Chapter 1 - Present Continuous Tense - 146 New Vocabularies - Practical English Grammar: Volume 1 - Willyam Wen
VOCABULARIES [146]
Personal Pronouns
- She /ʃiː/ – used for a female person
- You /juː/ – used for the person you are speaking to
- They /ðeɪ/ – used for people or things (plural)
- We /wiː/ – used for the speaker and others
- He /hiː/ – used for a male person
- It /ɪt/ – used for a thing or animal
- I /aɪ/ – used by the speaker
Possessive Adjectives
- Her /hɜːr/ – belonging to a female
- Their /ðeər/ – belonging to them
- My /maɪ/ – belonging to me
Possessive Pronouns
- Mine /maɪn/ – something that belongs to me
Demonstrative Pronouns
- This /ðɪs/ – something near
- That /ðæt/ – something far
Question Words
- Where /weər/ – asking about place
- What /wɒt/ – asking about things or information
- When /wen/ – asking about time
- How /haʊ/ – asking about method or condition
- Who /huː/ – asking about a person
- Why /waɪ/ – asking about reason
Proper Names
- Italy /ˈɪtəli/ – a country in Europe
Verbs
- Work /wɜːrk/ – to do a job
- Drive /draɪv/ – to control a car
- Do /duː/ – to perform an action
- Make /meɪk/ – to create something
- Have /hæv/ – to possess
- Bath /bæθ/ – to wash the body
- Let /let/ – to allow
- Go /ɡoʊ/ – to move somewhere
- Go out /ɡoʊ aʊt/ – to leave home for social activity
- Rain /reɪn/ – water falling from the sky
- Enjoy /ɪnˈdʒɔɪ/ – to like something
- Read /riːd/ – to look at and understand writing
- Lend /lend/ – to give something temporarily
- Finish /ˈfɪnɪʃ/ – to complete
- Want /wɒnt/ – to desire
- Learn /lɜːrn/ – to gain knowledge
- Build /bɪld/ – to construct
- Rise /raɪz/ – to go up
- Get /ɡet/ – to receive or obtain
- Live /lɪv/ – to reside
- Increase /ɪnˈkriːs/ – to become larger
- Play /pleɪ/ – to take part in a game
- Study /ˈstʌdi/ – to learn
- Watch /wɒtʃ/ – to look at
- Cook /kʊk/ – to prepare food
- Sleep /sliːp/ – to rest with eyes closed
- Write /raɪt/ – to form words
- Listen /ˈlɪsən/ – to hear carefully
- Use /juːz/ – to employ
- Wait /weɪt/ – to stay until something happens
- Talk /tɔːk/ – to speak
- Run /rʌn/ – to move quickly
- Cry /kraɪ/ – to shed tears
- Bark /bɑːrk/ – sound a dog makes
- Clean /kliːn/ – to make something not dirty
- Win /wɪn/ – to be victorious
- Sit /sɪt/ – to rest on a chair
- Blow /bloʊ/ – to move air
- Jump /dʒʌmp/ – to push yourself into the air
- Stop /stɒp/ – to end movement
- Fix /fɪks/ – to repair
- Snow /snoʊ/ – frozen rain falling
- Begin /bɪˈɡɪn/ – to start
- Prefer /prɪˈfɜːr/ – to like more
- Admit /ədˈmɪt/ – to confess or allow
- Visit /ˈvɪzɪt/ – to go see someone
- Open /ˈoʊpən/ – to make not closed
- Happen /ˈhæpən/ – to take place
- Lie /laɪ/ – to be in a flat position
- Laugh /læf/ – to show happiness with sound
- Die /daɪ/ – to stop living
- Tie /taɪ/ – to fasten with string
Nouns
- Car /kɑːr/ – a vehicle
- Way /weɪ/ – method or path
- Noise /nɔɪz/ – loud sound
- Party /ˈpɑːrti/ – social gathering
- Bed /bed/ – furniture for sleeping
- Moment /ˈmoʊmənt/ – short time
- Book /bʊk/ – printed pages
- Friend /frend/ – a person you like
- House /haʊs/ – a building to live in
- Week /wiːk/ – seven days
