Present Progressive Tense in English Grammar

When to use the English Present Progressive Tense

We use the present progressive tense to describe:

• actions that are taking place at the present moment, i.e. now

  Example:

  Look! James is taking a picture of another tourist.

• predetermined plans or appointments that have been made for the near future

  Example:

  He is meeting his friend Brad tonight.

• actions that are only happening temporarily

  Example:

  James is travelling around Australia.

  Brad is working there as a tour guide over the summer.

• actions that are currently happening, but not at the moment of speaking

  Example:

  He is staying at a youth hostel.

• situations that are changing

  Example:

  The town is becoming more and more popular because of its beautiful beaches.

There are four present tenses in English grammar. Besides the present progressive, there is the simple present, the present perfect and the present perfect progressive.

Learn about the differences between English present tenses on Lingolia’s English Tense Comparison page:

• Tense comparison simple present – present progressive
• Tense comparison simple present – present perfect progressive
• Tense Comparison present perfect – present perfect progressive

Learn more about the progressive aspect and other progressive tenses on Lingolia’s tenses timeline.

Signal Words: English Present Progressive Tense

Signal words can help us decide which tense to use. The signal words for the present progressive are:

• at the moment
• now, just now, right now
• Listen!
• Look!

How to conjugate the English Present Progressive Tense

To conjugate verbs in the present progressive we use the conjugated form of the auxiliary verb be. Be is irregular (see the table below). The main verb is conjugated in the -ing form or present participle, it is the same for all people. The table provides and overview of the conjugation of verbs in positive, negative and interrogative sentences in the present progressive tense.

Present Participle – Spelling Rules

Generally, the present participle is formed by adding -ing to the base infinitive form of a verb. However, there are a few exceptions:

• An -e at the end of the word is removed, but -ee, -oe and -ye remain unchanged.

  Example:

  come – coming

  (but: agree - agreeing)

• The final consonant is doubled in words that have a short stressed vowel before the final consonant. However, -w, -x and -y are not doubled
  

  Example:

  sit – sitting

  (but: fix –fixing)

• An -l as the final consonant after a vowel is always doubled in British English but not in American English.

  Example:

  travel – travelling (British), traveling (American)

• An -ie at the end of the word is replaced by a -y.
  

  Example:

  lie – lying

Contractions

Contractions are a combination of certain pronouns, verbs and the word not. They are mostly used in spoken and informal written English. The table below provides an overview of contractions in the present progressive using the verb be.