Grammar in focus
Form
am / is / are + verb-ing
| Affirmative | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|
| I am working. | I'm not working. | Am I working? |
| She is working. | She isn't working. | Is she working? |
| They are working. | They aren't working. | Are they working? |
Use
- Actions happening now: I'm reading a book. Look! It's raining.
- Temporary situations: I'm staying at a hotel this week.
- Changing situations / this period: She is learning English this year.
Time expressions
now, right now, at the moment, today, this week, Look!, Listen!
Spelling of -ing
- Most verbs: add -ing (play → playing).
- Ends in -e: drop the e (make → making, write → writing).
- One vowel + one consonant: double (run → running, sit → sitting, swim → swimming).
- -ie → -y: die → dying.
Watch out
State verbs (know, want, like, love, hear, need, have = possess) are not used in the continuous: I am knowing → I know.
En español
El presente continuo (am/is/are + -ing) expresa lo que ocurre ahora o de forma temporal: estoy leyendo. Los verbos de estado no se usan en continuo.
US vs UK
This book teaches American English. These are the differences you will notice with British English on this topic.
Informal British English uses I'm sat / I'm stood. American English always uses the -ing form.
El británico informal usa I'm sat / I'm stood. El americano siempre usa -ing.
Same tense; different words for city areas and spelling (center/centre).
Mismo tiempo; distintas palabras y ortografía (center/centre).
Vacation (US) = holiday (UK).
Vacation (EE. UU.) = holiday (Reino Unido).
Exam practice
- Five parts, like a certification exam: multiple choice, open cloze, error identification, sentence transformation and US vs UK.
- Typed answers accept American spelling and contractions (don't = do not).
- Every item has feedback in English and Spanish. Items and options change order on every attempt.
- Only Exam mode saves your score to your progress. You pass with 70%.
Practice mode
No timer. Check each part as you go and read the feedback.
Exam mode
25 minutes. Feedback at the end. Your best score is saved.