Learn the present continuous tense: structure, am/is/are, -ing spelling rules, all its uses, stative verbs, and present continuous vs simple, with exercises and answers for SSC, HSC, admission, and job exams.
Right now, as you read this, something is happening: your eyes are moving, your mind is working, and maybe a fan is spinning above you. Every one of those “-ing” actions is the present continuous tense in action. It is the tense of right now, of things in the middle of happening. It is one of the most used tenses in English, and this lesson covers it fully, from the am/is/are rule and the -ing spellings up to the finer uses that come in admission and job exams.
ঠিক এই মুহূর্তে, তুমি যখন এটি পড়ছ, তখন কিছু একটা ঘটছে: তোমার চোখ নড়ছে (are moving), তোমার মন কাজ করছে (is working), আর হয়তো তোমার মাথার উপরে একটি ফ্যান ঘুরছে (is spinning)। এই প্রতিটি “-ing” কাজই হলো কাজে লাগানো present continuous tense। এটি এই মুহূর্তের tense, এমন কিছুর যা ঘটার মাঝপথে আছে। তাহলে চলো, শুরু করা যাক।
What is the Present Continuous Tense?
The present continuous tense expresses an action that is going on now, at the time of speaking, and has started but not yet finished (এখন চলছে এমন কাজ, যা শুরু হয়েছে কিন্তু শেষ হয়নি)।
Present continuous tense এমন একটি কাজ প্রকাশ করে যা এখন, কথা বলার সময়ে চলছে, এবং যা শুরু হয়েছে কিন্তু এখনো শেষ হয়নি।
A quick story. It is afternoon, and you are playing cricket. Your uncle passes by, sees you, and asks, “What are you doing now?” You answer, “I am playing cricket now.” As you speak, the action is going on. That is the present continuous tense.
একটি ছোট গল্প। বিকেল হয়েছে, তুমি ক্রিকেট খেলছ। তোমার চাচা পাশ দিয়ে যেতে যেতে তোমাকে দেখে জিজ্ঞেস করলেন, “তুমি এখন কী করছ?” তুমি বললে, “I am playing cricket now।” তুমি যখন বলছ, কাজটি তখন চলছে। এটাই present continuous tense।
It is one of the twelve tenses. For the full picture, see our classification of tenses.
Signal words (চিহ্ন): now, right now, at present, at this moment, currently, these days, nowadays, still, Look!, Listen!
The Structure
We use the auxiliary “am / is / are” with the -ing form of the verb.
আমরা “am / is / are” এর সাথে verb এর -ing রূপ ব্যবহার করি।
Structure: subject + am/is/are + (verb + ing).
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative (হাঁ-বোধক) | subject + am/is/are + verb-ing | She is writing a letter. |
| Negative (না-বোধক) | subject + am/is/are + not + verb-ing | She is not writing a letter. |
| Interrogative (প্রশ্নবোধক) | Am/Is/Are + subject + verb-ing? | Is she writing a letter? |
Which One: am, is, or are?
Choose the auxiliary according to the subject.
Subject অনুযায়ী auxiliary বাছো।
- Use am only with ‘I’ (শুধু ‘I’ এর সাথে): I am reading.
- Use is with a third person singular subject (he, she, it, a name) (তৃতীয় পুরুষ একবচন): He is reading.
- Use are with we, you, they, and plural subjects (বহুবচন ও ‘you’): They are reading.
Examples:
- I am cooking dinner right now.
- The baby is sleeping in the cradle.
- The students are writing their exam.
Rules for Adding ‘-ing’ to a Verb
Most verbs simply add -ing, but a few change their spelling. Learn these.
বেশিরভাগ verb এ শুধু -ing যোগ হয়, তবে কয়েকটির বানান বদলায়। এগুলো শেখো।
Rule 1: If a verb ends in a single silent ‘e’, drop the ‘e’ before -ing.
verb টি একটি নীরব ‘e’ দিয়ে শেষ হলে -ing এর আগে ‘e’ বাদ যায়।
Examples:
- hate → hating, love → loving, write → writing
- Exceptions: dye → dyeing, singe → singeing
Rule 2: If a short verb ends in one vowel + one consonant, double the consonant before -ing.
