Screen time right now: the present continuous
The present continuous is am, is or are + verb + -ing. It has three uses. First, an action happening now: Look! The baby is sleeping. Time words are now, at the moment, right now, and signals such as Listen! and Look! Second, a temporary action around now: This week my brother is studying for a test. Third, a fixed future plan with a time: We are visiting the museum tomorrow at nine. For the negative put not after am, is or are: She is not watching TV. For a question put am, is or are first: Are you listening? Spelling: just add -ing to most verbs (play, playing); drop the silent e (make, making); double the last consonant after one short vowel (run, running); change ie to y (lie, lying). Do not use the present continuous with state verbs: know, like, want, love, need. Say I know, not I am knowing.
| Use | Example | Time words |
|---|---|---|
| Now | He is reading a book. | now, at the moment, Look! |
| Temporary | They are learning to swim this month. | this week, these days |
| Fixed plan | I am visiting Aswan next Monday. | tomorrow at nine, next Monday |
| Not with state verbs | I know the answer. | know, like, want, need |
My brother Mazen usually plays football after school, but this week he is studying for a science test. Right now he is sitting at the table with his laptop. He is not watching videos. He is reading about plants. Tomorrow at nine he is meeting his study group at the library. He is limiting his phone time to one hour in the evening, so he has time to sleep well.
| Verb | -ing form | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| play | playing | add -ing |
| make | making | drop the silent e |
| run | running | double the consonant |
| lie | lying | ie becomes y |
Mime and guess. One person mimes an action (writing, running, swimming, reading). The others ask: Are you reading? and answer Yes, I am or No, I’m not. After three guesses the miming player tells the answer in a full sentence: I am swimming.