Practice
Present continuous exercise 2: form questions and negatives
You want to ask about a meeting that is happening now, but the verb comes first in the question. This exercise gives you a simple order to follow.
Form accurate present continuous questions and negative sentences for actions happening now or around now.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
Are you working? /ɑː juː ˈwɜːkɪŋ/
The short answer
For a present continuous question, put am, is, or are before the subject. For a negative, put not after am, is, or are.
Are you waiting for the bus?
Why it works: Are comes before you because this is a question about an action in progress.
4 more examples
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Is Maya working from home today?
Is moves before the singular subject Maya to make a question.
Not this:
Maya is workingfrom home today. What changes: This is a statement, so the subject comes before is. -
They are not staying for the whole presentation.
Not follows are to make a negative present continuous statement.
Not this:They
are stayingfor the whole presentation. What changes: Without not, the sentence says that they will remain. -
Why are the children laughing?
After the question word why, put are before the plural subject the children.
Not this:
The children are laughingat a joke. What changes: This statement gives information instead of asking for it. -
I am not using my phone during the lesson.
Am is the form of be used with I, and not comes directly after it.
Not this:I
am usingmy phone during the lesson. What changes: Removing not changes the meaning to a positive statement.
Read the full guide
First choose the correct form of be. Then decide whether you are asking a question or making a negative statement. The -ing form stays with the main verb in both patterns.
Build the question in a new order
A positive sentence starts with the subject: She is reading. A yes or no question starts with the form of be: Is she reading? Do not begin this kind of question with do or does.
Are the guests arriving now?
Choose am, is, or are
Match the form of be to the subject. Say Am I speaking too quickly? with I. Say Is your manager joining us? with one person or thing. Say Are we meeting outside? with we, you, they, or more than one noun.
Is the train leaving from platform four?
Make a negative statement
Keep the normal statement order for a negative: subject, form of be, not, and the -ing verb. You can use contractions in ordinary speech and writing: is not becomes isn't, and are not becomes aren't.
We are not taking the elevator today.
Add a question word when you need details
Put what, where, why, when, who, or how before the question pattern. The form of be still comes before the subject. What are you looking for? is correct. What you are looking for? needs a verb such as is or do after the question word in a different structure.
Where is your brother going after work?
Keep the -ing verb after the subject
In a question, only am, is, or are moves. The main verb remains in its -ing form after the subject. Are they cook dinner? is incomplete. Are they cooking dinner? has the needed verb form.
Why is the printer making that noise?
Check the meaning before you choose a tense
Ask whether the action is in progress or temporary. Are you studying for the exam this week? fits a temporary activity. Do you study every evening? asks about a regular habit, so it uses the simple present.
Use present continuous for an activity around now. Use simple present for a repeated routine or a general fact.
Before you go
Remember this
For questions, begin with am, is, or are, then add the subject and the -ing verb. For negatives, use subject plus am, is, or are plus not and the -ing verb.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Present continuous exercise 2: form questions and negatives"
How do I make a present continuous question?
Start with am, is, or are, then add the subject and the verb ending in -ing. For example, use Is the train leaving from platform four? when one train is the subject.
Is Maya working from home today?
Where does not go in the present continuous?
Put not after am, is, or are in a statement. For example, We are not taking the elevator today has are not before the -ing form taking.
Maya is working from home today.
Do present continuous questions use do or does?
No. Use am, is, or are to form a present continuous question. Are the guests arriving now? is correct because are carries the question pattern.
They are not staying for the whole presentation.
Can I use a question word with the present continuous?
Yes. Put the question word first, then use am, is, or are before the subject. Why is the printer making that noise? asks for a reason.
They are staying for the whole presentation.
When should I use present continuous instead of simple present?
Use present continuous for an action in progress or a temporary activity around now. Use simple present for a routine, such as a regular work or study schedule.
Why are the children laughing?
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