ছোট verb একটি স্বরবর্ণ + একটি ব্যঞ্জনবর্ণ দিয়ে শেষ হলে -ing এর আগে ব্যঞ্জনবর্ণটি দ্বিগুণ হয়।
Examples:
- run → running, stop → stopping, sit → sitting
- begin → beginning, prefer → preferring (stress on the last syllable)
Rule 3: In British English, a final ‘l’ after a single vowel is doubled.
ব্রিটিশ ইংরেজিতে একটি স্বরবর্ণের পরের শেষ ‘l’ দ্বিগুণ হয়।
Examples:
- travel → travelling, signal → signalling (American: traveling, signaling)
Rule 4: If a verb ends in ‘ie’, change ‘ie’ to ‘y’ before -ing.
verb টি ‘ie’ দিয়ে শেষ হলে -ing এর আগে ‘ie’ কে ‘y’ তে পরিবর্তন করো।
Examples:
- lie → lying, die → dying, tie → tying
Rule 5: A verb ending in ‘y’ just adds -ing, with no change.
‘y’ দিয়ে শেষ হওয়া verb এ কোনো পরিবর্তন ছাড়াই শুধু -ing যোগ হয়।
Examples:
- carry → carrying, enjoy → enjoying, study → studying
The Uses of the Present Continuous Tense
This tense does more than describe “right now”. Learn all its uses, because exams test the less obvious ones.
এই tense শুধু “এই মুহূর্ত” বোঝায় না। এর সব ব্যবহার শেখো, কারণ পরীক্ষায় কম-পরিচিত ব্যবহারগুলো আসে।
Use 1: An action going on at the moment of speaking.
কথা বলার মুহূর্তে চলমান একটি কাজ।
Examples:
- Look! The children are flying kites.
- Please be quiet; the baby is sleeping.
Use 2: A temporary action happening around now, not necessarily this second.
এখনকার আশেপাশে ঘটছে এমন একটি সাময়িক কাজ, ঠিক এই সেকেন্ডে নয়।
Examples:
- These days, I am staying with my aunt.
- She is reading a very good novel this week.
Use 3: A fixed plan or arrangement for the near future.
নিকট ভবিষ্যতের একটি নির্দিষ্ট পরিকল্পনা বা ঠিক করা কাজ।
Examples:
- I am meeting my friend tomorrow.
- We are leaving for Dhaka on Friday.
Use 4: A changing or developing situation.
পরিবর্তনশীল বা ক্রমবিকাশমান একটি পরিস্থিতি।
Examples:
- The population of the world is rising fast.
- The weather is getting colder day by day.
Use 5: A repeated action with ‘always’, to show annoyance.
‘always’ সহ বারবার ঘটা একটি কাজ, বিরক্তি বোঝাতে।
Examples:
- He is always losing his keys.
- You are always complaining about something.
Present Continuous vs Present Simple
Students are often tested on this difference. Use the present simple for a habit or a general truth. Use the present continuous for an action happening now or a temporary situation.
শিক্ষার্থীদের প্রায়ই এই পার্থক্য নিয়ে প্রশ্ন করা হয়। অভ্যাস বা সাধারণ সত্যের জন্য present simple ব্যবহার করো। আর এখন ঘটছে এমন কাজ বা সাময়িক পরিস্থিতির জন্য present continuous ব্যবহার করো।
Examples:
- I play cricket every afternoon. (present simple: a habit)
- I am playing cricket now. (present continuous: happening now)
- Water boils at 100 degrees. (present simple: a general truth)
Stative Verbs: A Common Trap
Some verbs describe a state, not an action, and are not normally used in the -ing form. When you meet one, use the present simple instead.
কিছু verb একটি অবস্থা বোঝায়, কাজ নয়, আর এদের সাধারণত -ing রূপে ব্যবহার করা হয় না। এমন verb পেলে present simple ব্যবহার করো।
| Group | Verbs |
|---|---|
| Senses (ইন্দ্রিয়) | see, hear, smell, taste, notice |
| Feelings (অনুভূতি) | like, love, hate, want, wish, prefer |
| Thinking (চিন্তা) | know, believe, understand, remember, mean |
| Possession (অধিকার) | have, own, belong, possess |
Examples:
- Correct: I feel unwell today. (not “am feeling”)
- Correct: She knows the answer. (not “is knowing”)
A useful nuance. A few of these verbs can take the -ing form when their meaning changes to an action.
