following sentence is grammatically incorrect:

• Rachel is preferring French toast instead of blueberry pancakes.

Here, the verb to prefer is a thought, illustrating a matter of opinion. Stative verbs like to prefer can stay in the simple present:

• Rachel prefers French toast instead of blueberry pancakes.

The importance of present continuous tense

Understanding and using the present continuous tense adds depth and context to your conversations, making your language more precise. By using this tense, you can:

• Convey real-time actions. Share what is happening at the moment without confusion.
• Describe ongoing situations. Express activities in progress over specific timeframes.
• Engage your audience. Make your language more engaging and dynamic.

The present continuous tense is handy for describing what’s happening in the moment or over a specified period of time. Whether you’re talking about your current activities or describing events unfolding before your eyes, the present continuous tense has you covered. Check out more writing tips to add vividness and precision to your work, whether you want to understand the nuances between independent and dependent clauses, recognize and avoid slippery slope fallacies, or use regional colloquialisms so you can sound like an expert.