Present Progressive/Continuous - Form

Present Progressive/Continuous: Summary; Use; Signal words; Form of affirmative, negative sentences and questions; Spelling; Special verbs; Diagram; Long forms and short forms

Form of the Present Progressive/Continuous

We use a form of to be (am, are or is), the infinitive of the verb and the ending –ing.

to be (am, are, is) + infinitive + -ing

I am playing volleyball.
He/she/it is playing volleyball.
We/you/they are playing volleyball.

NOTE: Use am with I - is with he, she, it - and with all other pronouns are.

We often use short forms in affirmative sentences in the Present Progressive.

I am not playing volleyball.
He/she/it is not playing volleyball.
We/you/they are not playing volleyball.

NOTE: We often use short forms in negative sentences in the Present Progressive.

In the Present Progressive we put the auxiliary (am, are or is) before the subject
(Auxiliary - Subject - Verb - Rest).

Am I playing volleyball?
Is he/she/it playing volleyball?
Are we/you/they playing volleyball?