- Month /mʌnθ/ – about 30 days
- Population /ˌpɒpjəˈleɪʃən/ – number of people
- World /wɜːrld/ – the earth
- English /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/ – the English language
- Cost /kɒst/ – price
- Economic /ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk/ – related to economy
- Situation /ˌsɪtʃuˈeɪʃən/ – condition or state
- Football /ˈfʊtbɔːl/ – a sport
- Park /pɑːrk/ – public green area
- Test /test/ – examination
- Movie /ˈmuːvi/ – film
- Dinner /ˈdɪnər/ – evening meal
- Kitchen /ˈkɪtʃən/ – room for cooking
- Child /tʃaɪld/ – young person
- Mother /ˈmʌðər/ – female parent
- Email /ˈiːmeɪl/ – electronic message
- TV /ˌtiːˈviː/ – television
- Music /ˈmjuːzɪk/ – organized sound
- School /skuːl/ – place for education
- Phone /foʊn/ – telephone
- Basketball /ˈbæskɪtbɔːl/ – a sport
- Bus /bʌs/ – large public vehicle
- Homework /ˈhoʊmwɜːrk/ – school work at home
- Chess /tʃes/ – board game
- Parent /ˈperənt/ – mother or father
- Dog /dɔːɡ/ – animal that barks
- Room /ruːm/ – part of a house
- Exercise /ˈeksərsaɪz/ – physical activity
- Brother /ˈbrʌðər/ – male sibling
- Wind /wɪnd/ – moving air
- Snow /snoʊ/ – frozen rain
Adjectives
- Tired /ˈtaɪərd/ – needing rest
- Much /mʌtʃ/ – a large amount
- Interesting /ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/ – making you curious
- Italian /ɪˈtæliən/ – from Italy
- Some /sʌm/ – a certain amount
- Own /oʊn/ – belonging to oneself
- Fast /fæst/ – quick
- English /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/ – related to England or language
- Better /ˈbetər/ – more good
- Worse /wɜːrs/ – more bad
- Right /raɪt/ – correct
- Dark /dɑːrk/ – not bright
- Strong /strɔːŋ/ – powerful
Adverbs
- Please /pliːz/ – polite request word
- So /soʊ/ – very
- At the moment /æt ðə ˈmoʊmənt/ – now
- Much /mʌtʃ/ – a lot
- Now /naʊ/ – at this time
- Anymore /ˌeniˈmɔːr/ – no longer
- Today /təˈdeɪ/ – this day
- Hard /hɑːrd/ – with effort
- Fast /fæst/ – quickly
- Very /ˈveri/ – extremely
- Right now /raɪt naʊ/ – at this exact time
- Outside /ˌaʊtˈsaɪd/ – not inside
- Strongly /ˈstrɔːŋli/ – with strength
- Too /tuː/ – more than enough
Prepositions
- On /ɒn/ – touching surface
- At /æt/ – specific place or time
- In /ɪn/ – inside
- To /tuː/ – direction toward
Conjunctions
- When /wen/ – at the time that
A. Introduction: What Is the Present Continuous?
Imagine this situation:
Ann is in her car. She is on her way to work. She is driving to work.
This tells us that Ann is driving right now, at the moment of speaking.
She has started driving, but she hasn’t finished yet. The action is still in progress.
We use the present continuous tense to talk about actions that are happening now or around now.
Form of the Present Continuous
The structure is:
am / is / are + verb + -ing
| Subject |
Verb "to be" |
Verb + -ing |
Example |
| I |
am (’m) |
driving |
I’m driving. |
| He/She/It |
is (’s) |
working |
She’s working. |
| We/You/They |
are (’re) |
doing |
They’re doing homework. |
B. When Do We Use the Present Continuous?
1. Actions Happening Now
We use the present continuous when an action is happening at the moment of speaking.