একটি দরকারি সূক্ষ্মতা। এদের কয়েকটি verb -ing রূপ নিতে পারে যখন এদের অর্থ একটি কাজে বদলে যায়।
Examples:
- I think it is correct. (opinion) / I am thinking about the plan. (mental action)
- She has a car. (possession) / She is having lunch. (eating)
Practice Exercise with Answers
Put the verb in brackets into the present continuous or the present simple, whichever fits.
বন্ধনীর verb টিকে present continuous অথবা present simple এ বসাও, যেটি মানানসই। নিজে চেষ্টা করার পরে উত্তর মিলিয়ে নাও।
- Look! The baby ______ (cry).
- She ______ (not / listen) to me right now.
- ______ you ______ (come) to the party tonight?
- The price of rice ______ (rise) these days.
- I ______ (believe) you are right.
- They ______ (build) a new bridge over the river.
- He ______ (always / complain) about his food.
- Water ______ (boil) at 100 degrees Celsius.
- My brother ______ (stay) with us this week.
- ______ it ______ (rain) outside?
- I ______ (see) what you mean now.
- The children ______ (play) in the garden at the moment.
- She ______ (have) dinner right now, so call later.
- We ______ (learn) three new subjects this year.
- The world ______ (change) faster than ever before.
Answers
- is crying
- is not listening
- Are … coming (a future arrangement)
- is rising
- believe (stative verb)
- are building
- is always complaining (annoyance)
- boils (a general truth, so present simple)
- is staying (temporary)
- Is … raining
- see (stative verb here)
- are playing
- is having (having = eating, so continuous)
- are learning
- is changing
A Tip for the Exam
Two clues point to this tense: a signal word (now, at this moment, these days, Look!) and an action that is temporary or in progress. But do not use the -ing form blindly. Run two checks first: is the verb stative (know, love, want), because then you need the present simple; and is the sentence a habit or general truth, because then it is also present simple. Spot the signal, rule out those two traps, and the present continuous is easy marks.
দুটি সূত্র এই tense এর দিকে নির্দেশ করে: একটি signal word (now, at this moment, these days, Look!) আর একটি সাময়িক বা চলমান কাজ। তবে চোখ বন্ধ করে -ing রূপ ব্যবহার করো না। আগে দুটি যাচাই করো: verb টি কি stative (know, love, want), কারণ তাহলে present simple লাগবে; আর বাক্যটি কি অভ্যাস বা সাধারণ সত্য, কারণ তাহলেও present simple। signal খুঁজে বের করো, এই দুটি ফাঁদ বাদ দাও, তাহলে present continuous সহজ নম্বর।
Related Lessons
Keep learning the tenses with these lessons:
- 12 Tenses in English Grammar: Full Classification with Examples
- Present Indefinite Tense: 10 Rules, Examples & Exercises
- Present Perfect Tense in English Grammar
- Present Perfect Continuous Tense in English Grammar
- Past Indefinite Tense (Simple Past): 4 Rules & Examples
- Past Continuous Tense in English Grammar
- Past Perfect Tense in English Grammar
- Past Perfect Continuous Tense in English Grammar
- Future Indefinite Tense (Simple Future): 4 Rules & Examples
- Future Continuous Tense: Rules, Structure & Examples
- Future Perfect Tense: Rules & Usages in English Grammar
- Future Perfect Continuous Tense: Rules, Structure & Examples
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the present continuous tense?
It expresses an action that is going on now, at the time of speaking, such as “She is writing a letter”. The action has started but not yet finished.
What is the structure of the present continuous tense?
Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing. Use ‘am’ with I, ‘is’ with he, she, it, and ‘are’ with we, you, they.
Can the present continuous show the future?
Yes. It is used for a fixed plan or arrangement in the near future, such as “I am meeting my friend tomorrow”.
Which verbs are not used in the present continuous?
Stative verbs like know, believe, love, want, see, and have (for possession) are not used in the -ing form. Use the present simple instead.
What is the difference between present simple and present continuous?
The present simple is for habits and general truths (I play cricket every day). The present continuous is for actions happening now or temporary situations (I am playing cricket now).