📝 Grammar · Week 1 · Lesson 6

The Present Continuous Tense

Learn how to talk about things happening RIGHT NOW in English! አሁን እየሆነ ያለውን ለመናገር።

⏱ 20–25 minutes 📝 Grammar focus 🧠 Quiz included 🆓 Free

Part 1

📌 What is the Present Continuous?

The Present Continuous tense is used to talk about actions that are happening right now, or around this time. It tells us that something is in progress — it has started but not finished yet.

Subject + am / is / are + Verb + -ing

Examples: I am eating. She is studying. They are working.

✅ Use 1 — Happening RIGHT NOW

"I am drinking coffee right now."

✅ Use 2 — Around this time

"She is studying English this week."

✅ Use 3 — Planned future

"We are travelling to Lalibela next month."

Part 2

🔧 How to Form the Present Continuous

The helper verb am / is / are changes depending on the subject:

Subject	Helper verb	Main verb (-ing)	Full sentence
I	am	study → studying	I am studying English.
You	are	read → reading	You are reading this lesson.
He / She / It	is	cook → cooking	She is cooking injera.
We	are	learn → learning	We are learning together.
They	are	work → working	They are working hard.

📌 Spelling Rules for -ing

Rule	Example
Most verbs — just add -ing	read → reading · eat → eating · go → going
Verb ends in -e — remove e, add -ing	write → writing · come → coming · make → making
Short verb ending CVC — double last letter	run → running · sit → sitting · swim → swimming

🇪🇹 Ethiopian Context Examples

☕ "I am drinking coffee right now."

🍞 "She is preparing the injera for the family."

📺 "They are watching a Learn English Express video."

✈️ "We are travelling to Lalibela next week."

🧒 "The children are playing outside after school."

Part 3

❓ Negatives and Questions

Making it NEGATIVE — add "not"

Positive	Negative	Short form
I am working.	I am not working.	I'm not working.
She is eating.	She is not eating.	She isn't eating.
They are coming.	They are not coming.	They aren't coming.

Making a QUESTION — move am/is/are to the front

Statement	Question
She is studying.	Is she studying?
They are working.	Are they working?
I am going.	Am I going?
He is sleeping.	Is he sleeping?

Common Mistakes

⚠️ Common Mistakes Ethiopian Learners Make

These are the most frequent errors — study them carefully!

❌ I studying English.→✅ I am studying English.

❌ She is study every day.→✅ She is studying every day.

❌ He are working now.→✅ He is working now.

❌ They is coming tomorrow.→✅ They are coming tomorrow.

❌ I am not studying not.→✅ I am not studying.

Exercise

✏️ Put the Verb in Brackets into the Present Continuous

I _______ (read) an English book right now.
She _______ (cook) dinner for the family.
We _______ (learn) English together.
He _______ (not / watch) television — he _______ (study).
_______ you _______ (enjoy) this lesson?
The children _______ (play) outside.
My mother _______ (prepare) injera in the kitchen.
It _______ (rain) heavily outside right now.

🧠 Lesson 6 Quiz — Present Continuous

Test your grammar knowledge — 8 questions!

1. Which sentence is correct?

2. What is the -ing form of the verb "write"?

3. Complete: "They _____ working very hard today."

4. How do you make "She is eating" into a question?

5. What is the -ing form of "run"?

6. Which sentence uses the present continuous CORRECTLY?

7. How do you say "She is not working" in short form?

8. Complete: "My mother _____ injera in the kitchen right now."

← Lesson 5: Children's English Week 1 · Lesson 6 of 7 Next: Week 1 Review →