Examples:
- Please don’t make so much noise. I’m working.
- “Where’s Margaret?” “She’s having a bath.”
- Let’s go out now. It isn’t raining anymore.
- (At a party) Are you enjoying the party?
- I’m tired. I’m going to bed now.
In these examples, the actions are happening right now.
2. Actions in Progress (But Not Exactly Now)
Sometimes the action is not happening at the exact moment of speaking,
but it is still in progress.
Example:
Tom says:
“I’m reading an interesting book at the moment. I’ll lend it to you when I’ve finished.”
Tom is not reading the book at that exact moment,
but he has started it and hasn’t finished it yet.
More examples:
- Catherine wants to work in Italy, so she is learning Italian.
- Some friends of mine are building their own house.
These actions are temporary and unfinished.
3. Temporary Situations Around Now
We also use the present continuous to talk about temporary situations
happening around now (today, this week, this month, etc.).
- “You’re working hard today.”
- “Is Susan working this week?”
These are temporary situations, not permanent ones.
4. Changes Happening Around Now
The present continuous is also used for changes and developments.
- The population of the world is rising very fast.
- Is your English getting better?
- The cost of living is increasing.
- The economic situation is getting worse.
These sentences describe changes happening over time.
C. Present Continuous Tense – Rules for Adding -ing
The present continuous tense is used to talk about actions happening now or at the moment of speaking.
Basic Formula
Subject + am / is / are + verb-ing
- I am studying
- She is reading
- They are playing
D. Rules for Changing a Verb into -ing Form
1. Most Verbs → Just Add -ing
Simply add -ing to the base verb.
| Base Verb |
-ing Form |
| work |
working |
| play |
playing |
| read |
reading |
| jump |
jumping |
No spelling change.
2. Verb Ends with -e → Drop the -e, Add -ing
If a verb ends in silent -e, remove the -e before adding -ing.
| Base Verb |
-ing Form |
| make |
making |
| write |
writing |
| dance |
dancing |
| come |
coming |
❌ makeing
✔ making
3. One Syllable Verb (CVC Pattern) → Double the Last Consonant + -ing
If a verb:
- Has one syllable
- Follows Consonant–Vowel–Consonant (CVC)
- Ends in a consonant
Double the last consonant before adding -ing.
| Base Verb |
-ing Form |
| run |
running |
| sit |
sitting |
| stop |
stopping |
| get |
getting |
Do NOT double if the last letter is w, x, or y:
| Base Verb |
-ing Form |
| fix |
fixing |
| play |
playing |
| snow |
snowing |
4. Two-Syllable Verbs → Double If Stress Is on Last Syllable
If the stress is on the second syllable, double the final consonant.
| Base Verb |
-ing Form |
| begin |
beginning |
| prefer |
preferring |
| admit |
admitting |
If the stress is NOT on the last syllable, do NOT double:
| Base Verb |
-ing Form |
| open |
opening |
| visit |
visiting |
| happen |
happening |
5. Verb Ends with -ie → Change to -ying
| Base Verb |
-ing Form |
| lie |
lying |
| die |
dying |
| tie |
tying |
❌ lieing
✔ lying
Quick Summary
| Situation |
Rule |
| Normal verb |
Add -ing |
| Ends in -e |
Drop -e + ing |
| CVC (1 syllable) |
Double consonant + ing |
| Stress on last syllable |
Double consonant + ing |
| Ends in -ie |
Change to -ying |
E. Present Continuous – Negative and Questions
The present continuous tense uses:
Subject + am / is / are + verb-ing
Now let’s learn how to make negative sentences and questions.
1. How to Make NEGATIVE Sentences
Formula:
Subject + am / is / are + NOT + verb-ing
You just add “not” after the verb to be (am / is / are).
