The **present continuous** t**ense** is one of the continuous tenses in English. (Continuous tenses are: present continuous, past continuous, and future continuous.)

The **present continuous** (also called "**present progressive"**) tense mainly describes actions that are in progress at the time of speaking.

Forms
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### Affirmative sentences

Affirmative sentences in the present continuous are formed using verb be (***am*** / ***is*** / ***are***) + base verb-***ing***.

* *I **am eating**.*
* *She **is eating**.*
* *He **is eating**.*
* *It **is eating**.*
* *We **are eating**.*
* *You **are eating**.*
* *They **are eating**.*

The short forms ***'him, 's, 're*** can be used in informal situations and in speech.

### Negative sentences

Negative sentences are formed by adding ***not*** (or the short form ***n't***) to the verb be.

* *I **am not eating**.*
* *She **isn't eating**.*
* *He **is not eating**.*
* *It **is not eating**.*
* *We **aren't eating**.*
* *You **are not eating**.*
* *They **aren't eating**.*

### Questions

Yes / No question are formed using Verb be (***Am*** / ***Is*** /***Are***) + subject + base verb-***ing***.

Wh-questions begin with one of the wh-question words.

(Wh-question words are: what, where, when, why, who, which, whose, how.)

* ***Am** I **eating** your pizza?*
* ***Are** you **having** fun?*
* ***Is** she **sleeping** now?*
* ***Is** it **raining** outside?*
* *Why **is** she **crying**?*
* *When **are** they **coming**?*

Uses
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Present continuous verbs are used to describe the following situations.

### Actions happening now or around now

* *I **am fixing** the broken chair right now.*
* *The baby **is sleeping** at the moment.*
* *She **is taking** a course in Spanish this semester.*

### Future actions

* *We **are getting** married soon.*
* *He **is seeing** the dentist in the afternoon.*
* *They **are moving** to their new apartment next month.*

### Repeated actions

Adverbs like ***always*** are used in this structure to imply that the speaker is irritated or annoyed by the action, or that the action was unplanned or unexpected.

* *She **is always complaining** about her children.*
* *He **is forever losing** his keys.*
* *I'**m always meeting** her in the hallway.*

### Changing or developing actions

* *Prices **are rising** these days.*
* *Her hair **is growing** very fast.*
* *Nowadays, more people **are using** social media to promote their businesses.*

Non-continuous verbs
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Non-continuous (or state verbs) are a group of verbs that describe state rather than action. They are not used in the continuous form. Instead, the present simple tense is used instead. 

* *I don't understand these formulas.*
* *They know what has to be done.*
* *I believe we should revise the plans. (NOT am believing)*

Some verbs can be used as state verbs and action (or dynamic) verbs, but with different meanings.

* *The chef **is tasting** the food.* (action verb)
* *The food tastes great.* (NOT *is tasting*; state verb)
* *She **is looking** at you.* (action verb)
* *It looks gorgeous!* (NOT i*s looking*; state verb)
* *I'**m having** lunch with my sisters.* (action verb)
* *I have two sisters.* (NOT *am having*; state verb)