Examples:
- I am not working.
- She is not sleeping.
- They are not playing.
- We are not studying.
Short Forms (Contractions)
| Full Form |
Short Form |
| I am not |
I'm not |
| He is not |
He isn't |
| She is not |
She isn't |
| It is not |
It isn't |
| We are not |
We aren't |
| They are not |
They aren't |
| You are not |
You aren't |
Examples with Contractions:
- She isn't reading.
- We aren't watching TV.
- I'm not eating.
2. How to Make YES/NO Questions
Formula:
Am / Is / Are + Subject + verb-ing?
To make a question, move am / is / are to the beginning of the sentence.
Examples:
Statement:
She is studying.
Question:
Is she studying?
- Are they playing?
- Is he sleeping?
- Are you working?
- Am I talking too fast?
Short Answers
| Question |
Short Answer |
| Is she studying? |
Yes, she is. / No, she isn't. |
| Are they playing? |
Yes, they are. / No, they aren't. |
| Are you working? |
Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. |
3. How to Make WH- Questions
Add a question word at the beginning:
Wh-word + am / is / are + subject + verb-ing?
Common Wh-words:
- What
- Where
- Why
- Who
- When
- How
Examples:
- What are you doing?
- Where is she going?
- Why are they laughing?
- Who is talking?
Quick Summary
| Type |
Structure |
| Positive |
Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing |
| Negative |
Subject + am/is/are + not + verb-ing |
| Yes/No Question |
Am/Is/Are + subject + verb-ing? |
| WH-Question |
Wh-word + am/is/are + subject + verb-ing? |
Exercise 1 – Fill in the Blanks
Complete the sentences using the correct form of the verb in brackets.
- She __________ (read) a book right now.
- They __________ (play) football in the park.
- I __________ (study) for my English test.
- We __________ (watch) a movie at the moment.
- He __________ (cook) dinner in the kitchen.
- The children __________ (sleep).
- It __________ (rain) outside.
- You __________ (learn) very fast.
- My mother __________ (work) today.
- I __________ (write) an email now.
Exercise 2 – Negative Sentences
Change the sentences into negative form.
- She is watching TV.
- They are working hard.
- I am listening to music.
- He is driving to school.
- We are playing basketball.
Exercise 3 – Make Questions
Rewrite the sentences as questions.
- She is cooking dinner.
- They are studying English.
- He is sleeping.
- You are using my phone.
- We are waiting for the bus.
Exercise 4 – Choose the Correct Answer
- She (is / are) talking on the phone.
- I (am / is) doing my homework.
- They (am / are) playing chess.
- It (is / are) getting dark.
- We (is / are) watching TV.
Exercise 5 – Correct the Mistakes
- She are reading a book.
- I is going to school.
- They am playing football.
- He are sleeping.
- We is studying English.
Exercise 6 – What Is Happening Now?
Example: (John / run) → John is running.
- (The baby / cry)
- (My parents / work)
- (The dog / bark)
- (We / clean the house)
- (Sarah / talk to her friend)
Exercise 7 – Short Answers
Example: Are you studying? → Yes, I am.
- Is she working?
- Are they sleeping?
- Are you watching TV?
- Is he driving?
- Are we winning?
Exercise 8 – Mixed Practice
Right now, I __________ (sit) in my room. I __________ (write) this exercise.
My brother __________ (watch) TV and my parents __________ (cook) dinner.
Outside, it __________ (rain), and the wind __________ (blow) strongly.
Summary
We use the present continuous (am/is/are + verb-ing) to talk about:
- Actions happening now
- Actions in progress (not finished)
- Temporary situations
- Changes happening around now
This tense helps us describe actions that are ongoing and not yet complete.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1 - Present Continuous Tense - 146 New Vocabularies - Practical English Grammar: Volume 1 - Willyam Wen
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